A GLOSSARY GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF FROGGY 

It’s August, 2007. You’re slumped on a beanbag. The Panasonic® television glows. Flashes of the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shimmering adverts for Kmart®, Pizza Hut®, and the all new, 1st-generation Apple iPhone®. You follow the snaking tail of your Xbox 360® to plug into the TV a three-pronged cable with red, white, and yellow inputs. You browse through your 
budget–yet expansive–collection of games, deciding between Tomb Raider®: Legend, Gears of War®, and Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition, all rugged, action-packed third person  shooters.

This is the world of FROGGY, a graphic novel noir thriller featuring a multimedia merging of our darkly dopamine-driven reality with the likewise universe of video games. While Froggy traces the mystery of her boyfriend’s disappearance, she falls deeper and deeper into the intricate trance of video game obsession. As you follow along with Froggy, this field guide will provide you with the vocab and knowhow of a true mid-2000s gamer.

ADVANCE COPY: A copy of the video game that is given to early reviewers, stores, and other industry players before the public release.

BOOTLEG: Any video game sold with unauthorized content, such as an unauthorized hack/edit of an existing game or an original game that pretends to be part of an existing franchise.

CHECKPOINT: A moment or location at which the game’s data is saved. If the main character dies, they will likely return to the game’s last checkpoint. 

CUTSCENE: Movie-like scenes that advance the video game’s story; during these scenes, the player does not actively participate.

END CREDITS: Also known as “final credits.” The credits of the video game typically appear after the player has defeated the final boss, signifying that they have won the game.

EASTER EGG: A hidden message, image, symbol, or feature in the software of a video game. Sometimes, an Easter egg contains a reference to another video game or piece of pop culture.

FINAL BOSS: Also known as the “final fight.” The last NPC the player must defeat in order to win the game, often the game’s main antagonist. Usually, the final boss presents the most  difficult battle of the game.

HARD RESET: Also known as “factory reset.” Erases all user data and restores the game to its original state. Used if the player wants to start over from the very beginning of the game.

MO-CAP: Short for “motion capture.” This technique equips live actors with motion tracking technology. Animators then apply the recorded motion to a 3D character model, creating  lifelike animated movement.

MOB: Short for “mobile” or “mobile object.” A computer-controlled NPC. The term “mob” is often used to refer to hostile NPCs that the player must fight and defeat. 

NPC: Short for “non player character.” Any character in the video game that the player cannot control. 

PLAYER CHARACTER: A character in a video game controlled by the player. 

PLAY MODE: During play mode, the player is actively controlling one or more characters, making decisions that change the outcome of the moment. 

SOFT RESET: Returns the player to the last checkpoint, often used by a player if they make a mistake and want to correct it before proceeding.

SIDE QUESTS: Also known as “side missions.” Objectives outside of the game’s main storyline. While completing side quests is not necessary to win the game, it often gives the player useful items and perks.

THIRD PERSON SHOOTER: Also known as “TPS.” A video game in which the main action involves shooting and the player character is visible. 

100%: Used as a verb. To complete not only the game’s main storyline but also complete all of the side quests.