Glossary of gaming terms


An overview of core terminology for gaming, intended for nongamers.

 

Alternate reality game (ARG)

 

Augmented reality (AR)

 

casual game

 

cheat code

 

console

 

controller

 

cybertext

 

first-person shooter.  Game genre.

 

hypertext

 

immersive

 

Interactive fiction (IF)

 

ludology

 

Massively multiplayer online game (MMO; also MMOG). Scan of MMOs, for example. What an MMO is, what is out there.

 

Mirror world.

 

MOO/MUD.  

 

platformer.  Game genre.

 

point and click.   Game genre.

 

procedural literacy/logic

 

puzzle game.  game genre.

 

Second Life

 

Simulation.

 

tutorial

 

Virtual reality (VR)

 

walkthrough