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Game Development vocabulary · Monetization & Live Ops

Loot box

Meaning in game development, with examples

nounCommon term

In game development, loot box means: A virtual box or pack that gives random items when opened. It can be earned in the game or bought with real money, and players don't know what they will get.

In Turkish: ganimet kutusu, loot box, kasa

How it is used

Controversial because it resembles gambling. Some countries restrict paid loot boxes, and the major app stores require games to show the odds of getting each item, called drop rates. Similar systems in mobile games are called gacha.

Example sentences

  1. We replaced loot boxes with a shop where players can see exactly what they're buying.

  2. Legal asked us to publish the drop rates for every loot box.

Common collocations

  • open a loot box
  • paid loot boxes
  • drop rates
  • gacha
  • microtransactionA small purchase made inside a game with real money, for example for a character skin, in-game currency or extra lives.
  • monetizationThe way a game earns money from players, for example by selling the game itself, in-game purchases, subscriptions or ads.
  • age ratingAn official label that shows which age group a game is suitable for, based on content such as violence, bad language, gambling-like features or fear.
  • free-to-playDescribes a game that anyone can download and play for free, which makes money from optional purchases, ads or a battle pass instead of an upfront price.

More terms: Monetization & Live Ops

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