Over the years, you might have come across the word “woke”, particularly in gaming discussions and forums where players share banter with each other. Although the word is very simple to understand and is known to most if placed in a general context, its meaning is entirely different in the world of gaming. But what is it? If you are interested in knowing what woke means in gaming, we are here to share all the details on the same. So, consider reading till the end.
Every niche, community, or even country has its own slang that defines certain contexts that people won’t understand if they are not part of them. Similarly, the gaming community has its own slang that helps gamers communicate better, and this gives rise to new words having entirely different meanings/identities than what they usually mean. While some slang/words are related only to a particular game, others can be used from a broad perspective. One such word is “Woke”.
What does woke mean in Gaming?
The usual meaning of the word “woke” is simple. It is the past tense of the word “wake”, which means getting up from sleeping. But, in the gaming community, this word is used to describe a particular game as rich in defining cultural diversity, politics, and, of course, gender. If you didn’t understand, don’t worry, we have simplified it for you.
Back in the day, from AAA titles to indie games, the cast of characters, along with the gender customization options, didn’t have much variety. Either the player has no other option than to choose between a few customization options (skin color, gender) for his/her in-game character, or the game doesn’t even provide that privilege. Earlier, in-game stories were quite linear, where the protagonist had to defeat his/her enemies to be victorious. However, now the scene has changed entirely. We now have games that offer unique stories related to various cultures, political issues, and even mental health. Games like Gone Home, and Celeste are a few examples that break the barrier of usual stories and offer a unique yet compelling experience that players can relate to. So, we can call them woke games.
But, here lies an issue. Although the community accepts woke games with open arms, not everyone shares the same view. Some believe them to be too manipulative, while others don’t accept them since they have different ideologies than what’s presented in the game. However, it all comes down to personal preference, and we think it is perfectly normal. But gaming is something that should be enjoyed by all, regardless of whether the game is woke or not.
Well, we hope that now you have got an idea of what woke means in gaming. If you like such content, make sure to visit Vabsaga daily.
