How to Speak Gamer: A Crash Course in Essential Lingo

Alyssa Ivanova July 16, 2024 News

Are you new to the online gaming scene? Welcome, player one! We’re your golden ticket to the action, with a comprehensive guide on how to speak gamer: a crash course in essential gamer lingo. In-game chat and on-screen gaming lingo are pervasive in the competitive gaming arena, largely thanks to an explosion of interest in multiplayer gaming. With so many eager competitors scrambling to jump in on the action, it’s no wonder a unique language codex exists. This lexicon constantly shapeshifts to meet the needs of audiences. As platforms change, systems evolve, player interests shift, and so does the gaming lexicon. Today, we will introduce you to many different terms you’ll likely hear in gaming.

Fortunately, you can learn to speak gamer by reading gaming content on the site. For example, the legendary social poker realm features Zynga Poker guides written expressly for a gaming audience. Whether you’re looking for an expert guide on how to play poker, how to play Omaha poker, learn more about poker hands, or bankroll boosting tips, you’ll find it all written from the POV of a gamer. Poker lingo is specific to the game, with never-before-heard terms like holding the nuts, on tilt, under the gun, the button, all in, LP, EP, MP, GCs, SCs, and much more.

Generally, in the gaming world, many terms are specific to MMO, MMORPG, MMOFPS, MMORTS, MMOTBS, simulation titles, etc. Others are genre-specific and include social casino sites, sports, competitive gaming, racing, grand strategy games, wargames, turn-based tactics, real-time strategy games, multiplayer online battle arena games, etc. While each game genre is characterized by exclusive lingo, there is an overall gaming language active gamers speak.

A Partial list of Gamer Lingo

Let’s get to it, shall we?

AAA: High-budget video games that are popular and often become beloved installments in renowned series, such as the iconic Grand Theft Auto or the ever-adventurous Legend of Zelda franchises.
AD: Stands for ‘Attack Damage.’ In MOBAs like Dota 2, this metric is crucial for players to assess their combat effectiveness. Imagine you’re in battle, gauging whether your next strike will turn the tide against multiple adversaries.
ADS: Short for ‘Aim Down Sights.’ This action refers to aiming through the sights of a weapon for better shooting accuracy, and it contrasts with ‘hip firing,’ which, though quicker, isn’t nearly as precise.
AFK: ‘Away from the Keyboard,’ a common term in gaming circles that indicates when a player is temporarily unavailable. Perhaps the player is taking a phone call or stepping out for a quick break, or something like that.
AoE: ‘Area of Effect,’ a term describing abilities or weapons that impact multiple targets within a specified area, is a staple in many games to maximize damage output in battles.
Big Blind: In poker, this is the second player to the dealer’s left, positioned just after the small blind. It’s a strategic position with its own set of risks and rewards.
Bots: These are non-player characters controlled by the game’s AI. Think of the Goombas and Bowser in the Mario series, always there to challenge and entertain.
Buff: A term for any enhancement that boosts a character’s abilities. In League of Legends, buffs can turn the tide of a game, providing critical power-ups just when needed. Same in WOW, or other games where players understand the ins and outs well.
BM: ‘Bad Manners’, referring to disrespectful behavior in gaming. Whether it’s trash-talking after a successful snipe in Call of Duty: Warzone or excessive celebration in a football game, BM can sour the gaming experience.
Button: The dealer position in a round of poker, often marked by a small disk to indicate who’s dealing.
Camping: This strategy involves staying in a hidden location to ambush your opponents. While controversial, it’s an effective survival tactic. ‘Spawn camping’, however, targets players as they respawn, often seen as unsporting.
Clans: Groups of gamers who play together regularly. These can range from professional esports teams competing in tournaments to casual friends enjoying their favorite games.
Cooldown: The required wait time before a player can reuse a special ability, like a summoner spell in League of Legends. It adds a layer of strategy, forcing players to plan their moves carefully. Think of the cooler in Ice Hockey – it’s a timeout.
Crafting: Using in-game materials to create items or structures, a popular feature in games like Fortnite, where players build defensive towers to gain an edge.
DLC: ‘Downloadable Content’ that includes updates and additional features like new maps, characters, or perks that players can download to enhance their gaming experience.
DPS: ‘Damage Per Second’, a critical measure in many games to determine how much damage a character or weapon can deal over time.
Easter Eggs: Hidden features or messages placed in games as bonuses for players to discover. From nostalgic references in Super Mario Odyssey to mini-games within Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, they add a delightful layer of depth.
Frag: Originally a term for killing an opponent in a game, it can also mean a grenade in some contexts. In shooters like Valorant, an ‘entry fragger’ is the player who leads the charge and attempts to take down enemies first. Ever heard of the term fragmentation grenade? They’re the pineapple grenades.
FPS: ‘First-Person Shooter’, a genre of action games played from the first-person perspective. Iconic examples include Valorant and the competitive Red Bull Campus Clutch tournament.
Ganking is coordinating an attack on a vulnerable or outnumbered enemy player. This tactic requires teamwork and communication.
Glitch: Exploiting a game’s malfunction to gain an advantage. While it can be beneficial, it can also cause issues if it affects gameplay stability.
Grinding: Repetitive actions to earn experience points (XP) or rewards. Think of mining resources or completing side quests in games to level up.
Hitscan: A mechanic where projectiles hit their target instantly, unaffected by environmental factors, crucial for games demanding precision.
HP: ‘Hit Points’ or ‘Health Points,’ indicating a character’s remaining health.
HUD: ‘Heads-Up Display,’ the on-screen interface showing vital game information like health, map, weapons, and experience points.
Kiting: Maintaining distance from an enemy while attacking, allowing for strategic advantage and mobility.
Lag: A delay in gameplay response due to internet issues, causing actions to be slower than usual.
Mashing: Rapidly pressing buttons, often seen in inexperienced players hoping to trigger effective moves.
MMORPG: ‘Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game,’ where many players interact in a virtual world. RuneScape and World of Warcraft are prime examples of this excellent game type.
Meta: ‘Most Effective Tactics Available,’ referring to the prevailing strategies that are most successful in a game at any given time.
Mod: ‘Modification’ allows players to alter aspects of the game, from character appearances to game mechanics.
Nerf: Weakening a character, ability, or weapon to balance gameplay, typically through updates or patches.
N00b: A derogatory term for a novice player, often used to criticize mistakes or poor gameplay.
NPC: ‘Non-Playable Character,’ controlled by the game’s AI rather than players.
Nuts: A term in poker for having the best possible hand. Jim’s holding the nuts – he’s likely to win!
OHKO: ‘One Hit Knock-Out,’ the ability to defeat an opponent with a single, powerful move. Think of Mike Tyson as the OHKO champ, but this is the gaming equivalent.
OG: ‘Original Gangster,’ a term for a highly skilled or veteran player. Not to be confused with Team OG, a successful Dota 2 team known for their championships.
On Tilt: Playing emotionally, a bad strategy in poker is likely to lead to losses.
Peel: Drawing enemy attention away from vulnerable teammates, often at personal risk.
Ping: 1) The latency measurement for how long a player’s input takes to reach the server. 2) In-game markers to communicate directions, objects, or threats.
Positioning: In poker, there are Early Positions (EP), Middle Positions (MP), and Late Positions (LP).
PVP/PVE: ‘Player vs Player’ involves combat between human players, while ‘Player vs Environment’ involves facing computer-controlled enemies or environmental challenges.
Pwned: A slang term for being thoroughly defeated in a game.
Ragequit: Abruptly leaving a game due to frustration from poor performance or unfavorable conditions.
RNG: ‘Random Number Generator,’ determining random game outcomes like loot drops or weapon effects.
RPG: ‘Role-Playing Game,’ including turn-based games like Final Fantasy and character progression in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Scrub: A derogatory term for players who complain and make excuses rather than improve their skills.
Skin: The visual appearance of a character or environment, often customizable through in-game purchases. The game skin is what you see on screen.
Smurf: An experienced player creating a new account to play against lower-ranked opponents for easy victories.
Snowball: Gaining an early advantage and rapidly becoming more powerful, often leading to dominance.
Tank: A character designed to absorb damage, protecting teammates from disaster.
TTK: ‘Time to Kill’, the duration of defeating an opponent, is especially relevant for shooters.
UTG: ‘Under the Gun,’ the poker term for the first player to the left of the Big Blind.
WP: ‘Well Played’, used to commend a team or opponent.
XP: ‘Experience Points’, earned through in-game actions to level up or unlock new abilities.
Zoning: Controlling an area of the game map to prevent opponents from gaining resources or positioning advantages.