Gaming Lexicon - "A" Trivia Quiz

Answer: animation

An animation is a set of movements that shows what a character is doing. Different animations are used for actions such as walking, running, jumping, attacking, or interacting with objects. To create these movements, developers design a series of poses that are displayed in order to produce smooth motion. Programmers then connect these animations to the game's controls and events so the correct movement appears at the right time.

As an example, when a player presses a jump button, the game would switch from a walking animation to a jumping animation.

Answer: autosave

Autosave saves a player's progress to their computer or console as they play instead of requiring players to save their game manually. This reduces the risk of losing progress if the game crashes or the player stops unexpectedly. To make the process less noticeable, programmers often trigger autosaves during moments that naturally pause gameplay, such as when the player enters a new area or completes a mission, or even during short cutscenes.

Answer: arcade

Some video games include an arcade mode, which is designed to be easy to learn and focused on quick, exciting gameplay. The term comes from the arcade machines that were popular in public game centers during the 1970s-1990s. Since players were usually given limited time to play, arcade games were built to feel exciting and easy to understand with the push of the first button.

Modern games sometimes include both arcade and simulation modes. Arcade mode will simplify controls and physics to make the game more accessible, while a simulation mode aims for greater realism and requires players to manage more detailed mechanics.

Answer: artifact

An artifact is an unexpected visual error that appears on the screen and does not belong in the scene the game is trying to display. The term was borrowed from photography, where it refers to unwanted flaws that appear in a photograph. In games, artifacts can appear as flickering textures, strange colors, distorted shapes, or other visual errors that were not intended by the developers.

In some cases, the issue may be caused by software errors or damaged game files, while in others it may result from overheating hardware or problems with the graphics card responsible for rendering the game's visuals. While some artifacts, such as small blackened pixels, are minor distractions, more serious ones can make a game difficult to play.

Answer: achievement

An achievement is a small reward that players earn by completing particular challenges set by game developers. Some achievements are unlocked through normal gameplay, while others require players to master difficult tasks or find secrets hidden in the game. Many gaming platforms display a pop-up notification when an achievement is earned.

For completionist players, earning every achievement becomes part of the larger goal of fully finishing a game (sometimes called "100%-ing" a game). Reaching the natural ending of a game is not enough; these players must meet every challenge to truly fulfill their goal.

Answer: asset

In video game development, an asset is any digital resource that helps build the game world. These include character models, textures, sound effects, music, animations, and elements of the user interface. Some assets are created by a game's developers, while others come from asset packs that can be purchased or licensed from online marketplaces. Using pre-made assets can save time and allow smaller teams to focus on other parts of development, but they can also be recognized from game to game, leading some players to believe the game they are playing is an inferior product (one example being an "asset flip").

However, not all developers obtain assets legally. In some cases, companies have copied or stolen resources from other games without permission. For example, a player might come across unauthorized mobile games that have used artwork and character models from the Pokémon series. Gaming companies take these matters very seriously and will absolutely resort to legal action to stop others from using their assets.

Stolen assets are also a sign that the game hasn't been taken seriously in other ways, a symptom of "shovelware," poor-quality video games created swiftly and in large volumes intended to take advantage of unsuspecting customers.

Answer: arena

In the context of gaming, an arena is a specific location designed for combat. These areas are usually separated from the rest of the game world and provide enough space for players to fight enemies and avoid their attacks. In many games, a sudden shift into a larger or more enclosed fighting space can signal that a boss battle is about to begin.

Some games also use arenas for player-versus-player (PvP) combat, giving players a dedicated space to test their skills while sparing the rest of the game's world from "griefing," a multiplayer term in which players attack and kill other players for fun.

Answer: anti-aliasing

Anti-aliasing is a graphics feature that helps smooth out the jagged edges that can appear on objects in a game. As a result, lines and shapes look cleaner and more natural. However, using anti-aliasing requires extra processing power, and this can reduce performance. Players who prioritize higher frame rates/smoother gameplay may choose to turn the feature off.

This is especially common among streamers and competitive players, who might also disable other features such as motion blur, which intentionally blurs movement, and ray tracing, which creates more realistic lighting and reflections, in order to maximize performance.

Answer: aggro

When playing video games, to "aggro" an enemy means to do something that causes that enemy to focus its attention on the player. In role-playing games (RPGs), oftentimes enemies or creatures will remain inert within a small area of influence until the player enters that area or attacks them. By aggroing that enemy, you are setting yourself up to be attacked by it. This can be intentional, in order to gain items or experience points, or unintentional, in which you must defeat the enemy in order to survive.

In multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), players often need to manage which character enemies choose to target. For example, a heavily armored character may intentionally aggro enemies in order to protect more vulnerable teammates behind them.

The term has also taken on a related meaning in some card and deck-building games, where an "aggro" deck is designed to overwhelm opponents with fast, aggressive plays. In all these cases, the word is associated with applying pressure and forcing opponents to react.

Answer: auto-aim

Auto-aim is a feature that assists the player with aiming at enemies during combat. Rather than requiring players to line up every shot perfectly, the game may slightly adjust the targeting reticle to help keep it near an opponent. This can make games more accessible, especially for new players who are still learning the controls.

However, auto-aim is not always beneficial. Some experienced players prefer to disable it because the feature can interfere with precision aiming, making it harder to target specific body parts, such as an enemy's head when attempting a headshot. In these instances, players may turn off auto-aim when they want more precise control.