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When the player character (re)visits a certain area or location that was also present in a previous game, or visited later on in the same game, with some alterations.
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.
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.
Cartoon characters are personas from cartoons, which are animated moving sequences that are usually drawn but can be computer animated and can come from television, movies, anime or even the web. They can be humans, animals, or even things usually not thought of as living.
A style of animation that gives games a more hand drawn look.
Special codes or button combinations used to gain powers or advantages in a game. Generally hidden.
Collectibles are items such as coins, rings, gems, packages etc. that can be gathered, usually for some kind of reward, or sometimes to simply beat a level. Often (almost too often) the source of earning achievements and trophies on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
A crossover occurs when a character from one franchise makes a special appearance in a game from an unrelated franchise. Some games are specifically designed to be crossovers that bring together characters from two or more franchises.
A non-interactive sequence within a game most often used for plot advancement.
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.
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.
Digging is a strategic mechanic of many games. Digging allows the ability to unearth valuables and strategize pathways.
Generally used to fool other characters or parties into thinking you're one of them or belong there for purposes of deception, spying, or accessing data.
Games that were only available through digital distribution, then later released on physical media.
An Easter Egg is an intentionally hidden cheat or hidden content in a video game, also known as a "secret".
Content released frequently, every release contains a small portion of a whole story.
This page is about the concept of Exploding Heads. Exploding Heads come in two different forms - one, where they are used as a dramatic device (eg. Bionic Commando), and, secondly, where they are used as a weapon (eg. Alien Storm).
See? The exploiting, soulless people who run the video game industry DO care about their fans!
The fixed camera was made famous by games such as the Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid franchises. Depending on the camera set, up could be down and left could be right. Even in the later generation of consoles, games like the God of War franchise still use this technique.
A staple in both the real-time and turn-based strategy genres, Fog of War simulates the unknowns of the battlefield by covering areas of the map, to be progressively revealed by the player.
Foreshadowing is a plot device that allows the creators to leave subtle (or not-so-subtle) hints about future events in the game.
Bet a little or bet the house. How much you win depends on how much you wager.
The concept of a game referencing another game through mockery, parody or even directly. A game reference to the same franchise does not count.
When there is in-game advertising in one game for a different title, normally one by the same developer.
These spooky entities are the spirits of the dead, returned from beyond their graves for generally sinister purposes. There's generally about even odds whether a particular ghost will be helpful or malevolent towards the living, but some ghosts just want to be left alone entirely.
Sending or receiving fake email inside a game.
With the internet in full swing, some games reflect its leak into popular culture by making references to the World Wide Web.
Characters who lack body parts that people in the real world have, yet they still utilise their bodily functions.
Lucha libre is a form of Spanish professional wrestling where the wrestlers don masks in the ring. Famous luchadores include El Santo and Blue Demon.
Game within a game. Can either have no effect on other portions of the primary game or have drastic impacts. In order to qualify as a meta game it must be outside the normal experience and have seperate rules that govern it.
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