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Some games' graphics are composed of abstract shapes that have no particular meaning outside of their role in the game.
Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
Common in modern war video games, air strikes are usually used to take out large targets such as enemy vehicles or buildings. Laser designators are often used by the player to illuminate the target for a massive aerial attack.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
Avatar Awards are items or clothing that are unlocked for Xbox Live avatars by completing certain tasks within the game.
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.
Some game characters just cannot swim. This usually means automatic death as soon as they hit the water.
Centipedes are arthropods with one pair of legs per body segment. Contrary to popular belief, if the head is cut off, a new head doesn't grow.
The race of AI creatures that populate the gameworld in Darwinia. They may be visually simplistic, but they exhibit varying personalities and are intelligent and self-aware, and have created a rich culture for themselves.
Sometimes designers add old-school things on purpose to enhance game design. These games tend to be heavily inspired by hardware limitations of older systems. NES, Atari 2600, and early computer platforms (DOS, Commodore 64, MSX, etc...) are common sources of inspiration.
The concept of purchasing media and having it delivered over the internet. No physical representation of this content is given, and although the content resides on the user's hard drive they are typically granted a license to the product, rather than ownership of it.
Controlling by using different gestures such as touch, swing, twist, flick, and more!
A digital distribution platform that focuses on providing DRM-free computer games, both old and new.
Grenade spamming is a strategy used in multiplayer shooters; a player chooses a location and throws every grenade in his possession towards it, in hopes that the combined force of the explosions will hit something. Unfortunately, this tactic can work rather well in some games.
A digital storefront which donates some of its profits to charity.
IGF is the Independent Games Festival, an annual gathering of Indie developers. The term also refers to the associated awards.
“Indie” or “independently developed” games are video games which are developed by a studio without the support of an external publisher.
King of the Hill is a popular game mode where the players have to stay in a designated area of a map to gain points. This mode is becoming increasingly popular in shooters.
They may be good or evil, but mad scientists are always performing experiments that are on the outer fringes of science. Ever since Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, they've been in the scene.
Micromanagement is the act of increasing the efficiency and longevity of units during a battle, or managing equipment, statistics and abilities on an obsessive level.
Objective-based team gameplay occurs when one group attempts to accomplish some goal -- enter a base, capture or destroy some MacGuffin, rescue the hostages -- while the other tries to prevent it.
Games which allow players to interact with others over the internet.
Games that have had an Original Soundtrack album released.
The 2008 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) took place at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington on August 29-31.
Games related to this concept can be run and played from within a Linux-environment with little to no problems, using the Wine compatibility layer.
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.
Procedural Generation refers to the creation of content algorithmically as the game is running. This content generally coexists with standard, authored content; the two are not mutually exclusive.
A game that depicts the future similar to what the retro era (1920s to 60s approx) would have envisioned or a game that takes place in modern/future times with style or references from the retro era. Also, games with technology or culture that would be considered outdated by the time the game takes place.
A squad is a group of military personnel who work together as a group. Popular in both single-player and multiplayer games, the other players within the squad can be either AI or other people.
Why go it alone when you can roll with a team? Squad Tactics let you issue commands to a whole crew of A.I controlled squad mates, who can(among other things) plant bombs, fire at specific targets, take cover, and talk smack.
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