This page was created to compile all the words I use to analyze video games in my reviews and Youtube videos. Some early videos will use a different word for the same term; this page can be understood as the most current version of my dictionary as well as its relation to comparative methodologies.
by Bernard Suits
Games are comprised of 4 main elements or "fundamental forces:"
The Goal(s) - Prelusory (before game conception), Lusory (after game conception i.e. winning), and Postlusory (life virtues)
Means - Lusory (within the rules) & Antilusory (breaking the rules)
Rules - Constitutive (what defines the game) & Skillful (what wins the game often)
Lusory Additude - the acceptance of constitutive rules such that the activity made possible by acceptance can occur.
by Marcus Carter, Martin Gibbs, and Mitchell Harrop
Orthogame - Lusory Goals, Lusory Means & Constitutive Rules
Metagame - Prelusory Goals, Antilusory Means & Skillful Rules
Paragame - Postlusory Goals & Archetypal Lusory Attitudes
Sport Games - prescribing an attitude of humility in loss.
Field Games - prescribing an attitude of physical constitution.
Board Games - prescribing an attitude of political or statistical comprehension.
Video Games - prescribing an attitude of virtual immersion or flow.
Net Games - prescribing an attitude of the "mall," "ball," or "wall."
"Plegana" is to "games" what "cinema" is to "movies;" on some level the terms are interchangeable, but usually implying higher quality when used as a declarative, e.g. "Bubsy 3D is an irrefutable piece of plegana."
敏 (Nimble) / Nerve games have an iterative process that motivates mastery.
Implicit games involve an iterative process that is virtually identical and repeatable aside from the player's decisions.
Explicit games involve an iterative process that is contingent on momentous factors such as an online lobby of a particular match.
脳 (Brain) / Mind games have an expression of causality that motivates understanding.
Implicit games involve a causality of inductive reasoning, where the logic matters less than the existence of a solution.
Explicit games involve a causality of deductive reasoning, where the logic is paramount to receiving the solution.
血 (Lineage) / Grain games have a set of independent and dependent societal variables that motivate simulation.
Implicit games involve societal variables within a divine authoritarian perspective.
Explicit games involve societal variables within a human authoritarian perspective.
気 (Spirit) / Heart games have a personal model of identity that motivates devotion.
Implicit games involve characters who are defined by the player's range of decisions.
Explicit games involve characters who are defined by a discretely played out narrative.
旅 (Journey) / Land games have an aesthetic collage of locations that motivate adventure.
Implicit games have detours that aren't expected to be explored to reach the end.
Explicit games have detours that are expected to be explored as a means of victory.
Beaters have movement-based inputs or contexts of striking a "scoring" target. The target can be anything from a combat opponent to a musical beat.
Mazers have movement-based inputs or contexts of traveling trivially and non-trivially. For instance, Mario can trivially move left or right in most contexts, and non-trivially, he can jump in the air only when he is not already airborne.
Sitters have movement-based inputs or contexts of obligated minimalism. Think “idle” games, but also consider the validity of shorter periods, such as waiting for the blocks to fall in Tetris.
Banters have perspective-based inputs or contexts of using and understanding language, either for social or strategic purposes.
Spotters have perspective-based inputs or contexts of precision and observation. This is an interface used in many first-person games, but also includes certain puzzle games.
Crafters have perspective-based inputs or contexts of sharing original creations. For me, the sharing method is critical so that “browsing the gallery” becomes a game action.
Helpers have perspective-based inputs or contexts of co-operation with another player. These are unique in being defined almost completely by contexts rather than inputs due to the difficulty of a shared controller system, though asymmetrical designs are still fairly unexplored beyond tank simulation hobbyists.