This glossary lists an array of concepts that are of interest to any game player.
An overview of this glossary
We spend a lot of time thinking about how games work (or don’t), and what makes them tick (or fizzle). The below list is a collection of terms that are directly related to games of all kinds. By that we of course include board games (our favorite!), but also many video games, athletic games, and games we play in the “real” world of politics, business and life in general.
The glossary terms are listed alphabetically, and the highlighted ones link to a dedicated article that includes a more in-depth exploration of the topic. Over time, we plan to write articles for each of these terms.
Please reach out to us if you have any suggestions for terms we should consider adding to the list.
Terms
Barriers to entry
Obstacles that prevent or make it difficult for a player to proceed along a given path
Bartering
A form of trading in which players exchange non-monetary goods with one another
Bidding
A process of competitively offering a given amount of resources with aim of collecting something in exchange
Bluffing
A type of signaling in which a player attempts to convince others that their situation is better or worse than it actually is
Conflict
A state in which players take actions that may harm one another because their objectives are not aligned
Cooperation
A scenario in which players jointly make decisions that benefit them both
Coopetition
A scenario in which players must cooperate with one another while still competing in the wider context of the game
Cost-benefit analysis
A process in which a player compares the relative costs and apparent benefits among various available choices
Deception
A strategy of taking actions in a way that is intentionally meant to confuse or mislead one’s opponents
Demand elasticity
A measure of the variability in the amount a player is willing to pay for a good
Diminishing marginal returns
A principle which states that the incremental usefulness of additional units of an acquired resource decreases as more resources are obtained
Economies of scale
A scenario in which a resource becomes less costly to produce as more overall units of it are made
Economies of scope
A scenario in which several different resources that make use of a common base resource collectively become less costly as more combined units are made
Efficiency
A measure of how impactful a given number of resources or decisions are in advancing the position of a player
Exploiting weakness
The act of making choices that cause a player to benefit from weaknesses displayed by another player
Externalities
Secondary outcomes affecting others that result when a player takes an action
Fairness
A quality of gameplay in which the progress and outcomes of gameplay make sense to an unbiased observer
Favoritism
The act of giving preferential treatment to another player in a way that may seem unfair to a neutral observer
First mover advantage
The benefit received by a player by being the first to take a given path or make a particular decision
Foresight
The skill of considering multiple possible future choices that may be taken by a player or by one’s opponents
Free rider problem
A scenario in which someone benefits from a commonly held resource without paying for it
Game mechanics
The various relationships between game rules and components
Game theory
A field of mathematics that explores the rationality of decisionmaking within rules-based scenarios
Game within a game
A task embedded within a game that may itself be thought of as its own game, complete with rules, objectives and outcomes
Handicapping
A way to reduce or eliminate disparities between players of different abilities or skill levels
Hoarding
The act of amassing a resource, possibly for later use or to deny other players access to it
House rules
Rules made to alter gameplay from the standard method or remove ambiguity when the given rules are not clear
Imperfect competition
A scenario in which various parties vie against one another, but some parties benefit from advantages not shared by the others
Incentivization
An element or outcome that is present to motivate a player to make a given action
Information Asymmetry
A situation in which various players do not have access to the same information at the time of making a decision
Intrinsic vs extrinsic value
The difference between value derived from something’s innate qualities versus the importance we assign it
Mercy
The act of taking an action that benefits another player in distress, possibly at the cost of one’s own position
Monopoly
Complete control by a single entity of a resource’s ownership or utilization
Moral hazard
A circumstance in which a player takes actions without concern for the consequences of those actions
Nash equilibrium
A way of conceptualizing a game in which all players have achieved optimal outcomes for themselves provided that no one else changes their position
Obfuscation
The act of masking one’s true objectives by making choices that mislead others
Opportunity cost
The cost associated with the elimination of previously available options once a given choice has been made
Pattern recognition
The skill of identifying, creating and exploiting patterns within gameplay
Playtesting
A process of playing a game during the design phase in order to find flaws and test gameplay
Principal-agent problem
A scenario in which a representative of a group takes actions while pursuing priorities that may be at odds with the best interests of the group
Private vs public goods
Resources that are only available to specific players versus resources that are collectively held or accessed
Randomness
Disorder in one or more elements of gameplay that increase uncertainty
Ranking
A way to gauge the relative skill of various players by taking into account their past performance
Rationality
A scenario in which a player’s actions are intentionally chosen to further their interests
Risk
The possibility that things could go poorly by making a given choice
Roleplay
A process in which a player assumes the identity of a character within the game
Sabotage
A scenario in which a player takes an action that undermines the position of another player
Scarcity
A scenario in which a limited number of units of a given resource is available
Signaling
One or more actions that when viewed from outside indicate a player’s intentions
Strategy
The overall set of decisions and modes of thinking a player uses in gameplay
Sunk cost
Resources that have been spent on pursuing a given path
Supply and demand
A description of the availability of resources and the drivers of its consumption
Suspension of disbelief
The act of leaving aside the notions of the real world during gameplay and engrossing oneself in the scenario presented by the game
Ties and tiebreakers
An outcome in which two or more players reach the same result, and efforts to identify a winner among equals
Time pressure
The role of time in dictating the speed at which players make decisions and act
Tragedy of the commons
A scenario in which a public good becomes damaged or destroyed because various players take actions without regard for preserving the public good
Outright vs moral victory
The difference between winning and (usually) losing but while acting honorably
Utility
A measure of the usefulness of a given resource or action for a player
Wealth inequality
The difference between groups which have ample access to resources and those which do not
Wildcards
A game element that introduces a form of randomization into gameplay
World-building
The process of creating the scene and context in which a game will be played
Zero-sum game
A scenario in which the advantage received by one player is equal to the disadvantaged suffered by another player