Do you know what MMO, FPS, AoE, FTW, and DPS stand for? Don’t worry — you’re not alone if you don’t know. Those terms and the 45 more in the list below are video gaming terms and lingo, but they’re not so hard to understand.
If you’re a newcomer to the video gaming world, you may find yourself completely lost in a sea of new video games, terms, and definitions and an ocean of acronyms. Additionally, avid gamers often forget how complicated it can be for newcomers to figure out the language.
With this handy dictionary of video gaming lingo, you’ll be well versed in gamer-speak and ready to communicate with other players in your favorite online games.
Video Game Genres
There are nine different basic game types, each with a completely different gameplay style, goals, and level of intensity.
- Third-Person Shooter (TPS): A shooter game where your vantage point is a camera behind the character you control.
- First-Person Shooter (FPS): A shooter game that puts you inside the character you control.
- MMO: A massively multiplayer game where hundreds or thousands of players share the same persistent online world.
- RPG: A single-player role-playing game where you level-up a character over time to take on more powerful foes.
- MMORPG: A massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
- MOBA: Multiplayer online battle arena — a fast-paced, highly competitive game where you command a single hero or champion as part of a team.
- RTS: Real-time strategy games. Fast-paced tactical action games
- SIM: Simulation games simulate real experiences, such as racing or flying.
- CCG: Collectible card games are digital versions of classic card games.
- 4X: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate games are strategy games where the goal is to take over the world.
- Sandbox: A non-linear game with an open world that you can explore freely.
Video Gaming Terms, Slang & Lingo
You’ll encounter many different terms in video games that may or may not be easy to understand. This glossary should help you quickly make sense of the jargon.
| 1-Up | An extra life |
| Adds | Additional monster summoned by one you’re fighting |
| Aggro | When a monster is aggravated and focused on you |
| AFK | Away from keyboard |
| Aimbot | A cheat mechanism that auto aims for you |
| AoE | An area of effect attack, meaning an attack with a 360 degree spread |
| BoA | Bind on account. An in-game item that is tied to your account |
| BoE | Bind on equip. An in-game item that you can’t trade after you’ve equipped it |
| Bots | A computer-controlled AI player; sometimes used as an insult referring to new, unskilled players |
| Buff / Debuff | A buff adds powers to your character; a debuff removes powers from your character |
| Camp | To hide and wait for enemies |
| CB / OB | CB – Closed Beta, OB – Open Beta. Both are games that you can try before they’re properly released for sale |
| CD | Cooldown: the recharge time after using a special power |
| DPS | Damage per second: a calculation of how much damage per hit and how fast you attack |
| Dungeon | A closed-off area of a game with powerful enemies and big rewards |
| EXP / XP | Experience points: the points you earn for completing tasks to increase your character level |
| FoV | Field of view: the range of peripheral vision on screen |
| GG | “Good game” |
| Glitches | A bug in the game that may give a player an advantage. |
| Grind | Completing repeated tasks to gain XP points |
| HP | Health/Hit Points: the measurement of how much life your character has left |
| HUD / UI | Heads-up Display / User interface: the display of your player status, skills, and spells |
| KDR / KR | Kill-to-death ratio/kill ratio is the number of enemies you killed compared to the number of deaths you had |
| Lag | A network or rendering delay that slows your game’s response time |
| Loot | Items that drop from enemies or that you find while exploring |
| Mod | A mod is a modification that alters the game in some way |
| MP | Mana / Magic points allow you to perform magical abilities |
| Nerf | A game update that limits the power of a strong weapon or ability |
| NPC | A non-player character that often furthers the story of the game |
| Noob/Newbie | An inexperienced newcomer to a game |
| Ping | The time measurement in milliseconds between the player’s console/computer and the host server |
| OP | Overpowered: a weapon or ability that is disproportionately powerful compared to other game items |
| PvE | Player vs Environment; when you fight a non-player enemy |
| PvP | Player vs Player; when you fight another player’s character |
| QTE | A Quick Time Event is a video game section that requires timed button presses |
| Ragequit | When you quit a game in rage after losing a match |
| Raid | A raid is a team-based mission, usually in a unique dungeon, including significant boss encounters |
| Skin | A cosmetic change to the appearance of your character |
| Tag | A player’s online name. In MMORPGs, tag also refers to identifying a target enemy from a group |
