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