24/7 giant bomb content livestream
905: Wettest Rocks
Giant Bombcast
228: Italian Vision
Best of Giant Bomb
Game Mess Mornings 08/25/25
GrubbSnax
The Community Spotlight 2025.08.23
The Bomb 12 has a new game in the top 3
Giant Bomb is under new ownership. Here's an FAQ.
The Community Spotlight 2025.08.16
The Community Spotlight 2025.08.09
Platform »
Vampires are undead, nocturnal creatures that subsist on blood. They have superhuman powers and are sometimes able to shape-shift. They are weak against sunlight, foreign objects stuck in and left in their hearts, decapitation and sometimes holy water and crosses.
Rather than utilitarian names like "Level 3" or "Warehouse", many games give each level a unique title that has some relevance to its content.
Just as heroes sometimes fall from grace, occasionally someone who works for the forces of evil will turn their life around and become a good guy.
Sometimes when players beat a game, the credits sequence will end with the phrase similar to, "Thank you for playing!".
A line that signals the start or the end of the race. Even though it is used for racing, it could mean any type of racing game.
Boo is a ghost-enemy in the Mario universe who pursue Mario until he looks in their direction. They earned their reputation for being "shy" this way. Don't turn your back on them!
Vore is a term for a sexual fetish for the act of a creature swallowing someone else whole while they are still alive. The act is also seen in many video games, in a decidedly less sexual manner.
An industry game design convention that's appeared in many games over the years. The fetch quest involves sending the player out to collect a certain number of items, and return them to complete the quest. A staple of the RPG and Adventure game genre.
Hostages exist to be saved, guarded, and occasionally executed.
Mythological creatures with the body of the human and the head of a bull. They are often found in video game dungeons, waiting for foolhardy players to stumble upon their lairs. Sometimes they're mindlessly violent, other times they're oddly peaceful and in tune with the world around them.
Enemies that hide behind shields.
Player versus Player, commonly abbreviated as PvP, is a gaming term popularized in MMOs to refer to gameplay in which players fight against other player controlled characters.
Many video game villains oftentimes laugh in evil ways, be it a vicious cackle, a sneering chuckle, or a booming laugh. Common evil laughs often include "Bwa-ha-ha", "Mwa-ha-ha", or "Ho ho ho".
A stylistic choice of employing small polygon counts for meshes.
Bosses that are designed to not be beaten; however, sometimes these bosses can finally be beaten at a later point in the game.
Palette-swapping are sometimes used to denote the different strengths and abilities of your adversaries.
By definition, a pirate is a (mostly naval) robber without commission from a sovereign nation. While maritime robbery has been around since ancient times, Piracy had its highpoint during the 17th century. They are easily identified by the "Jolly Roger", which is the traditional name of the famous skull flag.
A character with the ability to copy or steal powers or weapons from their enemies.
When the President wants to go for a burger, you know that all your cake is a lie.
A concept where the game must be restarted if you are killed. It is a mechanic found in most arcade games, but the term is usually used in reference to the RPG genre where the mechanic is less common, particularly "roguelike" games as well as strategy games such as Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics where characters die if they are defeated in battle. Often used as a significant plot device.
These are endings that aren't just good, but they give you everything you could want. The world is saved, the hero gets the girl, friendships are made that will last forever, everyone is safe, the villain is gone for good, and all loose ends are wrapped up forever.... unless a sequel is made.
Simulating the effects of a great variety of poisons, toxins, venoms and nerve agents can lead to many unique and interesting mechanics. A classic trope in games, Poison usually deals small amounts of damage to health over time.
This concept occurs in many RPGs and Sci-Fi games. The Ancient Advanced Civilization Technology is often a giant weapon (Halo Rings, Giant of Babil, etc.) that becomes a major plot focus in the stories of these games.
The concept of reviving somebody who is dead or down.
The ability to change shape. Humans shifting into animals is the most common type of shape shifting.
Depending on the country, a song enters public domain after a certain number of years after release or after the death of the writer. In the United States, it is 95 years after release.
When the game is named (fully or partially) after a specific location within the game, or relevant to the game's story.
A trap designed to kill off victims by crushing them. Commonly found in sacred temples though industrial variations (like car crushers) exist.
References to songs or musical acts or genres in a game, such as names (the game itself, characters, locations, etc.) or just dialogue that brings them to mind. This does not include music-licensed games or usage of the music itself in a game.
Games whose main character is ball-shaped, sometimes with a face and/or hands/feet, but mostly just spherical.
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.
Use your keyboard!
Log in to comment
Log in to comment