Video Game Interface Elements

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It's like "Game Over" man, Game Over! —Corporal Hudson, Aliens

Unlike noninteractive media, video games often require that incidental information be immediately available. Video games use a variety of mechanisms to present this information. Likewise, they have many kinds of commands, and different ways of accepting them. See also Interface Screw and Interface Spoiler for some metafictional uses of the interface.

These elements include:

• Action Bar
  A UI element consisting of a box or strip of icons (or menu items) corresponding to actions which can be performed.
• Attract Mode
  Animation that plays when no one is actively playing the game.
• Boss Subtitles
  Where the boss is introduced with a big show of its name and a title or descriptive line.
• Break Meter
  A usually graphical display that shows how close a character or enemy is to being "broken", a state where they will be more vulnerable to attacks.
• Character Name Limits
  The player's name can be only so many letters long.
• Color-Coded Elements
  Every magical effect has a color associated with it, allowing the player to tell at a glance which element a given ability is.
• Diegetic Interface
  When the game interface exists in-universe, rather than being strictly for the player's benefit.
• Dramatic Disappearing Display
  During a climactic Boss Battle or event, the game's display (showing Score, the Life Meter and such) vanishes, leaving a completely unobstructed view of the game area.
• Emote Command
  A command in a multi-user game that depicts an emotion or personal action.
  • Emote Animation
    An animation that triggers during an Emote Command.
• General Gaming Gamepads
  The usual types of controllers used with video game systems over the years.
• Holler Button
  Pressing a button to call NPCs over.
• Hot Bar
  A row of user-configurable buttons, usually located near the bottom or top of the screen.
• Heads-Up Display
  Heads-Up Display: A device which projects supplemental information onto the surface reflection of a transparent panel.
• Idle Animation
  The animation that is displayed when a character, especially a player-controlled character, is just standing around.
• Interface Screw
  When the game unexpectedly changes the interface to mess with the player.
• Interface Spoiler
  When the way an in-game menu is constructed gives away details about the rest of the game.
• Level Map Display
• Light Gun
  A video game controller shaped like a gun.
• Main Window
  The place where the action of the game takes place.
• My Name Is Question Marks
  When the name of something - be it a character, object or menu item - is unknown, it will often be represented by a string of question marks.
• Ominous Save Prompt
  An unusual-looking save prompt which comes just before something really nasty goes down.
• The Pennyfarthing Effect
  What happens when an early version of a mechanic or interface is more complicated than a more recent one.
• Pet Interface
  An interface in which you are given a sidekick, usually a pet, that acts as a guide/virtual pet of sorts in the world.
• Playable Menu
  Fully interactivized main menu sequence.
• Point and Click Map
  A game world map containing active areas, clicking on which instantly transports the character to the corresponding level.
• Ring Menu
  An interface element where a list of possible actions are displayed in a ring or circle, often around a character.
• Score Screen
  A screen that comes up after a level is beaten, tallying stuff like collectibles and your rating.
• Scrolling Text
  When characters talk, it doesn't just appear instantly, it goes letter by letter.
• Shows Damage
  Where the character or enemy graphically is shown with damaged clothing or body parts.
• Slash Command
  A text command, beginning with a "/", usually found in MMORPGs.
• Spinventory
  The inventory screen uses the actual in-game 3D model of the item, and lets you see it by spinning it around.
• Squad Controls
  The player is given limited control over their NPC allies through a handful of predefined commands.
• Start Screen
  A static screen, or else an Attract Mode, which usually contains the title and a pulsating "PRESS START" prompt.
• Stat Meters
  Graphical depictions of a statistical quantity, most often the player-character's current status.
  • Life Meter
    A meter, usually a coloured bar, that displays the Hit Points of a character.
    • Multiple Life Bars
      It's more complex than a single pile of Hit Points.
    • Critical Annoyance
      A warning sound that plays over and over again when you are low on health or some other bad thing is imminent.
  • Mana Meter
    A meter that describes the amount of power a character has remaining for his special abilities.
    • Charge Meter
      An indicator of how long you've held down a particular button in order to build up to the capability to perform a special, powerful action.
  • Sprint Meter
    A graphical depiction of some aspect of a character's condition other than his remaining health, e.g. his ability to run at high speed.
    • Oxygen Meter
      A meter indicating the breath or oxygen left while underwater.
    • Sanity Meter
      A meter showing how much (or how little) sanity a character has.
  • Experience Meter
    A meter that shows the current experience of a character, usually showing progress between two levels.
  • Karma Meter
    A meter that indicates how "good" or "bad" you are acting at that point. May be invisible.
    • Evil Is Petty
      The tendency of "evil" meaning just being really mean to people.
    • Wanted Meter
      A meter that represents how much of the local authority's ire you've drawn.
• Stat-O-Vision
  A display that shows all sorts of information about the target or enemy being scanned.
• Status Line
  A display element showing the current disposition of the player, e.g. score, health, ammo etc.
• Stock Control Settings
  The common standards in button layout.
• Symbol-Drawing Interface
  You have to draw symbols on the screen to perform certain actions.
• Taunt Button
  A button that activates an Emote Animation of a character taunting others.
• Text Parser
  A form of input that takes commands from the player and simplifies this to commands that the game engine can understand.
  • Hello, Insert Name Here
    Games let you name your characters. Renaming your hero to "POOP" can result in hours of fun.
• Themed Cursor
  Your cursor is based from some in-game element.
• Vanity Window
  Part of the screen filled with a logo or other static image, leaving the Main Window to be smaller, to save on processing power.
• World Map
  A map drawn to much smaller scale than the main areas of the game, used to allow the player to travel between areas faster than "real time", as well as (sometimes) explore.
• Zip Mode
  A shortcut so that you don't have to watch your character walk all the way across the screen.