I was thinking about the the Fighting Game Glossary and how it has so many bespoke terms for specific mechanics, interactions and phenomena, that I started thinking about what other terms people have in other games and game genres.
So I'd like to hear what terms people have made or adopted themselves!
Here, I'll start:
- Monster Closet -- A level-design solution in which a small room is occupied with monsters, with the express intent of being released when certain conditions are met, such as the player walking by, opening a door or collecting an item, etc.
- Monster Zoo -- A large room that's filled with monsters, which only activate when the player opens or enters the room. These are most often used as either traps or combat challenges. Usually seen in dungeon-crawlers, more traditional rogue-likes, and early first-person shooters (Doom, Quake, etc.).
- Thunder-Dome -- A combat encounter notable for its odd assortment of monsters occupying it, requiring the player to approach it differently. These encounters are best known for being chaotic, often comical. To use an example, a room with skeletons is a standard combat encounter, but a room full of spinning enemies which bounce off of the walls, the player, and each other at odd and unpredictable angles is a Thunder-Dome.







