In the world of gaming and ever-evolving software, people continue to communicate via shortened terms and codes. To keep up with the conversations and stay aware of what’s going on, it’s important to know the key terms you’ll hear all the time!
Whether you’re an avid console gamer or are just getting into online real slots, you’re always likely to come across a few terms that only make sense in context. With that in mind, here are some common gaming and tech terms you should know.
AFK
AFK is one of the most enduring gaming terms. It stands for ‘away from keyboard’. While this can be taken literally, you do not need to have a keyboard to be AFK. Simply put, it means that the player is unavailable at the moment and could be away from the screen.
It’s useful code for when you’re in an online game and need to go to the bathroom, for example! When you’re deep in the fray of a game of Overwatch, for instance, it’s handy to just say that you’re ‘AFK’ occasionally.
Bots
Bots are, effectively, robots (weirdly enough). It essentially refers to AI players in games that are being controlled by computers and not actual humans. You can play with bots if you’re on your own or compete with your friends against them. The term ‘bot’ can also be an insult used to tell another player that they are playing badly.
DLC
Downloadable content (or DLC) refers to the elements that you can download outside of a game. This can mean extra characters, weapons, levels, gadgets and tools. DLC can occasionally come at a fee, but usually games provide free DLC.
Easter eggs
Easter eggs in video games work much in the same way as they do in films, books, music, and so on.
They refer to little nods that the game makers have made within their works to other games, popular films, trends, jokes, and so on. They are usually hidden within the game to the extent that you have to look for them – hence the name ‘easter eggs’.
Glitch
A glitch, otherwise known as a bug, refers to game design or coding problems. It means that your character can get stuck in odd places, make bots act weirdly, freeze the game at crucial moments, and so on.
While glitches can be funny at times, they can also ruin a gamer’s experience, and tend to be fixed with updates from the game designers and companies. A game will rarely get released without at least some glitches these days!
Lag
Certain glitches are often referred to as lags, but they’re not the same thing. A lag is a delay between what you’re doing with your controller and what is happening on the screen. Lags frequently happen in online games due to slow internet and can lead to some seriously frustrating moments!
Now that you know a tiny bit more about the gaming lexicon, hopefully you can use it more confidently!