Terms 1-60 Flashcards
AAA List Games
Games which are advertised frequently and have budgets over $20 million.
Convergence
Video games made to resemble board games and vise versa.
Alpha
Very first build that is shared with testers.
Components
Parts of your game.
Depth
Whether the game is easy to play or requires more experience.
Design Document
Provides an overview of the game and its learning goals.
Copyright
Law that protects creation.
Abstract
A game that has no connection or nothing to do with the real world.
Analysis Paralysis
When a player is presented with too many choices or decisions.
Avatar
Represents the player in the game (or a sprite)
Bell Curve
Probability distribution where some events are more likely to occur than others.
Decision Making
Making choices that will affect the rest of your game play.
Dynamics
Results like play actions being put into motion
Cinematic
Movie inserted into the video game
Accessibility
Easy to learn and easy to play, yet not always easy to master
Agent
Middleman between the creator and the publish
Down Time
When a player is not actually participating
Character Class
The profession of the character that says what he or she can’t do
Casual Game
A game played to relax not to beat or win
Beta
Very close to final design but still being tested
Feature List
The key details or selling points of the game
Fluidity
The extent to which the game circumstances change over time
Game Design
Creating the content and the rules of the game
Game Engine
Development software that game designers use to manage art, sound, and code
Game Writing
Writing of the dialogue, text, and story within the worlds
Genre
Sub category of games with well defined methods and appeal to players
Goals
A desired result or plan that you set to achieve
Graphics
The visual aspects of a game, particularly the art
Graphical Interface
Everything on the screen that the user will see
Immersion
Feeling like you are really in the game as though you are really in the game
Intellectual
Identifiable characters or stories that are owned by an individual or company
Iterative
Something that is repeated over and over
Length
The defined starting and ending points.
Level Design
Maps and placements of objects and challenges within those maps.
Luck of the Draw
Does not require decision making, game is based only on luck.
Mechanics
How you move, earn points, gain resources, etc. within the game.
Patent
A strong form of protection for an intellectual property
Play Balance
A balanced game is one that is fair and each player has an equal chance of winning
Player Interaction
When the action of one player immediately affects at least one other players situation
Play Testers
People who play an unfinished game to find errors incersistercies or other issues
