Want to talk about gaming in Japanese?
Well, here are the 20+ Cool Japanese Words for Gaming to get you going.
1. ゲーム
- Geemu
- Game
The most basic word for video games in Japanese is “geemu”.
The Japanese took the word “game” from English, and it usually refers only to video games.
Japan has a large history with video games, especially with Nintendo and PlayStation.
It is one of the biggest producers of video games with many renowned video game titles launching each year!
2. ゲームオーバー
- Geemu oobaa
- Game Over
If you lose a video game it ends up in game over!
Japanese people also use the same words for “game over” and it is pronounced “geemu oobaa”.
If you go to a Japanese arcade you might notice these words when you lose!
3. モード
- Moodo
- Mode
If you’re playing video games with friends, you might need to ask what mode they want to play on.
This can be a useful phrase when gaming with other Japanese people.
4. セーブ
- Seebu
- Save
This is another word that Japanese people use that is borrowed from English.
Saving the game is important as well as locating save points!
5. 音ゲー
- Oto gee
- Music Game
This is a word that describes music or rhythm games.
It comes from the word “oto” meaning sound and “gee” which is a shortened version of “geemu”.
There are many rhythm games in Japan especially if you go to a game center or arcade.
Some arcades will have an entire floor dedicated to music games.
６. アイテム
- Aitemu
- Item
Items are an important part of most game genres.
Whether you’re playing an open-world game or a fighting game, you most likely need items.
In Japanese, the word for item is the same word you’d use in English.
７. モバ
- Moba
- Multiplayer Online Battle Arena
This is the name for the type of game which is commonly called MOBA in English.
It stands for games like League of Legends where you have a map and you battle with other players.
８. ウルト
- Uruto
- Ultimate
This refers to a character’s ultimate ability in any kind of video game genre.
It comes from the word ultimate in English and it is the shortened version of that.
Japanese people like to shorten words and this is a great example of that!
９.かりょく
- Karyoku
- Strength
This is an interesting word because “karyoku” means firepower in Japanese or even cooking heat.
Any time you hear a “ryoku” inside a Japanese word, it refers to power (see related
In a gaming context, it refers to the strength of a character in terms of its stats.
- Related: Japanese Words for Power
10. スキル
- Skiru
- Skill
When gaming in Japanese, you’ll want to use this word to describe your character’s skills.
This could be useful in games where you level up different skills or choose different skills for each of your characters.
11. 猫リセット
- Neko resetto
- Cat resetting a game
This is a funny phrase in gaming because it refers to when a cat might accidentally step on your console or keyboard and reset the game.
If you have pet cats, you might experience this happening!
12. 裏技
- Urawaza
- Glitch or bug
In many games, players will find glitches and bugs where they can play in a way that “cheats” the game.
For example, in a simulation game, you might find a way to make unlimited money.
This is called “urawaza” in Japanese which also means “trick”.
13. 落ちものパズル
- Ochimono pazuru
- Falling puzzle
After the popularity of Tetris, the Japanese have a particular genre or category of game for puzzle pieces that fall.
A famous game that would fall into this category would be Candy Crush.
14. 乙女ゲー
- Otome gee
- Story-based game targeted toward women
This is an interesting genre of game because it is primarily targeted towards women.
It typically involves a romantic storyline with multiple handsome characters that the player can choose to be romantic with.
15. 経験値
- Keikenchi
- Experience
Although many Japanese game words are usually borrowed from English, this is an example where it is fully Japanese.
“Keiken” means experience and “chi” is measurement.
If you’re talking about your experience level for your character you could use this word.
16. コンボ
- Konbo
- Combo
In many video games, combos are a big part of the gameplay.
This can be in different genres.
In Japanese, it is the same word as in English.
17. シミュレーション
- Shimyureeshon
- Simulation
Simulation games are extremely popular because they allow you to escape the real world and live in a fantasy life.
Japan also has many popular simulation game titles like the Harvest Moon series.
18. ステータス
- Suteetasu
- Status
The status points that your character might have can be described using the word “suteetasu”.
It is the same word as in English and you might use it when playing role-playing games where you get different points in different areas.
19. 接待プレイ
- Settai purei
- Going easy on someone
This is a phrase that demonstrates Japanese culture since it describes a situation when you play as if you’re worse to make the other person feel better.
If you’re playing a racing game and you know that the other person is not as good as you, you might play worse than usual.
“Settai” in Japanese means to entertain someone, especially when you have invited them over.
This word is a combination of “settai” and “play” so that you can make sure that the person you invited is having a good time playing video games with you.
20. 体感ゲーム
- Taikan geemu
- Experience game
Taikan geemu refers to games where you use your whole body.
Sports simulation games or games where you ride a vehicle with pedals and a screen could be considered a “taikan geemu”.
Back to You
Now you know some cool Japanese words for gaming.
Which one is your favorite?
Do you think any are missing?
Leave a comment!