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Game Development vocabulary · Multiplayer & Networking

Lobby

Meaning in game development, with examples

/ˈlɑːbi/nounCommon term

In game development, lobby means: A virtual waiting area where players gather before an online match starts, to form teams, choose characters or settings, and wait for others to join.

In Turkish: lobi, bekleme odası

How it is used

Players create, host, join and leave lobbies; a private lobby needs an invite or a code. Developers talk about lobby systems and the lobby services offered by platforms and backend providers.

Example sentences

  1. Players can invite friends to a private lobby with a six-letter code.

  2. The lobby closes when the host leaves, which kicks everyone out.

Common collocations

  • private lobby
  • join a lobby
  • lobby host
  • lobby system
  • pre-game lobby
  • matchmakingThe system that puts online players into matches with or against each other, based on things like skill level, region and connection quality.
  • multiplayerDescribes a game or mode in which several people play together or against each other, online or on the same device. As a noun, it means the multiplayer part of a game.
  • dedicated serverA computer, usually in a data center, that runs only the game server and the shared game world, while players connect to it instead of one player hosting the match.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Multiplayer & Networking

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