Slang you can use: Video Games
Here’s a sampling of important slang to know for when you’re playing games with the boys, watching on Twitch, or just trying to impress a teenager.
1-UP: An extra life. Think of the green mushroom in Super Mario. It’s the game letting you erase a stupid mistake without having to see the "Game Over" screen.
Camping: Sitting in one dark corner or behind a door for the entire match, waiting for someone to walk past so you can shoot them in the back. Highly effective, universally hated.
Clutch: Pulling off a massive win when you’re the last person alive on your team and the odds are entirely against you. Do this, and you’ll talk about it for a week.
Easter Egg: A hidden secret, joke, or pop-culture reference tucked away in a game by the developers. It serves no purpose for the gameplay; it's just there to make you smile if you happen to stumble across it.
GG: Good Game. The universal digital handshake. Polite when said after a close fight; occasionally sarcastic.
HP: Health Points. Your life bar. When it hits zero, you die. Keeping it above zero is the whole point of the game.
NPC: Non-Player Character. Any character not controlled by a human. They exist purely to hand out quests, repeat the same three lines of dialogue, or block doorways you’re actively trying to walk through.
Noob: Originating from the word newbie. This is someone just getting started playing or, unfortunately, someone who has been playing the game for years, still sucks, and blames their team for every single loss.
OP: Overpowered. A weapon or character that is so absurdly strong that it completely breaks the balance of the game. Everyone uses it until the developers inevitably nerf it.
Rage-bait: Strategies or playstyles designed to make opponents lose their minds with anger. Whether it’s trash-talking in the chat or using a notoriously annoying weapon, the main goal is to make you mad enough to throw your controller through the TV.
XP: Experience Points. The digital points you earn for finishing tasks or getting kills. Rack up enough of it, and your character levels up and gets stronger.
See the rest of our slang terms in issue 2 of Many Corners.
