Game Design Glossary

This glossary introduces terms used to describe player choices, progression and in-game economies. Each definition is paired with an example model, so you can connect the idea to resources, rules and outcomes.

Start with the player experience

Terms such as agency, flow, fairness and difficulty help teams discuss how a system feels to play, what choices it offers and how challenge changes over time.

Trace resources and decisions

Economy concepts give teams a shared way to examine how players earn, hold and spend resources. Explore allocation of earnings, supply and demand, utility and saving for the future.

Use definitions to make a model clearer

A term is a starting point for a question, not a substitute for context. Open an example diagram to see how its author represents the concept, then inspect the assumptions that shape the outcome.

Browse the full glossary collection for terms used across game design, tokenomics, economics and system modeling.