Game Jargon Definition: “Gamer”

gamer (noun) - gam · ​er /ˈɡāmər/

A gamer is an active hobbyist who plays interactive games, especially video games, tabletop games such as board games, role-playing games, skill-based card games, and miniatures games, or who may engage in Live Action Role-Playing (LARPing)—but who usually plays for long periods of time and/or on a regular basis. Some gamers routinely compete in structured tournaments for money, prizes, awards—or for the mere pleasure of competition and overcoming obstacles. There are many different gamer communities around the world. Since the advent of the internet, many gaming communities take the form of internet forums or YouTube or Twitch virtual communities, as well as in-person social clubs. Originally a hobby, it has evolved into a full-time profession for some. 

The term “gamer” used to be synonymous with “gambler.” But since the rising popularity of wargaming and then the advent of Dungeons & Dragons (which was also originally marketed as a wargame but later was described by its creators as a role-playing game), the term “gamer” has come to mean someone who plays tabletop games and/or video games.

While a gamer is playing a given game (most commonly a role-playing game of one type or another), human gamers are often referred to as “players” to distinguish them from the fictitious characters that they play within the game (“player characters”). A “player” is also simply an individual who happens to be playing a game at a given time. A player may or may not self-identify as a “gamer.”