To pass this unit, please study the 20 vocabulary words below.
- AI (artificial intelligence)
- Asset
- Bot
- Cheat code
- Collision detection
- Cutscene
- FPS (frames per second)
- GDD (game design document)
- Game engine
- Genre
- Hitbox
- Hurtbox
- Lag
- Level editor
- Lightmap
- mod (modification)
- Nerf
- Replay value
- Skin
- Unity
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
code designed to mimic human behavior by gradually increasing difficulty over time, adapting strategy, or similar responsive behaviors
USA
UK
"Game AI is nothing new, it has been an integral part of video games for decades."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a single game item or element including artwork, special effects, music, sounds, or even code
USA
UK
"Popular game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine normally include a collection of game assets to get you started."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a game character controlled entirely by internal AI
USA
UK
"Even at the hardest difficulty level, the bots in CS:GO are no match for an experienced player."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a string of characters typed into a game to make it easier, such as getting free health or skipping levels
USA
UK
"Cheat codes were originally developed so that software testers could save time by skipping early levels of a game."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
the ability for a game engine to detect the intersection of two or more objects
USA
UK
"Collision detection is one of the most fundamental principles of game design, and most games would be impossible to make without it."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a short full-motion video (FMV) sequence in a video game meant to enhance or explain gameplay
USA
UK
"Although well-placed and directed cutscenes can add value and depth to a video game experience, most are just annoying diversions from gameplay."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a common measurement, of the frequency of screen refreshes
USA
UK
"Fraps is a handy utility for gamers that subtly shows the current FPS in a corner of the screen."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
the basic story of a proposed game including gameplay, characters, maps, and anything else needed to convince the stakeholders to produce the game
USA
UK
"The publisher said the GDD was completely irrelevant without including a playable demo."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
any framework used to create video games, often including sample assets, code libraries, and other useful tools for programmers
USA
UK
"The project manager doomed his project by deciding to switch game engines in the middle of the development cycle."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a classification of a game based on its most basic gameplay elements
USA
UK
"The boy said his favorite game genres were: shooters, platformers, and the occasional sports title."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
an invisible shape around a game asset projectile
USA
UK
"Game developers obsess about the properties of their hitboxes so players experience gameplay as more realistic and believable."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
the area around an asset that takes damage from a projectile
USA
UK
"The smaller the hurtbox, the more precise one needs to be to trigger it."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a measure of network latency (delay) between the game client and the game server
USA
UK
"Excessive ping times will make FPS games lag and thus be almost unplayable"
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a special type of software used to create content within a game
USA
UK
"Some games such as Super Mario Maker, Minecraft, and Roblox are essentially glorified level editors."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a graphics technology using extra lumination textures to create more realistic looking game scenes
USA
UK
"John Carmack was supposedly the first game dev to use lightmap textures during the rendering of his seminal game Quake."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a user-made enhancement or alternate version of a game
USA
UK
"Although most game companies encourage the creation of unofficial mods, the general rule is that you cannot sell them without permission."
Verb (infinitive)
USA
UK
USA
UK
to reconfigure an existing game asset (such as a character or weapon) to make it less powerful
USA
UK
"After analyzing hours of beta gameplay, the devs decided to nerf the BFG rocket launcher by reducing its splash damage by 60%."
Noun (concept)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a subjective measure of how many times a person will play a single game
USA
UK
"Games with high replay value tend to be complex, varied, and addictive without being too repetitive, long, or complicated."
Noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a game mod or asset that changes the appearance of a character without affecting their capabilities
USA
UK
"New game skins can be obtained in many different ways including loot boxes, achievements, and even traded online for real money."
Proper noun (thing)
USA
UK
USA
UK
a cross-platform game development package first announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in 2005
USA
UK
"Unity, remains one of the most widely used third-party game development engines globally, despite facing challenges in 2024 that prompted some developers to explore alternative platforms like Unreal Engine, and Godot."