There are terms, phrases, and abbreviations that tabletop gamers have adopted. This jargon can be a bit tricky to understand, especially if you are just starting to get engaged with the board-gaming hobby. I'll highlight some of the more common terms and help all of us, as we continue to learn new gaming slang. I know when I first started listening to tabletop gaming podcasts and reading blogs, I was a bit confused when certain terms and phrases were used. Eventually I was able to discern what some of these meant via the context of their use. In other cases, the host(s)/writer(s) would volunteer the meaning for those like myself who hadn't yet learned. I wanted to highlight a number of these terms and supply you with definitions and my understanding of what they mean. NOTE: I will NOT be highlighting terms referring to game mechanics (ex. Auction, Area Control, etc...) as I plan to release a guide to those terms in a future blog post. Below is a glossary of sorts for some common tabletop gaming terms.* 4X - Referring to games utilizing four primary features: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. These games tend to be more complex games that typically take a long time to play. Most 4X games are civilization building and space exploration themes. Abstract - This is a widely contested term. Usually meaning a game that lacks theme or is streamlined to a minimum allowing for focus on strategy. Games like Checkers, Backgammon, & Blokus are considered abstract. Acquisition Disorder - A humorous dig at those who have gotten carried away with purchasing games and accessories almost to the point of obsession. Obviously not confined only to gaming, this refers to an obsessive "need" to have more games or all the components, expansions and extras for a specific game. Alpha Player - Also called "Quarterbacking" or "Dominant Player Syndrome", in a derogatory sense it refers to a player who takes control of a (typically Cooperative) game by dictating to other players what they need to do on their turns. If used positively, it can refer to a true leader who would listen to the group and guide them to consensus, share insights, teach others to see the angles and develop a team mentality (though this is not the prevalent usage). Ameritrash - A catchphrase for "American-style" boardgames. In general, this means games that emphasize a highly developed theme, lots of components (miniatures), player to player conflict, and usually feature an element of luck (lots of dice). Many consider this a derogatory term or a negative way to refer to American-style game design. Often used to differentiate from European-style games (see Euro below). Examples include: Axis & Allies, Dune, Cosmic Encounter, Talisman, and Twilight Imperium. Analysis Paralysis (AP) - When a player takes a long time to make a decision when faced with many options. Sometimes players overanalyze to a point that increases the downtime in a game beyond a desirable level. Bits - Assorted components used to play a game. The dice, cubes, tokens, miniatures and other pieces needed to play a game. Brain Burner - Referring to a game with lots of depth and complex decisions to be made. A mental challenge that will leave you feeling drained. Collectible Card Game (CCG) - Also called a Trading Card Game (TCG). These games center around collecting cards by buying packets of random cards. Then players build decks from these cards to compete usually in 1 v 1 matches. Some examples include, Magic: the Gathering, Pokemon, and Netrunner. Crunchy - Describes a game that has lots of deep decisions or number crunching. There's a lot for your brain to think about. Similar to Brain Burner. Cult of the New - Refers to those having a desire to acquire and play all of the hot new games as they are released. Infers a trap or obsession that can cause players to neglect playing the games they already own. D6 (also D8, D20 etc...) - Common abbreviation for 'six-sided die'. Similarly D8 refers to 'eight-sided die'. D10, d12, and d20 are also common terms. A pair of six-sided dice is sometimes called 2D6. These abbreviations are most common in RPGs and wargames. Dudes on a Map - Refers to a game where the gameboard can be filled with ‘dudes’, miniatures, meeples, tokens or other characters. This is most typical in war-style or territory-control games requiring players to position armies in different locations on the board. Dungeon Crawl - A game where players navigate a labyrinth-like environment or other defined area fighting enemies, finding treasures, completing missions. Most commonly in adventure and role-playing games. Euro/Eurogame - Also called "Euro-style Game" or "German" game. This term emphasizes the more frequent publication of German-style games originating in Europe. Euro's are usually characterized by more complexity and depth via innovative mechanisms. Euro-style games typically avoid player elimination and are often designed to have little luck or randomness. Many (but not all) use Victory Points to determine the winner. The term is used to differentiate American-style games from Euro-style games. Euro games will almost always have a theme, however it’s not as tightly integrated with the game play nor as immersive as in American-style games. Examples include: Catan, Puerto Rico, Carcassonne, El Grande, and Power Grid. Fiddly - A game with lots of pieces or components to move, or a game where pieces feel flimsy or may not fit well together. The term fiddly can also refer to a game being frustrating to play due to the number of components or the pieces being too difficult to use correctly. This term is also used when referring to a lengthy or difficult set-up for a game due to the pieces and parts. Filler - A game with fairly simple rules, easy to learn, and with a short playing-time. This type of game is frequently used between lengthier, more complex games. (See also Light) Game Weight - This is the measure of complexity or difficulty of a game. Generally games will fall into one of two difficulty levels.
Gateway Game - A game with relatively simple rules that is easy to teach to non-gamers in order to introduce them to board gaming as a hobby. A hobby board game that is considered a good entry point for someone new. Kingmaker - A player in a position to take an action that determines the game’s winner. Usually this player has little-to-no chance of winning. It’s generally considered an undesirable trait of a player and/or game. Legacy Game - These games "remember" what happened from one play to the next getting permanently altered while playing it. The game may require players to permanently mark the board or cards, tear up cards, or take other actions that change the game. The board or cards may change based on the outcome of past game plays or the choices players make along the way. The game is often still playable after the legacy campaign, however it may not be possible to completely reset it. Examples include: Pandemic Legacy, Risk Legacy, and Seafall. Living Card Game (LCG) - A term trademarked by Fantasy Flight Games and described as a variant of Collectible Card Games. The contents of ‘booster packs’ in Collectible Card Games are randomized, the contents of Living Card Game packs or boxes are known. Other games use the non-trademarked term Expandable Card Game to represent a similar idea without running afoul of the trademark. Due to the large number of gaming glossary terms, I have split this into two posts. PART 2 will be published in an upcoming post. Please watch for the second half of my Tabletop Gamers Glossary. Game on! * External sources used for some glossary terms and definitions: Board Game Geek, Pub Meeple, Entro Games
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