A non-gamer’s guide to gaming lingo

As a ‘noob’, you might feel intimidated by the different slang that’s used during gaming. In fact, it might feel like a different language all together! This short and sweet guide takes you through the most common phrases you might encounter while playing.  

To start off, we’ll focus terms that describe games and might come up when you’re discussing your favourite things to play or the format you enjoy.  

Platformer– A type of game where you move your character through various obstacles and enemies to get to your destination. You will often jump or climb onto different platforms, hence the name. A good example is your classic Super Mario Bros. game.  

Battle Royale– These games are quite popular to play with friends and are equally as enjoyable to play by yourself. The goal of these games is to be the last player standing and often there will be a barrier that pushes players into smaller spaces so that the game ends (think Fortnite and PUBG).  

RPG– Stands for ‘role playing game’. These games are usually long and open world. They let you journey through a fantasy world, filled with monsters, markets and tons of quests. Popular RPGs include Zelda and Skyrim.  

Now that you have an idea of some game types that might come up, let’s talk about in-game talk. The kind of things you might hear while playing certain games.  

AFK– This term pops up whenever you’re playing a game with other people. You might see a character just standing there, not moving at all even if they’re dying. This is usually a sign that the player is AFK – ‘away from keyboard’. 

BRB– Often said before someone goes AFK, this means ‘be right back’.  

NPC– An NPC is a ‘non-player character’. These characters make up the background of your game and you’ll interact with them to complete quests and trade. In some games, people may pretend to be NPCs to catch you off guard!  

Now you’re ready to leap into the gaming world with basic knowledge and more confidence than before

Cheesing– Something that feels fun to do but is beyond annoying on the receiving end. If someone is cheesing, this means they are playing the game with a simple tactic that is hard/impossible to beat, even by the most experienced. This isn’t the most honourable way to win in a game and will probably infuriate your opponent. This is treated as borderline cheating if it works. 

GG– ‘Good game’. Often said at the end of a game and shows good sportsmanship. It’s almost like the equivalent of shaking hands after finishing a game of chess.   

Assist– Often something you’ll get thanked for. It means that you helped to take down another player/ enemy but didn’t issue the final blow.  

To finish off, these are some more technical terms that you might come across when looking at gaming tech, game requirements or even when playing.  

FPS– ‘Frames Per Second’ tells you how frequently frames appear on screen while you’re playing. The higher the number the smoother your game, which makes it better to play.  

Ping– A measure of how long it takes for a signal to travel from your device to the game server and back. If this number is high, you’re going to experience lagging, which isn’t ideal when you’re mid-combat.  

4K/8K Resolution– This refers to your display resolution and its quality or a game that outputs at that resolution. 4K and 8K refers to the number of pixels and is ultra-high definition. 

Now you’re ready to leap into the gaming world with basic knowledge and more confidence than before