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Do you ever wonder what your nerd is talking about? Why are they mad at their friend for calling them a bot? And what exactly is an Enderman or Creeper? Is Steve a new friend from school? They seem to talk about him an awful lot. There are two video games that have become obsessions for nerds everywhere: Fortnite and Minecraft.
Fortnite
Fortnite is a survival game that can pit up to 100 players at a time against each other in a fight to the death. This game has become an obsession for may teenagers and have driven many parents crazy. It is best played with a team but can be played solo. Usually, the teams that communicate best are the ones around in the end.
TERMS
If your nerd has become obsessed with Fortnite there are some terms that will help you understand what they are talking about.
This list of Fortnite terms lists some of the potential slang you might find in the game while playing. Most of these are be obvious, but there are a few that will need a bit more explaining. Some of these terms are Fortnite specific, but a lot are from other shooting games from the past.
90s
This is a term for a specific technique of building in Fortnite that is considered the fastest way to get high ground on a player. To perform a 90, you will place two walls, a floor, and a ramp. For each new section, you are turning 90 degrees going up the ramp and doing it again. You would continue to do this until you have gotten above your enemy.
ADS
ADS stands for Aim Down Sights. To do this you press and hold right click or left trigger. This zooms in the aim of your weapon and allows you to get a more accurate shot.
Bloom
The term Bloom is what Fortnite uses to determine where shots go once they are fired. Each time you fire a bullet out of a weapon that has bloom and it will land somewhere within your crosshairs. You can lessen bloom and have better aim, by standing completely still or crouching.
The Bubble
The Bubble refers to the playing area of the game. Players may tell their teammates to start “moving toward the bubble”, or “let’s build in the final bubble”. The final bubble refers to the last bubble created before the playing area disappears completely.
Bot
The term bot refers to a player who plays poorly. This is why your nerd is so upset when they get called a bot. It originates from other shooter games where you can add Bot(or computer controlled) players to a multiplayer game and play against them. Bots were usually pretty funny and play poorly, move predictably, and often get stuck in spots.
Camper, Bush Camper
To the seasoned player, this term sounds too obvious to be on the list, but beginners might not know the meaning. Camper or Bush Camper refers to players who take cover and crouch within a bush. Bushes provide no defense whatsoever, but it does provide camouflage and it can be difficult to notice players crouching in a bush from even a medium distance. The goal for Campers is to survive to the end of the game without being detected.
First Shot Accuracy
This is when you have a shot that is 100% on the mark. Most weapons have bloom when they fire. If you can stand completely still and ADS (aim down sights) to make your crosshairs come together, the next shot you take with that weapon will be 100% on the mark if you don’t move. It’s generally not a good idea to stand still for too long, but there will be times when you get can get a jump on enemies where you can take a bit more time to take your first shot.
Harry Pottered
If you get”Harry Pottered” in Fortnite that means you have gotten stuck below a player’s ramp and walls, like Harry was under the Dursley’s staircase. This normally leads to you getting trap killed, so try to avoid getting Harry Pottered as much as possible.
Heals
Heals refers to any healing items like health points and not shields. This can include bandages, chug-jugs, med-kits, and even campfires or slurp potions. Sharing heals with your teammates can help keep them alive and ensure a victory royale.
High Ground
This one is pretty obvious but refers to when you are above a player you control the high ground. This is important because the player who controls the high ground is usually in a much more advantageous position and will generally win the fight.
Knock(ed)
Knocking means to knock an opponent down without fully eliminating them. Telling your teammates that you’ve knocked an opponent lets your team know that he wasn’t eliminated and lets your teammates know that his teammates may still be close.
Launch(ing)
Launching refers to players using a launchpad. If you tell your teammates that an opponent has launched you are letting them know to look up at the sky for diving opponents. Players who have a launchpad can use it to dive into the next bubble as long as it’s not too far away. Launchpads can also be used to dive towards enemies you want to rush. If someone on your team has a launchpad is can change the strategy of your game.
Low Ground, Low Ground Warrior
If a player is not proficient at building and is generally stuck fighting from below they are in the low ground or are considered a low ground warrior.
Mats
Mats is a slang term for materials. This refers to wood, brick, and metal in the game. You can share Mats with your teammates.
No Skin
A no skin is a player that doesn’t currently have a skin equipped. A skin is any texture placed on an avatar that allows players to further customize the game. Players that are no skin are typically looked at as new or bad players because they don’t own a cosmetic skin. Some players have started to just go without a skin so their enemies will underestimate their abilities. You can purchase the Fortnite Battle Royale Skins
OG
OG stands for Original Gangster. In Fortnite, this refers to either a player that has been playing for a long time or a cosmetic skin that only available to a person who has been playing for a long time. An example of an OG skin is the Ghoul Trooper because someone would only have that skin if they were playing in the early stages of Fortnite.
One-Shot
An important phrase to know is one-shot. If you say an opponent is one-shot, that means that the opponent is one shot away from being knocked down. This can help your teammates decide if they should rush an opponent.
One Tap or One Tapped
If you one tap a player, you have shot and eliminated them with one shot. This is most common with a shotgun or sniper rifle.
Rez
Rez is short for resurrected and is used by a player who needs a teammate to pick them up after being downed.
Shield Pop
If you call out a “shield pop” that means you have destroyed an opponent’s shield either partially or fully. This not only tells your teammates how weak an opponent is, but also how good their weapons and inventory might be.
Stream Sniper
A stream sniper is a player who watches a Twitch or YouTube Streamer and tries to join their game. If they are successful, they will find out where they are by continuing to watch the game and attempt to eliminate them or photobomb them by emoting or jumping up and down.
Tagged
Tagged means that the player has been hit by or has hit an enemy for a lot of damage.
W-Key
W-Key refers to someone who is always running forward and being aggressive. The W-Key on a PC Keyboard makes you move forward, so that is where the term originated.
Now that you know the Fortnite terms, you can join in the conversation with your nerd.
Minecraft
Minecraft is a video game that allows players to build with a variety of different blocks in a 3D generated world. Additional activities in the game include exploration, crafting, resource gathering, and combat. There are multiple modes to play including creative, adventure, spectator, and survival.
TERMS
If your nerd is obsessed with Minecraft, it’s time to learn some lingo. This will help you learn the basics of the game and give you a quick entry into the world of mining, crafting, and brewing. Here are some of the most common terms from Minecraft.
Bedrock
Bedrock is the bottom layer in Minecraft.
Biome
Biomes are the different regions in the Minecraft world, like jungles, deserts, and forests. Each region has its own climate and environmental features, including oceans, mountain ranges, and differences in plant life.
Crafting Table
Players use their crafting table to create artifacts used in their game.
Creative/Survival Mode
Creative and survival are two of the main game modes in Minecraft. Creative mode lets players build anything they want from an endless supply of blocks and they are invincible from enemies. Survival mode is the standard game mode where players have to collect resources, build structures, fight enemies, and explore, all while trying to stay alive.
Creeper 
Creepers are probably the most recognizable monsters in Minecraft, Creepers are an aggressive mob that sneak up on a player before exploding. The resulting blast does significant damage to everything and can even kill you in survival mode.
Enderman 
The Enderman is also very recognizable. They are one of the stranger mobs in Minecraft. They are tall, thin creatures that enter the game in pairs and will pick up and place blocks at random. Enderman can quickly dismantle your structure if you are not paying attention. The Enderman does not attack unless they are attacked or you provoke them by staring at them.
The End
Minecraft can be played in sequential order. When you begin in survival mode, you start with nothing. You will gain power through experience and craft resources. Once you are ready there is a final battle against a dragon in a dimension known as The End.
Griefer/Griefing
Griefers are players that join a multiplayer server and sneak around to destroy stuff and steal your things. Don’t be a griefer, nobody likes a griefer.
Mob
A mob is any living creature in the game. Some mobs like horses and cats are passive but others like Creepers are very hostile. Some are neutral like Endermen and dogs and they will not attack unless provoked.
Mod
Mod is short for “modification” and is anything that changes the content of the game. Mods are user-created and are not contained within the initial install. Mods need to be downloaded to be added to the game. These can be installed one at a time or in a bundle. Because they are user-created, sometimes Mods can cause a game to stop working.
Nether
The Nether is an alternate dimension in the Minecraft world. The Nether resembles a hellish landscape and it’s only accessible via a portal that is created by the user. There are many hazards, including lava and flames, and new mobs. The Nether also offers rare materials that work completely differently than normal materials.
Pickaxe
A pickaxe is the most important tool that you can have in Minecraft. This tool is used to mine bricks for important materials.
Redstone
Redstone is one of the most versatile materials in the game. It is a raw material that can be used to brew potions or craft components. The most important feature of Redstone is its ability to power devices such as doors, lights, pistons, and other machines.
Server
A Minecraft server lets players participate in multiplayer games online. Servers are typically configured into specific game types, and no two servers are alike. Servers can range from solo-player-versus-solo-player combat to team-based or capture-the-flag and last-player-standing matches.
Skin
A skin is any texture placed on an avatar or mob that allows players to customize their game. Skins don’t add any advantages to the game but they offer visual flair. Skins range from Avengers characters to Santa Claus and more.
Spawn
Spawn is the location where everyone will initially arrive in a new world. Your spawn point will change once you create a home with a bed and lay in it.If you are in survival mode and you die, you will always respawn in the same place.
Steve 
No, he is not your nerd’s new school friend. Steve is the name of the generic character that gamers control. His basic appearance is a man with a light blue shirt, blue jeans, gray shoes, and dark hair. Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, recently allowed players to choose between Steve and Alex, a female character.
World
When you create a new game, Minecraft generates a unique world for you to customize. You can save, delete, or share worlds with others at any point in creation.
So there you go. Grab your Mats and jump into the Battle. But watch out for the Enderman and Creepers. I was just thinking how fun that would be to combine the two games and have Creepers sneak up on Bush Campers.
If you know of any terms I have missed, drop them in the comments.
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