A–Z index

Glossary of online game terms

Forty-two terms that recur across online adventure games, each defined in a sentence or two of ordinary English and linked to the section that expands it. Definitions here describe how the word is generally used across the category, not how any single publisher applies it.

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• I
• L
• M
• P
• R
• S
• T
• U
• W

A

Account activation

The confirmation step that makes a newly registered account usable, normally by following a link emailed to the address given at sign-up. An unactivated account has been created but cannot sign in. See accounts and sign-up.

Age gate

A prompt asking for a date of birth before an account is created. It determines which features, chat settings and purchase options are offered, and is not the same thing as a classification.

App store purchase

A purchase made through Apple’s or Google’s billing rather than the publisher’s own checkout. It changes who you ask for a refund first and where the charge appears on your statement.

Authenticator

An application that generates a short, time-limited code used as a second step at sign-in. The Australian Cyber Security Centre publishes general guidance on multi-factor authentication.

B

Bundle

Several items or an amount of premium currency sold together at a single price. The saving claimed is against the separate prices set by the same publisher, so it measures a discount within one shop rather than a market price.

C

Character slot

Capacity on an account for one playable character. Where slots are limited, extra ones are a common purchase.

Chargeback

A reversal of a card payment requested from your bank rather than the seller. Publishers commonly suspend accounts affected by one, so it is normally the last step rather than the first.

Chat filter

Automated screening of in-game messages, sometimes restricting younger accounts to a fixed list of approved phrases. Covered in safety and privacy terms.

Classification

In Australia, the rating assigned to a computer game for sale or distribution here. Classifications are issued under the national scheme and published by the Australian Classification Board; no other body’s rating carries the same meaning in this country.

Client

The software that runs the game on your device and communicates with the publisher’s servers. See devices and access.

Consumer guarantee

A right that applies automatically under the Australian Consumer Law to goods and services supplied to consumers in Australia, digital products included. It cannot be removed by a term in a licence agreement. The ACCC publishes the detail.

Cosmetic

An item that changes appearance only. Whether a shop sells cosmetics alone or also sells items affecting progress is the usual dividing line in debates about paying for advantage.

Cross-platform progress

A single account whose progress is shared between device types. Where it is absent, accounts made on different platforms are unrelated.

D

Daily reward

An item or currency granted for signing in on consecutive days. It is a retention mechanic, and worth recognising as one before it shapes a routine.

Display name

The name other players see, distinct from the login and from any real name. Changing it is often a paid action, which is a reason to choose carefully at sign-up.

Downtime

A scheduled or unscheduled period when servers are unavailable. Because progress is held server-side, no amount of local reinstalling shortens it.

E

End user licence agreement

The contract between you and the publisher, accepted at installation or first sign-in. It licences the software rather than selling it and lists the conduct that can end an account. In Australia it operates alongside, not instead of, the consumer guarantees.

Entitlement

A record on the publisher’s servers that your account may use something you bought. Losing the account loses the entitlement, which is why recovery details matter more than any local file.

F

First play

The first session after an account is activated. Sign-up flows and affiliate programmes often treat it as a distinct milestone from registration.

Free-to-play

A model where obtaining and starting the game costs nothing and revenue comes from optional purchases. It describes the entry point only.

Free trial

Time-limited access to paid features. The detail that matters is whether it converts to a recurring charge automatically and how cancellation works before it does.

G

Grinding

Repeating an activity to accumulate progress. Where a shop sells a shortcut past it, the length of the grind is a commercial decision rather than an accident of design.

I

In-app purchase

A purchase made inside an installed app, billed by the platform. Device-level restrictions can switch these off, which is covered in safety and privacy terms.

Instance

A private copy of an area generated for one player or group, so that several groups can occupy the same nominal place without meeting.

L

Launcher

A program that signs you in, applies updates and then starts the game client.

Loot box

A purchasable item whose contents are randomised and unknown before opening. Where a game contains paid randomised items, that is a material fact for a parent deciding what is suitable, and the Classification Board is where to check how a specific title is classified in Australia.

M

Membership

A recurring subscription unlocking content or features while active. Expiry usually restricts access to membership areas without deleting what was earned there.

Minimum specifications

The hardware and operating system the publisher states are needed to run the client. Meeting the minimum describes whether it will start, not how well it will run.

Moderation

Review of player conduct and reports by the publisher’s staff or automated systems, leading to warnings, mutes or account closure.

P

Parental controls

Settings at device, app store or game level that limit spending, chat or play time. The eSafety Commissioner publishes practical guidance for families on gaming and online chat.

Patch

An update to the client, usually required before connecting.

Phishing

A message imitating a publisher, platform or friend to obtain sign-in details. Reports can be made to Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre.

Premium currency

A token bought with money and spent in the game. It obscures the relationship between dollars paid and value received, particularly where it is sold in amounts that do not divide evenly into prices.

Progression

The system that governs what opens up as you play — levels, quests, areas or equipment.

R

Recovery email

The address used to verify identity when a password is lost or an account is stolen. Treat it as the real key to the account.

Refund

The return of a payment. In Australia, a refund may be a matter of the seller’s policy or of the consumer guarantees, and the two are separate paths. See classification and consumer rights.

Region availability

Where a game may be downloaded, played or paid for. It can differ by platform and can change, so the vendor’s current statement is the only reliable one.

S

Server

The publisher’s computer holding the shared world and account progress.

Session

One continuous period of signed-in play. Session limits are a common parental control.

Storefront

The in-game shop. Prices displayed to an Australian account are normally shown in AUD, and the amount charged to a card is what your statement records — those can differ where a foreign currency is involved.

Subscription management

Where a recurring payment is actually cancelled. For app store billing this is in the store account rather than in the game, which is the single most common cause of an unwanted renewal.

T

Two-factor authentication

A second sign-in step, typically a code from an app or message. See also authenticator.

Terms of service

The rules for using the service, as distinct from the licence for the software. Both are commonly accepted in the same click.

Trading

Exchange of items between players, where a game permits it. Trading systems are the usual target of account-theft attempts, because they allow value to be moved off a compromised account.

U

Uninstall

Removing the client from a device. It does not close the account, stop a subscription or delete progress held on servers.

W

Whitelist chat

A restricted chat mode limited to pre-approved words or phrases, commonly the default on accounts registered as belonging to younger players.

Wipe

A deliberate reset of progress on a server, announced in advance. Rare in commercial adventure games outside testing, but the term appears in support documentation.