vocabulary:
  name: RAWG Video Games Database Vocabulary
  description: >-
    Domain vocabulary for the RAWG Video Games Database API covering game
    metadata, platforms, ratings, content classifications, and discovery
    concepts used throughout the API.
  version: v1.0
  created: '2026-05-02'
  modified: '2026-05-02'

terms:
  - term: Game
    definition: >-
      A video game entry in the RAWG database representing a distinct interactive
      entertainment product across one or more platforms, including metadata such
      as title, release date, ratings, genres, and publisher information.
    synonyms:
      - Video Game
      - Title
    relatedTerms:
      - DLC
      - Edition
      - Game Series

  - term: Slug
    definition: >-
      A URL-safe lowercase identifier derived from the resource name, using
      hyphens instead of spaces (e.g., "grand-theft-auto-v"). Used as a
      human-readable alternative to numeric IDs in API paths.
    relatedTerms:
      - ID
      - Identifier

  - term: Platform
    definition: >-
      A gaming hardware or software environment on which games can be played,
      such as PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, or Android.
      Platforms are grouped under parent platforms (e.g., PlayStation 4 and
      PS5 under the PlayStation parent platform).
    relatedTerms:
      - Parent Platform
      - Console
      - Operating System

  - term: Genre
    definition: >-
      A category classifying games by gameplay mechanics, theme, or style.
      Common genres include Action, Adventure, RPG, Strategy, Simulation,
      Sports, Puzzle, Indie, and Shooter.
    synonyms:
      - Category
      - Game Type

  - term: Tag
    definition: >-
      A descriptive keyword applied to a game to improve searchability and
      discovery. Tags are community-contributed and may describe gameplay
      style (e.g., "singleplayer", "multiplayer"), features (e.g., "open-world"),
      or technical attributes (e.g., "controller-support").
    synonyms:
      - Keyword
      - Label

  - term: Developer
    definition: >-
      A game development studio or company responsible for creating a video
      game. May be the same as the publisher or a separate entity working
      under a publishing agreement.
    synonyms:
      - Development Studio
      - Game Studio

  - term: Publisher
    definition: >-
      A company responsible for marketing, distributing, and financing the
      release of a video game. Publishers may own or partner with developers.
    synonyms:
      - Game Publisher
      - Distribution Company

  - term: Creator
    definition: >-
      An individual person credited for their role in the development of a game,
      such as a game designer, composer, writer, or artist. RAWG tracks
      individual creators across games they have contributed to.
    synonyms:
      - Developer
      - Contributor

  - term: Creator Role
    definition: >-
      A job position or title describing the type of contribution an individual
      creator made to a game (e.g., Director, Producer, Composer, Programmer,
      Art Director).
    synonyms:
      - Position
      - Job Title

  - term: Store
    definition: >-
      A digital or physical retail storefront where a game can be purchased
      or downloaded. Examples include Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store,
      Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo eShop, and GOG.
    synonyms:
      - Storefront
      - Retailer
      - Distribution Platform

  - term: Rating
    definition: >-
      A community-assigned quality score ranging from 0 to 5, reflecting player
      sentiment for a game. RAWG aggregates ratings from its user community
      across four sentiment tiers: exceptional (5), recommended (4), meh (3),
      and skip (1).
    relatedTerms:
      - Metacritic Score
      - Review

  - term: Metacritic Score
    definition: >-
      A weighted average score from professional game critics as aggregated by
      Metacritic, normalized to a 0-100 scale. Available for games that have
      received significant critical coverage.
    synonyms:
      - Metascore

  - term: ESRB Rating
    definition: >-
      A content rating assigned by the Entertainment Software Rating Board
      (ESRB) indicating the age appropriateness of a game. Standard ratings
      include Everyone, Everyone 10+, Teen, Mature, Adults Only, and
      Rating Pending.
    synonyms:
      - Content Rating
      - Age Rating

  - term: DLC
    definition: >-
      Downloadable Content — additional game content (missions, characters,
      maps, cosmetics) released after a game's initial launch, often as paid
      add-ons or free updates. Tracked in RAWG as "additions" to the base game.
    synonyms:
      - Downloadable Content
      - Expansion
      - Add-on

  - term: Game Series
    definition: >-
      A group of games that share a common universe, franchise, or narrative
      thread (e.g., "Grand Theft Auto" series, "The Witcher" series). RAWG
      links related games in a series for discovery.
    synonyms:
      - Franchise
      - Series

  - term: Playtime
    definition: >-
      The average number of hours a player spends completing a game, aggregated
      from Steam activity data and RAWG community reporting. Measured in hours.
    synonyms:
      - Average Playtime
      - Game Length

  - term: TBA
    definition: >-
      To Be Announced — a flag indicating that a game's release date has not
      yet been confirmed by the publisher or developer.
    synonyms:
      - Unannounced
      - Release Date Pending

  - term: Pagination
    definition: >-
      The mechanism used by the RAWG API to break large result sets into pages.
      Controlled by the `page` and `page_size` query parameters. Responses
      include `count` (total results), `next` (next page URL), and `previous`
      (previous page URL).
    relatedTerms:
      - Page
      - Page Size
      - Cursor

  - term: API Key
    definition: >-
      A unique authentication credential required with every RAWG API request,
      passed as the `key` query parameter. Keys are obtained by registering
      at rawg.io/apidocs. Requests without a valid key may be blocked.
    synonyms:
      - Access Key
      - Authentication Token