Glossary

***Note:*** *This wiki is maintained by fans of the game, and is not affiliated with G5 Entertainment. If you are experiencing technical issues with the game itself, please contact customer support.*

This is a glossary of terminology and abbreviations used within the game of Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.

## Game Terminology

### Black Castle or Castle Black

This is the building in the main city between the Red Rose Café and the Palace of Wishes. It contains the Secret Room, the Organ Room, and the Laboratory. The game very occasionally uses these terms for this building.
### City of Shadows or Shadow City

These are alternate terms for the Hidden City. The game occasionally uses these terms.
### Effects

Effects are anomalies. Visit the Anomalies, Summoners and Dispellers page to learn more.
### Match-3

This refers to the Crystal type of mini-games (Crystals, Magical Items, Excavations, Gemstone Vault) where you have to match 3 crystals of the same color. Visit the Crystals page to learn more.
### Monstrology

This refers to the mini-event Monstrology Mini-Event. Quite a while ago, the game used the terms "Monstrology" and "Phantoms" to refer to the old style of these mini-events. People on the Wiki still use the term as a convenient shorthand to refer to the current style of the mini-event.
### Paid Locations

A *Paid Location* is a location that needs Skeleton Keys to enter. To find out which locations use Skeleton Keys, please visit the Locations page.
### Phantoms

This refers to the mini-event Monstrology Mini-Event. Quite a while ago, the game used the terms "Monstrology" and "Phantoms" to refer to the old style of these mini-events. People on the Wiki still use the term as a convenient shorthand to refer to the current style of the mini-event.
### Rounds

This refers to the exploration mode "Mystical Rounds". See Mystical Rounds.
### Saved Time

This means that you need to save x number of seconds while playing a particular location or group of locations. This happens frequently for the current event location. Sometimes, the task will be "save x number of seconds in any lower city location", or "save x number of seconds in any non-event Christmas location". In these situations, it refers to a group of locations.
### Secret Items

These are the Event Secret Tokens that you need to find in the event location. Later, you will trade these tokens in at the Curiosity Shop. Occasionally, there will be a task to find secret items in a **previous** event location. All the event locations have a section called "Secret Items Map" with a picture of the current event's token and a map showing positions where the tokens may be found.
### Series of Wins

Searching a specific type of location x number of times in a row without losing (ex. Search x number of Christmas locations).
### Skeleton Keys

Skeleton Keys are special entry keys required to enter some locations like Santa's Workshop, Polar Quarter, Picnic. To find out more, visit Skeleton Keys. To find out which locations use Skeleton Keys, please visit the Locations page.
### Story Locations

These are locations that the game has declared are related to the event location for the duration of an event. The game will then give you tasks to complete that must be accomplished in the "Story Locations". There will be an icon on the right side of your main screen that will show you the Story Locations for this event. And the current event page will mention this information.
### Super Assemblers and Super Collections

These are Artifact Assemblers and Artifact Collections. See Main City Artifact Assemblers, Upper City Artifact Assemblers, and Artifact Collections.
### Time Penalties

While searching a location, if you click in the wrong spot at least 3 times in a row then 5 seconds is shaved off of the total searching time. After that, the time taken off increases with each wrong click.
## Abbreviations

Players tend to use a lot of different acronyms when talking about the game. This section shows the most common abbreviations that they use.

## Abbreviations for Online Groups

There are sometimes letters in front of a player's nickname or on their avatar. These usually indicate they belong to a specific online group.

### GG

Gabby Gamers, an online community/forum, an online community/forum
### QQ

Tencent QQ which is an instant messaging service/web portal service developed by a Chinese company. It's popular among Chinese players to display their "add code" (for lack of proper term) in their avatars.
### VK

VKontakte is a Russian social media/social networking service. It's similar to Facebook. In VK, there is a Hidden City group and they put VK in front of their nicknames in order to know who speaks Russian.
## Related Pages

* Home Page
* Hidden City Info
* Editing Guidelines
* Events
* Locations
* Upper City

***Note:*** *This wiki is maintained by fans of the game, and is not affiliated with G5 Entertainment. If you are experiencing technical issues with the game itself, please contact customer support.*