Gaming terminology is like general slang – constantly evolving and easy to get lost in, especially if you’re not deeply immersed in online gaming communities. Gaming terms often leak into the real world, taking on new meanings in everyday conversations. One such term, ‘NPC,’ has been around in gaming for a long time, but recently gained new meaning and widespread use outside of gaming. Let’s break it down.
What does NPC mean in gaming?
‘NPC’ stands for ‘non-playable character’ in gaming. It’s a term used in video games and tabletop gaming to distinguish between characters controlled by the player and those controlled by the game itself or ‘the computer.’ NPCs vary widely, from characters delivering exposition through dialogue in cutscenes to interactive characters players can engage with directly, even companion characters playing the game alongside them. Think of Cortana from the Halo series, an artificial intelligence who journeys with Master Chief (the player character), furthering the story through dialogue and cutscenes but never under player control. NPCs come in all shapes and forms, from post-apocalyptic merchants and faction leaders in the RPG series Fallout to neighbors in the farming simulator Stardew Valley or rival Nintendo characters in a round of Mario Party 8.
What does NPC mean outside of gaming?
Over the past few years, ‘NPC’ has been adopted outside of gaming, evolving into an insult used to describe individuals perceived as lacking independent thought or blindly following trends. It can be used to describe people seen as generic, lacking the unique characteristics that make them stand out, much like the main playable character in a video game. This term has been popularized on social media, surfacing in various ways.
On YouTube, videos emerged featuring encounters with strangers deemed ‘NPCs.’ Often accompanied by instrumental music from the RPG Skyrim, full of NPCs delivering dialogue without prompting, these videos often feature people speaking in monotone, repeating themselves, harping on a specific topic, or speaking without addressing anything said by the person filming, as if following a limited script. Unfortunately, this type of video can be exploitative, featuring people under the influence of drugs and alcohol without their consent.
Some content creators engage in skits and pranks, pretending to be authentic video game NPCs, giving strangers sidequests, walking in an odd manner like NPCs in Grand Theft Auto, or repeating generic dialogue. In perhaps the most extreme and confusing ‘NPC acting’ trend, TikTok creators began hosting ‘NPC live streams’ where they repeat the same dialogue and actions based on donation amounts from viewers. Canadian TikToker Pinkydoll is one of the most well-known and popular ‘NPC streamers,’ boasting over 1.6 million followers. In an interview with Vice last year, she mentioned spending six hours a day on TikTok, seven days a week, earning thousands of dollars daily.
The internet is flooded with ‘NPC’ content, much of it genuinely funny. However, if someone calls you an ‘NPC,’ it’s unlikely they mean it positively. It’s crucial to understand the context and avoid using it as an insult, as it can be hurtful and disrespectful.
