Shorthand for anything that goes into a video game – characters, objects, sound effects, maps, environments, etc.

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Creating a stable and predictable gaming experience. For example, by making sure weapons deal appropriate damage and armor absorbs the damage adequately, as opposed to giving one weapon considerably more power than others, or by making levels too difficult to enjoyably complete.

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A game version that contains all major features and assets. This version of a game contains no major bugs and is on its way to code release.

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Any development issue that makes a game unenjoyable, unstable, or unplayable in its current state.

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Game development lingo for the “version” of a game. Also known as a “release” or “release candidate.”

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Segments of a game that are not controlled by the player. These are usually used to draw attention to major story points.

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The action of two objects coming together and touching/striking one another in-game.

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A type of personal computer specifically built for gaming.

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Something that can work or be used on different platforms.

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A game action that is completed through user input.

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A professional document created by game developers to fully define and justify the game they’ve created or plan to create, usually as part of their pitch to a publisher.

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Software that offers a suite of tools and features to game developers in order to build their games professionally and efficiently. 

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The essential functions, rules, and outcomes that create gameplay. Mechanics are what make a game rewarding, entertaining, and interactive.

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Compatible with more than one kind of hardware or operating system. 

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A technique used in 2D game development where background images move at a different speed relative to their foreground counterparts during player/scene movement, creating depth and scale.

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Creating different early versions of a game to explore different mechanics and features to decide which will be best for the full game.

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Testing a game for its overall quality, which normally includes finding and eliminating bugs.

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Small programs within larger game development processes typically used to control lighting and shadow effects.

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Bitmap images, often used as 2D Game Objects. In 3D, sprites generally function as textures.

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Anything that creates the environment in a video game.

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An image that is used to create other, bigger images (such as a platform) in a 2D game.

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Playing through each new build of a game in order to find bugs, ensure gameplay flow, and explore potential opportunities for improvement.

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A design style that is typically limited to 8 and 16-bit graphics in order to closely match classic arcade and console graphics.  

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An invisible object created around another GameObject that determines the area where collisions with other objects will occur.

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