Gaming Terms

  • 4X Games
    4X is a genre of strategy-based video and board games in which players control an empire and “eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate”. 4X games are noted for their deep, complex gameplay. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of non-military routes to supremacy. Games can take a long time to complete since the amount of micromanagement needed to sustain an empire scales as the empire grows.
  • Alpha Gamer
    In a derogatory sense, it is where one player tends to take the lead and may boss others around, telling them how to play, this is quite common in Cooperative Games in general. Also some times commonly referred to as Quarterbacking.
  • Amerithrash Games
    Theme over mechanisms – Ameritrash is “a catchphrase for ‘American style boardgames.’ In general, this means games that emphasize a highly developed theme, characters, heroes, or factions with individually defined abilities, player to player conflict, and usually feature a moderate to high level of luck.”
  • Analysis Paralysis (AP) denotes a state where a player is so overwhelmed by the decision tree that he or she faces that the player’s turn takes an inordinate amount of time.
  • Animeeple
    A meeple [usually made of wood or plastic] that is in the shape of an animal.
  • Collectable Card Games – CCG
    A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards. While trading cards have been around for longer, CCGs combine the appeal of collecting with strategic gameplay.
  • Eurogames
    Eurogames focus on streamlined, well-balanced play, with a mimimal theme and more abstracted game mechanics.
  • Filler
    A game with very simple rules and an extremely short playing-time. This type of game is frequently used between heavier games.
  • Gateway Game
    A game with simple rules that is easy to teach to non-gamers in order to attract new players into boardgaming as a hobby.
  • King Making
    One issue troubles virtually every board game that supports three or more players: kingmaking. Kingmaking means that a player who is not going to win, with his actions may hand the final victory to one of the other players.
  • Living Card Games – LCG
    A Living Card Game® (LCG®) offers an innovative fixed distribution method that breaks away from the traditional Collectible Card Game model. While LCGs still offer the same dynamic, expanding, and constantly evolving game play that makes CCG’s so much fun, they do away with the deterrent of the blind-buy purchase model that has burned out so many players. The end result is an innovative mix that gives you the best of both worlds!
  • Meeples
    Describe the wooden figures used by each player in games. The etymology of the word is a blend of “my” and “people”.
  • Meta Gaming
    Is any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game
  • Noobe/Newby
    A person who is new to gaming.
  • PnP – Print and Play
    A digital file that contains the components of a board game. You can print these out and play them. Some require additional components to be added
  • Point Salad Games
    Refers to games of design in which there are such a wide variety of ways to get points that it actually becomes difficult to take actions without getting some amount of points as compensation.
  • PvP – Player vs Player
    PvP is a type of interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants.
  • Quaterbacking
    See Alpha Gamer
  • Tableau
    You have a row/group of cards in front of you that stay there (mostly) and do things for you.
  • Turtling
    A Player that plays a very defensive strategy (i.e. hide in your shell) in a war game , with the hopes that other players will attack each other thus weakening themselves. Generally seen as boring by players.
  • VP – Victory Points
    Sometimes pronounced either “Veeps” or “Vee Pees”. Plural can be spelled VP’s, VPs or just VP. Points accumulated for completing various actions which count towards victory. Some games use the term “points” to refer to other factors–movement points, action points, etc.
Boardgames Terms Explained Videos