20 List of words and terms of game development. terms
I made this glossary to learn and remember words in game development. I want to make, draw and program video games in the future so this glossary will help me to learn useful words.
Asset
noun
Shorthand for anything that goes into a video game – characters, objects, sound effects, maps, environments, etc.
Example: We used a lot of assets for this game.
en: Un bien
Cinematics
noun
Segments of a game that are not controlled by the player. These are usually used to draw attention to major story points.
Example: I like this cinematic.
en: Cinématiques
Collision
noun
The action of two objects coming together and touching/striking one another in-game. The simple act of your playable character standing on a floor in a house requires collision parameters on both the character’s feet and the floor, otherwise, that character would simply fall through the floor.
Example: The character's collision is not right because he goes through the floor.
en: Collision
Cross-platform
adjective
Something that can work or be used on different platforms.
Example: Is this game cross-platform?
en: Multiplateforme
Debug
verb
Finding and removing bugs in a game. Sometimes referred to as “bug-bashing.”
Example: We need to debug this game.
en: Déboger
Demo
noun
A proof-of-concept version of a game, typically released to the public for promotional and/or feedback purposes.
Example: This demo is a masterpeace.
en: Démo
Game design document (GDD)
noun
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. The story, gameplay, characters, level design, and other integral pieces of a game are laid out and described in a game design document.
Example: We will finish the GDD next week.
en: Document sur la conception du jeu
Gold master
noun
A game that has met all publisher and platform requirements, includes all assets and features, and is considered ready for launch.
Example: Our game is a gold master.
en: Un jeu prêt à être publié
Hitbox
noun
An invisible object created around another GameObject that determines the area where collisions with other objects will occur.
Example: This hitbox is way too big.
en: Zone de collision
Keyframe
noun
In game development, the act of putting an asset into a standalone frame of action and capturing that moment, to be followed by others, until there is a series of these frames to effectively convey animation of the asset.
Example: There is too many keyframe in this animation.
en: Image clé
Mechanics
noun
The essential functions, rules, and outcomes that create gameplay. Mechanics are what make a game rewarding, entertaining, and interactive.
Example: We used new mecanics in the game.
en: Mécanique
Mesh
noun
A collection of vertices, edges, and faces that act as the foundation of a model in a video game.
Example: A mesh can be a character or an object.
en: les filets
Model
noun
A fully 3D asset in a video game that is created by adding textures and other features to a mesh.
Example: This 3d model is not very optimized.
en: Modèle
Prop
noun
Interactive objects in a game.
Example: I can't use this prop.
en: Object
Script
verb
Another word for coding or programming; the act of writing code.
Example: Last week, I learned how to script.
en: Programmer
Shaders
noun
Small programs within larger game development processes typically used to control lighting and shadow effects.
Example: Those shaders are beautiful.
en: Shaders
Sprite
noun
Bitmap images, often used as 2D GameObjects. In 3D, sprites generally function as textures.
Example: I'm drawing a new sprite for my game.
en: Image
Tilemap
noun
A system that stores and handles tile assets for creating 2D levels.
Example: I did the ground using tilemap.
en: Carte de tuiles
UI/GUI
noun
User interface / graphical user interface. Menus, inventories, and other non-game interactive systems on-screen.
Example: The UI of this game is very simple and useful.
en: Interface utilisateur
Vertex
noun
A point in 2D or 3D space. Joining two vertices together forms an edge.