Game Jargon Definition: “Player Character”

Player Character (noun) - play ​· er char ​· ac ​· ter /ˈplāər ˈker(ə)ktər/

A fictional character, most often in a tabletop role-playing game, whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the Game Master. The characters that are not controlled by a player are known as “non-player characters” (NPCs). Different gaming groups and Game Masters will have stricter or more lenient rules about having players differentiate themselves from their characters (e.g., establishing clear distinctions between what a player knows and what their character knows, whether a player is talking in the real world or their character is talking within the fantasy world of the game