Game Jargon Definition: “Chrome”

Chrome (noun) - / krōm /

Chrome refers to aspects of a game that are, at first look, particularly attractive, interesting, or even compelling in their own right, but do not fit with the rest of the game. Chrome in board games often means details have been added at too high a cost in needless complexity. A piece of chrome might be an overly complicated rules mechanic for uncommon situations that would have been better had it been left out or simplified.

Some gamers may identify an overproduced component that was superfluous and unnecessary (e.g., six-inch miniatures in a game where two-inch miniatures would have been fine) as “chrome.” However, chrome more commonly refers to superfluous and needlessly complex game mechanics rather than game components.

Chrome generally occurs in a game when feature creep takes place during the development process that is then not corrected. A game with too much chrome is typically more fun to design than it is to play, and would have benefited from additional play testing and refining before its publication.

The origin of the term “chrome” in this particular context comes from the inclusion of chrome elements on machines such as automobiles, firearms, and other products in order to make the overall product seem more visually appealing, when in reality, the addition of chrome elements often result in the overall product being of a lower quality.