Modern board gaming has its own vocabulary. This A-Z glossary explains common mechanisms, genres, components, player behaviours and expressions you may hear at a board game club or encounter in reviews and rulebooks.
Some terms are informal and their meaning can vary slightly between games or groups. The descriptions below are intended as friendly, practical introductions.
Popular Board Gaming Acronyms
- 18XX
- A family of railway and economic games inspired by Francis Tresham’s 1829, usually featuring route building, share dealing and company management.
- 4X
- Explore, Expand, Exploit and Exterminate. A genre involving exploration, development, resource use and conflict.
- AP
- Analysis Paralysis. Taking an unusually long time to make a decision because of overthinking the available options.
- BGA
- Board Game Arena, an online platform for playing board games through a web browser.
- BGG
- BoardGameGeek, a major online database and community for board games.
- CCG
- Collectible Card Game. Players obtain cards, often through randomised packs, and construct their own decks.
- FLGS
- Friendly Local Game Store. An independent shop that sells tabletop games and may host organised play.
- FOMO
- Fear Of Missing Out. Often used when limited editions, exclusives or crowdfunding deadlines encourage a purchase.
- GMT
- Game Master’s Turn or Greenwich Mean Time depending on context. In gaming discussions, check the surrounding wording.
- GM
- Game Master. The person who presents the world, story and challenges in a role-playing or adventure game.
- IP
- Intellectual Property. An existing fictional setting, brand or franchise used as the theme for a game.
- KS
- Kickstarter. Common shorthand for a game or expansion funded through the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform.
- LCG
- Living Card Game. A card-game model using fixed-content products rather than random booster packs.
- MSRP
- Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.
- NIS
- New in Shrink. A game that remains sealed in its original shrink-wrap.
- OOP
- Out of Print. A game that is no longer being manufactured and may be difficult to obtain.
- OP
- Organised Play, or Original Poster in an online discussion, depending on context.
- PnP
- Print and Play. A game supplied as downloadable files for players to print and assemble.
- PvE
- Player versus Environment. Players compete against challenges controlled by the game system.
- PvP
- Player versus Player. Players compete directly against one another.
- RNG
- Random Number Generation. Informal shorthand for the random element in a game, even when physical dice or cards provide it.
- RPG
- Role-Playing Game. Players portray characters and make decisions within an unfolding fictional world.
- SRP
- Suggested Retail Price.
- TCG
- Trading Card Game. A customisable card game in which cards can commonly be collected and traded.
- VP
- Victory Points. A numerical measure frequently used to determine the winner.
- WIP
- Work in Progress. A prototype, design or component that is not yet finished.
A
- Abstract Strategy Game
- A game with little or no theme in which success mainly depends on planning, spatial reasoning and anticipating an opponent.
- Action Economy
- The number and relative value of actions available to a player, and how efficiently those actions can be used.
- Action Point Allowance
- A system in which players receive a set number of points each turn to spend on different actions.
- Action Drafting
- Players select actions from a shared display or pool, potentially limiting the choices remaining for opponents.
- Action Queue
- A sequence of actions programmed in advance and then resolved in order.
- Alpha Gamer
- A dominant player who attempts to make decisions for the whole group, particularly in a co-operative game. Also called quarterbacking.
- Ameritrash / American-Style Game
- An informal and sometimes contentious label for highly thematic games that emphasise narrative, conflict, luck and dramatic events.
- Analysis Paralysis
- Taking an unusually long time to choose a move because of extensive analysis or fear of making a suboptimal decision.
- Area Control / Area Majority
- Players compete to have the strongest presence or greatest influence in particular regions of the board.
- Area Movement
- Pieces move between defined areas rather than along individual spaces or a grid.
- Asymmetric Game
- Players have meaningfully different abilities, starting positions, objectives or rules.
- Auction / Bidding
- Players compete for items, actions or advantages by offering money, resources or another form of value.
B
- Bag Building
- Players add tokens to a bag and draw them blindly, gradually improving the contents available to them.
- Balance
- The extent to which players, factions or strategies have a reasonably fair chance of success.
- Bash the Leader
- Players collectively target the apparent leader to prevent that player from pulling too far ahead. Also called leader bashing.
- Betting and Bluffing
- Players commit resources based on uncertain information and may misrepresent the strength of their position.
- Blind Playtest
- A playtest conducted without the designer present, used to determine whether the rules and components explain the game adequately.
- Brain Burner
- An informal term for a demanding game that requires sustained concentration and difficult decisions.
- Broken
- A game, card, ability or strategy considered so unbalanced that it undermines normal play.
- Buff
- An improvement to a character, unit, card or ability, either during play or through a later rules update.
- Button
- The marker used to identify the dealer or starting player in some games.
C
- Campaign Game
- A game played across connected sessions in which narrative, characters, objectives or game state carry forward.
- Card Drafting
- Players select cards from a hand or shared offer, often passing the remaining cards to another player.
- Catch-Up Mechanic
- A rule intended to give trailing players an opportunity to close the gap on the leaders.
- Closed Draft
- A draft in which selections or available information are concealed from some or all opponents.
- Co-operative Game
- Players work together against the game system and normally win or lose as a team.
- Component Quality
- The physical standard of cards, boards, miniatures, tokens and other items included with a game.
- Conflict Game
- A game in which direct confrontation, combat or territorial competition is central.
- Constructed Deck
- A deck assembled before play according to the game’s deck-building rules.
- Contract Game
- Players fulfil public or private requirements to earn rewards or points.
- Cooldown
- A period during which an action or ability cannot be used again.
- Crowdfunding
- Raising production funds from customers before publication, usually through an online campaign.
- Crunchy
- An informal description of a game with substantial strategic detail, calculation or interconnected rules.
- Cult of the New
- The tendency to prioritise recently released games over replaying older titles.
- Cube Pusher
- A humorous description of a resource-management game featuring many wooden cubes or similar tokens.
D
- Deck Building
- Players begin with a small or weak deck and acquire cards during play to improve it.
- Deck Construction
- Players create a deck before the game begins using a larger collection of available cards.
- Deck Thinning
- Removing weaker or less useful cards from a deck to make valuable cards appear more frequently.
- Deduction
- Players use clues, logic and elimination to identify hidden information.
- Deluxe Edition
- A premium version containing upgraded components, additional material or enhanced presentation.
- Dexterity Game
- A game based partly or mainly on physical skill such as flicking, stacking, balancing or throwing.
- Dice Drafting
- Players choose dice from a shared pool, using their colours, values or symbols to perform actions.
- Dice Placement
- Rolled dice are placed like workers, with their values often affecting the available action or its strength.
- Direct Interaction
- Players immediately affect one another through attacks, blocking, trading, stealing or negotiation.
- Downtime
- The time a player spends waiting before becoming actively involved again.
- Drafting
- Players take turns selecting cards, dice, tiles or resources from a limited supply.
- Draw Deck
- A face-down supply from which cards are taken.
- Dungeon Crawler
- An adventure game involving exploration, combat, treasure and character development, often on a modular map.
E
- Economic Game
- A game centred on markets, investment, trade, production or financial management.
- Elimination
- The removal of a player from the game before it ends.
- Endgame Trigger
- The event or condition that causes the game to enter or begin its final stage.
- Engine Building
- Acquiring cards, tiles or abilities that combine to produce increasingly effective actions or resources.
- Eurogame
- A broad style of strategy game commonly associated with resource management, indirect interaction, limited elimination and multiple scoring paths.
- Expansion
- Additional content requiring, or designed to supplement, a base game.
- Exploding Dice
- A rule in which a maximum die result allows the die to be rolled again, usually adding the new result.
- Extra Turn
- An effect that allows a player to take another turn before normal turn order resumes.
F
- Family Game
- An accessible game intended to suit a broad range of ages and experience levels.
- Fiddly
- Informal criticism of a game with excessive handling, bookkeeping, exceptions or awkward components.
- Filler Game
- A relatively short, approachable game played between longer games or while waiting for a group.
- First-Player Marker
- A token showing who begins a round or game.
- Flip and Write
- A game in which cards are revealed and players record choices on individual sheets or boards.
- Fog of War
- Uncertainty about opponents, terrain, units or objectives that would realistically be hidden.
- Follow Action
- An action other players may perform, often at reduced strength, after the active player selects it.
- Free-for-All
- A competitive format in which every player acts independently rather than in fixed teams.
G
- Game Master
- A facilitator who describes the setting, controls non-player characters and adjudicates rules, especially in role-playing games.
- Game State
- All information describing the current situation, including positions, resources, scores and effects.
- Gateway Game
- An accessible and engaging game considered suitable for introducing people to modern board gaming.
- Goldilocks Game
- An informal term for a game whose length and complexity feel just right for a particular group.
- Grognard
- An experienced and highly committed player, historically associated with detailed wargames.
- Group Think
- A situation in which players follow an emerging consensus without sufficiently considering alternatives.
H
- Hand Limit
- The maximum number of cards a player may hold, usually checked at a specified time.
- Hand Management
- Making effective choices about when, how and in what order to play or retain cards.
- Heavy Game
- A game with high rules complexity, strategic depth, cognitive demand or all three.
- Hex and Counter
- A wargame style using a hexagonal map and cardboard counters to represent military units.
- Hidden Information
- Information known to some players but concealed from others.
- Hidden Movement
- One or more players secretly record their location while opponents attempt to find or intercept them.
- Hidden Roles
- Players receive secret identities, teams, powers or objectives.
- Hidden Traitor
- A co-operative or team game in which one or more concealed players secretly work against the group.
- House Rule
- An unofficial rule adopted by a particular household, club or gaming group.
I
- In-Hand Scoring
- Cards score while retained in a player’s hand rather than after being played.
- Indirect Interaction
- Players affect one another through shared markets, drafting, competition for spaces or changes to common resources rather than direct attacks.
- Input Randomness
- Random information is generated before decisions are made, allowing players to respond strategically.
- Insert
- A tray or organiser fitted inside the game box to store components.
- Intellectual Property (IP)
- A protected setting, character, story or brand licensed or adapted for a game.
- Interrupt
- An effect played during another action or turn that changes or prevents its outcome.
J
- Judge
- A person responsible for interpreting rules and resolving disputes at organised events.
- Juice
- Informal design language for satisfying visual, tactile or audio feedback that makes an action feel rewarding.
K
- Kingmaking
- A situation in which a player who is unlikely to win can determine which opponent does win.
- Knockout
- A format or mechanism that removes a player, character or team after defeat.
L
- Leader Bashing
- Players focus negative actions on the current or perceived leader to keep the game close.
- Legacy Game
- A campaign game in which components or rules may change permanently through stickers, writing, sealed material or destroyed cards.
- Light Game
- A game with comparatively simple rules and low cognitive demand.
- Limited Communication
- Rules restrict what players may say, show or reveal to one another.
- Living Rules
- A rulebook maintained and updated after publication, commonly provided online.
- Luck Mitigation
- Options that let players reroll, modify, avoid or plan around random results.
M
- Market
- A shared display from which players purchase or acquire cards, tiles or resources.
- Mechanism / Mechanic
- A rule-driven process through which players interact with the game, such as drafting or worker placement.
- Meeple
- A small stylised person-shaped playing piece. The name is commonly explained as a blend of ‘my people’.
- Metagame
- Strategies and expectations shaped by previous plays, player habits or knowledge outside the immediate rules.
- Miniature
- A sculpted figure representing a character, creature, vehicle or unit.
- Min-Maxing
- Optimising a position by maximising useful strengths while minimising less valuable attributes or costs.
- Modular Board
- A board assembled from interchangeable pieces so that its layout can vary between games.
- Multi-Use Cards
- Cards that may be spent, played or positioned in several different ways.
- Multiplayer Solitaire
- An informal term for a competitive game with very little player interaction.
- Mulligan
- An opportunity to replace an unsatisfactory starting hand, roll or selection.
N
- Negotiation
- Players make deals, trades, promises or alliances as a significant part of play.
- Nerf
- A reduction in the power of a character, card or strategy, usually made for balance.
- Non-Player Character (NPC)
- A character controlled by the game system or facilitator rather than by a regular player.
- Open Information
- Game information visible and available to every player.
- Overproduction
- The use of unusually elaborate or numerous components beyond what gameplay strictly requires.
O
- One versus Many
- One player controls a powerful role or opposing force while everyone else forms the other side.
- Open Draft
- A draft in which available options and selections are visible.
- Output Randomness
- Randomness determines the result after a player has committed to a decision, such as rolling to resolve an attack.
- Overpowered
- A card, faction, action or strategy regarded as excessively strong compared with other options.
- Overtuned
- Designed or adjusted to be slightly too powerful, efficient or difficult.
P
- Party Game
- An accessible game emphasising social interaction, humour or creativity and often supporting larger groups.
- Pass-and-Play
- Players share one device, board or hand-control interface and take turns using it.
- Pick-up and Deliver
- Players collect goods or passengers in one location and transport them elsewhere for rewards.
- Player Aid
- A reference sheet or card summarising rules, actions, symbols or scoring.
- Player Elimination
- A mechanism allowing a player to be removed before the game finishes.
- Player Interaction
- The extent and manner in which players influence one another’s choices or positions.
- Player Mat
- A personal board used to organise components, actions, resources or progression.
- Point Salad
- A game offering many different scoring opportunities and routes to victory.
- Polyomino
- A shape made from edge-connected squares, used in spatial puzzles and tile-placement games.
- Press Your Luck / Push Your Luck
- Players repeatedly choose whether to secure current gains or risk them for a greater reward.
- Programming
- Players choose a sequence of instructions in advance before revealing and resolving them.
- Prototype
- An unfinished version used to test a game’s rules, usability and balance.
- Public Objective
- A scoring condition available to every player.
- Puzzle Game
- A game centred on solving spatial, logical or procedural challenges.
Q
- Quarterbacking
- When one person dominates decision-making in a co-operative game and directs other players’ turns.
- Quick Reference
- A concise summary of rules, phases, actions or symbols.
R
- Race Game
- A game in which players compete to reach a destination, target or achievement first.
- Real-Time Game
- Players act simultaneously against an actual time limit rather than taking conventional turns.
- Replayability
- The extent to which a game remains interesting over repeated plays.
- Resource Conversion
- Exchanging one combination of resources for another, usually to improve value or meet an objective.
- Resource Management
- Planning how limited money, materials, workers, cards or time will be acquired and spent.
- Roll and Move
- Players roll dice or use another randomiser to determine movement distance.
- Roll and Write
- Dice results are used by players to mark choices on personal sheets or boards.
- Rondel
- A circular or looping action system in which movement around the track determines available choices.
- Route Building
- Players create connected networks between locations, often for transport, trade or scoring.
- Rules Overhead
- The amount of information players must remember or administer to play correctly.
S
- Sandbox Game
- A game providing broad freedom to choose objectives, routes or strategies rather than following a fixed progression.
- Scenario
- A defined setup with particular objectives, rules, forces or story conditions.
- Semi-Co-operative Game
- Players share some goals or threats while retaining individual objectives, scores or victory conditions.
- Set Collection
- Players gather specified groups of items, symbols or cards for rewards or scoring.
- Setup Time
- The time and effort required to prepare a game for play.
- Shelf of Shame
- An informal name for the games someone owns but has not yet played.
- Simultaneous Action Selection
- Players secretly or openly choose actions at the same time before resolving them.
- Social Deduction
- Players use conversation, behaviour, bluffing and logic to identify hidden roles or allegiances.
- Solo Mode
- Rules designed to let one person play a game alone, often against an automated opponent.
- Spatial Puzzle
- A challenge based on arranging, fitting, connecting or positioning pieces.
- Starter Player
- The player who takes the first turn. Also called the first player.
- Stretch Goal
- An additional crowdfunding feature or component unlocked when funding reaches a specified total.
- Sudden Death
- A condition under which the next qualifying event immediately determines the winner.
- Symmetric Game
- Players begin with the same or functionally equivalent powers, resources and objectives.
T
- Table Presence
- The visual and physical impression made by a game when it is set up.
- Tableau Building
- Players develop a personal display of cards or tiles that provides abilities, resources, discounts or points.
- Take That
- Effects designed to directly disrupt, penalise or attack another player.
- Teach
- The explanation of a game’s objective, structure and rules before play.
- Thematic Game
- A game designed to evoke a particular setting, story or experience strongly through its mechanisms and presentation.
- Tile Placement
- Players add tiles to a shared or personal area to create patterns, maps, networks or scoring features.
- Topdecking
- Drawing and immediately relying on the top card of a deck, particularly when few other options remain.
- Trading
- Players exchange resources, cards, promises or other assets.
- Trick-Taking
- Each player contributes a card to a trick, which is won according to suit, rank, trump or other rules.
- Trump Suit
- A suit or category that outranks others when determining the winner of a trick.
- Turn Order
- The sequence in which players act.
- Two-Player Only
- A game designed specifically for exactly two players.
U
- Unbalanced
- A description of factions, powers or strategies that do not offer reasonably comparable chances of success.
- Unique Player Powers
- Different abilities or rules assigned to individual players. Also called variable player powers.
- Upkeep Phase
- A recurring phase for maintenance tasks such as paying costs, refreshing cards or resolving ongoing effects.
- Upgrade
- An improvement to a component, action, character, card or resource-producing system.
V
- Variable Player Powers
- Each player has a distinct ability or rule that changes how they approach the game.
- Variable Setup
- Randomised or selectable starting conditions that make sessions begin differently.
- Variant
- An alternative official or unofficial way to play using modified rules, setup or player count.
- Victory Condition
- The requirement a player or team must satisfy to win.
- Victory Points (VP)
- Points used to compare performance, commonly with the highest total winning at the end.
W
- Wargame
- A game modelling military conflict at a tactical, operational or strategic scale.
- Weight
- An informal measure of how difficult a game is to learn, understand and play strategically.
- Win More
- An effect that gives further advantages to a player who is already ahead.
- Worker Placement
- Players place worker pieces onto action spaces, commonly preventing or limiting opponents from using the same spaces.
- Worker Placement with Dice Workers
- A form of worker placement in which dice act as workers and their values affect available actions.
- Wraparound
- A board or map rule in which leaving one edge causes a piece to enter from the opposite edge.
X
- X-and-Write
- A broad family including roll-and-write, flip-and-write and similar games in which shared prompts are recorded on personal sheets.
- 4X Game
- A strategy game structured around exploring, expanding, exploiting resources and exterminating rivals.
Y
- Yellow Card
- An informal warning used by some clubs or organised events for inappropriate conduct or a rules infraction.
- Your Mileage May Vary
- A phrase meaning that enjoyment or results may differ between players or groups, often abbreviated to YMMV.
Z
- Zero-Sum Game
- A situation in which one participant’s gain is matched by another participant’s loss.
- Zone of Control
- The area around a unit in which it restricts, threatens or affects enemy movement.
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