Video game terminology

A level, map, area, stage, world, rack, board, zone, or phase in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective.

Platform game (or platformer) is a video game which involves guiding an avatar to jump between suspended platforms and/or over obstacles to advance the game.

In video games, rushing is a battle tactic similar to the blitzkrieg or the human wave attack tactics in real-world ground warfare, in which speed and surprise are used to overwhelm and/or cripple an enemy's ability to wage war, usually before the enemy is able to achieve an effective buildup of sizable defensive and/or expansionist capabilities.

An arcade game or coin-op is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades.

A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment.

A non-player character (NPC), sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any character that is not controlled by a player.

PC games, also known as computer games or personal computer games, are video games played on a personal computer rather than a dedicated video game console or arcade machine.

Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games where the game does not progress incrementally in turns.

A video game console is an electronic, digital or computer device that outputs a video signal or visual image to display a video game that one or more people can play.

Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter game (MMOFPS) mixes the genres of first-person shooter and massively multiplayer online games, possibly in the form of web browser-based games, in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual world.

Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game (MMORTS) mixes the genres of real-time strategy and Massively multiplayer online games, possibly in the form of web browser-based games, in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual world.

A player character or playable character (PC) is a fictional character in a role-playing or video game whose actions are directly controlled by a player of the game rather than the rules of the game.

A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences.

Educational entertainment (also referred to by the portmanteau neologism edutainment) is content designed both to educate and to entertain.

In video gaming parlance, an achievement, also sometimes known as a trophy, badge, award, stamp, medal or challenge, is a meta-goal defined outside of a game's parameters.

In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character.

A Fatality is a gameplay feature in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting video games.

A gamer is someone who plays interactive games, usually video games, although games can also come in other forms, such as tabletop or physical games (in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, the term "gaming" can also refer to legalized gambling, which can take both traditional—i.e. tabletop—and digital forms—akin to video games).

In game design, balance is the concept and the practice of tuning a game's rules, usually with the goal of preventing any of its component systems from being ineffective or otherwise undesirable when compared to their peers.

Grinding is a term used in video gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive tasks.

A space flight simulation game is a genre of flight simulator video games that lets players experience space flight.

Video Game Monetization is the process by which a video game product returns money for those involved in its creation or copyright ownership.

Metroidvania is a subgenre of the action-adventure video game with gameplay concepts similar to the Metroid series and the Castlevania series (specifically from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and onward).

A home video game console or simply home console is a video game device that is primarily used for home gamers, as opposed to in arcades or some other commercial establishment.

In video games, an exploit is the use of a bug or glitches, game system, rates, hit boxes, or speed, etc.

An experience point (often abbreviated to Exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game.

In video gaming, a life is a play-turn that a player-character has, defined as the period between start and end of play.

Game mechanics are constructs of rules or methods designed for interaction with the game state, thus providing gameplay.

In video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic.