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A characteristic present in game characters with a superior state of mind reflected in how they solve problems and their way of approaching situations.
A board game is a game played on a mostly-static surface using markers or chits to indicate player progress. Many video game board games are based on tabletop games (Catan, Monopoly), but some, like Mario Party and Culdcept, are original designs that use board game design as a starting point.
When a game incorporates trivia questions into it, even if it's not a trivia game.
Carefully exploring a large, labyrinthine area full of enemies (i.e., a dungeon) in the hopes of finding treasure, leveling up, or completing a specific task. Having their roots in tabletop games, video game dungeon crawls are found almost exclusively in RPGs.
Third-party developers and publishers occasionally engage in the practice of releasing a title or piece of DLC on only one platform for any number of reasons. Sometimes these are permanent while others are only platform exclusive for a certain window of time.
The Black Market is a concept wherein players may buy or sell items through alternative means. This is often a way to make more money but can often land the player into trouble.
Non-linear level design where the player is able to freely traverse the game world and choose where and when to visit certain areas in the game.
Gameplay that involves performing an entrepreneurial service in order to make money.
Game visuals based on mathematical calculations. As opposed to texture or sprite based raster graphics.
The Art of tracking down criminals and the wanted like for a cash reward.
Trading systems allow players to trade items, money and other objects between each other.
Wireframe describes any 3D model or shape that has no covering texture or "skin" and can be seen through. It can also be a visual effect to make a 2D image appear 3D.
A sheet that is intended to be placed over a keyboard in order to remind players of the game's control scheme.
Digitized sprites, popularized in the early 90s, were a form of graphics that used footage of real actors, Stop-motion frames of a figure/clay model or 3D renders of characters that were then made digital and put into the game.
The continue is a classic gaming concept, and usually arises when the player "dies" or fails in the game. Usually some loss is tied to a continue, in a form of a "life" or something of other value.
Charging is the action of pressing & holding down a button or particular direction on the controller. Its purpose is to build up a powerful blast or burst of energy to take out an opponent or cause critical damage.
The process of rapidly moving the joystick from side to side, usually to build up speed or power in a game. This breaker of joysticks was often features in early sports games such as the Daley Thompson games.
Point and click is an interface featured in a specific kind of adventure game, where players click on objects and characters to interact with them.
Dialogue trees are a feature through which the player selects responses from a list of choices, eliciting reactions from NPCs and determining the path of the conversation and story.
In video games, breaking the fourth wall occurs when a game becomes aware of its nature as a game, or when a character directly acknowledges the player.
A box, chest, or similar reward beckons you to come near, but it is actually an enemy in disguise. Sometimes can be difficult to differentiate from a real treasure chest.
A transformation is a different stage or form for something. Usually an upgrade.
A portal is a hole in reality connected to another hole in reality, whether magical or scientific in nature, that allows a person to instantly travel incredibly vast distances simply by walking through one.
A device used in many games with vast open worlds, to travel instantaneously from one place to another. It sometime appears in the form of an item or skill.
Fog plays an important role in many games. In games like Silent Hill, it's an atmospheric element. In other games, it's artificially added to reduce draw distances to save memory and increase framerate.
Nudity is qualified as either exposed buttocks, breasts, or genitalia or general lack of clothing. Video game nudity is largely a rarity outside of the PC market.
A situation where it is hard to tell which parts of the game world can be interacted with, and which are just for show. Mostly associated with point-and-click adventure games, where players often respond by clicking wildly around the screen until they find something.
Sometimes, players experience an unfortunate event that results in all their weapons and items being taken away from them.
Goblins are irritable, evil and mischievous creatures in folklore. They can range in size from halfling to average human size.
Alert is a state a game may enter after the player has been overtly detected by enemies, and often brings increased enemy opposition (in numbers, aggression, etc.) while a cooldown timer or meter appears by which the player can gauge the expiration of Alert.
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