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Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
An insect with broad colorful wings.
A concept in games with multiple characters, a screen with pictures of all playable characters with the possibility of stat listings.
Special codes or button combinations used to gain powers or advantages in a game. Generally hidden.
A Christian holiday widely celebrated in the western world. It is often associated with festive spirit and presents.
The ultimate pressure feature. Players have to complete the task at hand, be it defeating opponents or cutting the right wire, in the allotted time.
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.
Digging is a strategic mechanic of many games. Digging allows the ability to unearth valuables and strategize pathways.
The concept of purchasing media and having it delivered over the internet. No physical representation of this content is given, and although the content resides on the user's hard drive they are typically granted a license to the product, rather than ownership of it.
A door that players must go through to exit the level
A powerful release of energy. This energy is usually expelled in all directions very quickly, typically giving off orange or red flames.
Nocturnal beetle with luminescent abdominal organs.
Freeware games are those which have their full versions legally free to download or otherwise obtain.
Gravity is a physical phenomenon, specifically the mutual attraction between all objects in the universe. In a gaming setting, gravity determines the relationship between the player and the "ground," preventing the player or game objects from flying off into space, and hopefully acting in a predictable/realistic manner.
Health is a value that gauges how much damage players can take in a game before they die or pass out. Also known as life in some games. Health is usually represented by a bar or a percentage instead of an exact amount. Found in most non sport games
In many games there is a ranking system, the players with the highest point value are listed in a "high score" table.
A leaderboard is a way for players of any multi-player game to know where they rank within the game's community.
Games that allow the player to choose which level to play next, rather than a fixed linear order.
Loading Screens are specific screens that are displayed while a game is loading resources so that the player has something to distract them while the game loads. Loading Screens can be images, text or even mini-games - and sometimes a combination of all three.
Some games feature protagonists that are not humanoid in nature. These are creatures that do not have human characteristics (i.e. stand on 2 legs, have 2 arms, a body and a head).
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.
Power Ups can be used to give the controlling character, or any other character, temporary or permanent upgrades.
Puzzles may need to be solved before the player can progress to the next section of the game. Often it may not be clear to players exactly what the puzzle is, or whether the an in-game items needs to be attained before it is even possible to solve it.
Ranking Systems tally the player's current progress and relative skill, by tracking raw numbers of multiple statistics (like score and time) during a session of gameplay. This results in a competitive meta-game where the goal is usually to reach the top position.
A sound effect that plays once the player has gained a level, solved a puzzle or reached a milestone within the game.
If a person is made of metal and has circuitry instead of a circulatory system, then their game belongs on this list.
When a certain amount of time is given to the player to reach a goal or finish an objective.
The Virtual Console is a platform service that first appeared on Nintendo's Wii and later on the 3DS and Wii U. Games from past consoles are emulated to run on the new hardware with the added benefits of system-level save states and other features.
The title of a game is a year, or has a year in it. Normally used for sports game and other annual titles, but also used to designate when a game takes place rather than the year released.
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