TERM DEFINITION
18XX This term is used to describe several train games of the samne genre
4X A Game that has eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate in the mechanics. These are usually empire builders.
Abstract
Generally used to describe games that simple mechanics, feature no luck factor whatsoever, and have almost no theme whatsoever. Chess and checkers are common examples of "abstract" games. Though high-strategy, low luck and little theme, abstracts are considered to be a separate category than "euro" games.
Acquisition Disorder Someone who has to buy things, even if they wont really play the games or expansions
Action Points A Game mechanic that gives you a certain number of things you can do on a turn/round
Alpha Player who must take charge and tell people what to do, often associated with Cooperative games
Ameritrash Game A game thick with theme, but perhaps lacking the balance of a euro game. Often features random elements.
AP or Analysis Paralysis This is when it is a game or player that stops play for contemplation of all the various moves. Usually associated with heavier games, but also with certain players.
Balance A concept that each and every player has an equal chance to win at the beginning of the game, and that no one single strategy is stronger than another.
Bits Game Pieces
Brain Burner A Game that will make you feel mentally exhausted.
Buff/Debuff A Buff increases something positively for you, a debuff removes that buff or gives a negative modifier.
Campaign A series of games in which you continue playing. Legacy games are this way, and there can be other types with a continuing narrative.
Card Drafting
Players will draft the cards they end up playing the game with. Often you get a hand of cards, you will choose one and pass the rest to the player on your left. You will then receive cards from the player on your right. Choose and continue.
Card Sleeve a plastic sleeve for cards to keep them in good shape. They can be penny sleeves(Very cheap) or higher end with pictures on them.
Card War Games Games which are wargames, but the main mechanic used is cards that have multiple uses.
CCG A Collectible Card Game. Magic the Gathering is a classic Example.
Co Op or Cooperative game A Game in which all players are working to defeat the game.
COIN Games A Counter Insurgency style Game
Completionist Someone who must own every expansion and bit for a game.
Con Crud Getting sick at or after a convention. Can be horrible. Use hand sanitizer, sleep and eat normally.
Con or Convention Usually a multiple day gaming event
Cthulhu A Theme that is often used based on the work by HP Lovecraft
Cube Pusher A term — often used in a derogatory sense — to describe a game where mechanics largely involve placing cubes on the board, collecting cubes, and exchanging cubes for points or rewards. Such games tend to be "euro" games.
D# This is a Die number that is needed to roll for success, or as a Die listed below
D10 Ten Sided Die
D100 Can be a 100 sided die, or 2 Ten Sided die rolled simultaneously with one being Tens and one being 1-10
D12 Twelve sided die
D20 Twenty Sided die
D4 Four sided die
D6 Six sided die
D8 Eight Sided die
Deck Builder A game in which you build your personal/group deck to hopefully maximize your opportunities
Dexterity Game A game in which Physical actions are needed
Dice Builder A game in which you acquire dice in an attempt to build a set of dice that will give you the best result
Dice Tower A device in which you drop dice and they are bounced around and rolled for you
Dollar Most often used to refer to money in any game
Downtime The length of time between each turn. More players who take long turns will generally mean more downtime. A feeling of downtime is more pronounced when the game gives you nothing to do or react to when it it not your turn.
Empire Builder A Game in which you are trying to make your nation/empire the biggest or sole survivor in the game. Can be 4X, can be Risk, can be many things, but increasing the power of your political entity is key.
Engine Building A game in which you acquire things to attempt to build a synergy chain of increasing value
Essen A Convention in Essen Germany in October each year. This is possibly the biggest Gaming Convention of the year. The show is run as a hybrid between Trade Show and Game show. Most personal gaming is done at the hotels at night.
Euro or German Game A game that is usually less active in theme and more mechanically sound
Fiddly
When used to describe a game's components, it means that there a lots of little pieces that need to be moved around so much it can slow the game down, or all the pieces lengthen setup, cleanup of the game. When used to describe the mechanics or rules of the game, it means there are a lot of corner cases or rules that apply in rare or unique instances (it often means a games mechanisms should be more streamlined).
Filler A term for a shorter game that can be played while waiting for someone or between longer games.
FLGS A term to describe the Friendly Local Game Store. It refers to the local shop people can get games from and/or play at.
Game Weight (light/middle/heavy)
Commonly an expression of how difficult a game is to learn, how many rules or mechanics it features, or how long a game might last. Lightweight games have simple mechanics, are easy to teach, and/or play quickly, while heavy games are the opposite. It may be possible to refer to a game as having "light" mechanics but "heavy" strategy.
Gateway Game A game that helps bring new players into the hobby
Grok A term implying the ease of learning a game or it's mechanics
Hidden Movement At least one, if not all of the players are hidden from the main board, and kept track of their location seperately
Hidden traitor At least one player has the chance to be a hidden traitor working with the game to defeat the players
Initiative Implies that the player or players have the ability to do their turn
IP Intellectual Property, such as Marvel or Disney, from any media Genre
Kingmaker
A player of a game who actively works to allow another player to win. Kingmakers usually appear in games where one player is in no position to win a game, but can actively work in the favor of another. Kingmakers are usually criticized as having "given up," tilting the balance, or arbitrarily deciding which player will win. Some like kingmaking, for example, in a wargame it is wise not to betray anyone too harshly, otherwise they will kingmake your opponent.
LCG Limited Collectible Game - When someone buys a pack, all packs will contain the same exact set.
Legacy A game that continues playing, with each game being a scenario in the larger story line. Many times actions in previous games affect the later games.
Lovecraftian Cthulhu based game built around the Lovecraft universe
Mechanic The main Mechanism or a Mechanism that helps the game function
Meeple a Small person shaped game piece, literal translation is Miniature People
Melee A reference for Close Combat
Min Maxer Someone who enjoys looking at all of the options and maneuvering the turn or move to it's maximum benefit, often this person suffers from AP
Modifier Alters an ability or score either up or down. a +2 Strength Modifier would make whatever your strength is have +2 added to it.
MSRP Manufacturers Standard Retail Price
Multiplayer Solitaire A game in which all players do not interact with each other
NPC - Non Player Character A Non active character, who is included in the game, and not meant to be played by someone
OOP Out Of Print, meaning that the only way to get the game is on the secondary market
OP (Over Powered) Usually when the game is not balanced people will say that a certain character or strategy is Over Powered
Orthogonal Can only be used up or doqwn or left and right, Diagonal is not allowed
Overproduced
The effort that went into the physical production was beyond what was needed or even necessarily. Can be positive, in that a game company went above and beyond to make a very high-quality and good-looking game. Could be negative, in that a person may have rather payed less for a game that functioned just as well without unnecessary elements.
Pick up and Deliver Games that require you to pick up items and drop them somewhere else.
Point(s) Salad Games that have LOTS of ways to score points, and hopefully multiple strategies to doing so.
Puffing Billy An Organization that promotes the play of Train Board Games
Resource management A game that involves manipulating your resources to maximum advantage.
Roll and Write Roll the Dice and Write the results. Yahtzee is the Granddaddy, but many new games use the mechanics of this system
RPG A Role Playing game, Dungeons and Dragons being the granddaddy of them all
Semi-coop A Cooperative game, in which at some point the players have individual goals
Shenanigans When you misplay a rule, but not intentionally
Spiel Des Jahres The Game of the Year from Germany. Family Titles.
Tap Turn a card sideways to show that it's ability has been used.
Train Games This is used to describe a train game. There is a train game society, "Puffing Billy" which puts on a train game oriented convention.
Trick Taking A card game that revolves on playing the highest card or a trump suit
Turkey A game that a player once enjoyed, but now enjoys much less.
Turn and Round These seem to be used intertwined. Some games refer to all players going as a turn, some as a round. Sometimes they are nested within each other. I have yet to see the community use these in just one way
VP or Victory Points These are the points used to see if you won the game or what place you came in.
War Games - Wargaming Games which generally involve direct conflict between armed groups.
Worker Placement A Game mechanic that stresses the placement of your pieces to grab resources and actions in a game.