Glossary Entry: Quick time event

Quick Definition

In games, there will occasionally be points where the player is suddenly prompted to hit a specific button or key within a very short time limit. These instances are known as quick time events.

Quick time events are typically a break from the game's normal mechanics, and frequently appear without prompting from the player. Thus, it's entirely possible for a game to suddenly flash a message that reads "Press X to Not Die" out of nowhere. Failing to react in time is often a Game Over or other undesired outcome.

This random all or nothing behavior has earned them quite a lot of hate from the gaming community over the years.



Note: despite the name, this has nothing to do with Quicktime, a software product by Apple.


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