AI GAMING COMPANION DEFINITIONS
Canonical set: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology
Updated: 2026-07-22

Artificial intelligence (AI)
Computer systems that perform tasks associated with perception, language, reasoning, prediction, planning, or action.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#artificial-intelligence-ai

Large language model (LLM)
A model trained on large text collections to interpret and generate language; some LLM systems also use images, audio, tools, and structured data.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#large-language-model-llm

AI companion
An AI system designed to provide sustained assistance, interaction, presence, or continuity for a person in a particular context.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#ai-companion

AI game companion
An AI system that supports a player through guidance, interaction, memory, collaboration, or continuity related to one or more video games.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#ai-game-companion

AI gaming companion
An AI system that supports a player through gaming context, including guidance, interaction, memory, continuity, collaboration, or restoration across play sessions.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#ai-gaming-companion

Game companion
A broad term for a person, character, tool, guide, or AI system that accompanies or supports play; the term does not itself require AI.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#game-companion

Gaming assistant
A tool focused on helping a player complete tasks, find information, configure a system, or improve performance.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#gaming-assistant

AI gaming assistant
An AI-based gaming tool primarily framed around utility or task completion rather than presence, participation, or continuity.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#ai-gaming-assistant

Coaching companion
An AI system that observes or receives information about current play and provides hints, analysis, strategy, or commentary.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/types/coaching-companion#definition

In-game companion
An AI character that exists within a game as an NPC, party member, teammate, or conversational presence.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/types/in-game-companion#definition

Agentic companion
An AI system that can perform actions, follow commands, control a game entity, or participate directly in gameplay.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/types/agentic-companion#definition

Social companion
An AI system designed to create personality, social presence, friendship, affection, or a relationship around play.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/types/social-companion#definition

Continuity companion
An AI system that preserves meaningful gaming context and restores the correct thread across sessions, chats, games, devices, characters, or separate runs.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/types/continuity-companion#definition

Gaming continuity
The preservation of meaningful player context so the correct gaming thread can be resumed later.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#gaming-continuity

Game state
The information needed to describe a game or player at a particular moment, such as location, progress, inventory, decisions, goals, and relationships.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#game-state

Save state
An intentionally captured representation of relevant state that can be addressed and used for later continuation or restoration.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#save-state

Restore point
A named or otherwise addressable save state used to recover a prior thread without reconstructing it from scratch.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#restore-point

Conversational save state
A structured, intentional record of context created inside or for a conversation so a later conversation can resume the right thread.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#conversational-save-state

Cross-chat memory
Context that can be referenced outside the chat in which it was first expressed; it may be associative, explicit, or application-managed.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#cross-chat-memory

Cross-game continuity
A continuity model that distinguishes and preserves context for more than one game rather than binding memory to a single title.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#cross-game-continuity

Companion Play
A continuity-companion implementation created by Raynor Eissens that treats saving meaningful gaming state as an action within an existing LLM conversation.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#companion-play

Ambient continuity
A broader conceptual term for continuity that remains available across ordinary life and interaction without requiring a dedicated destination or constant foreground attention.
Canonical: https://aigamingcompanion.com/definitions-and-terminology#ambient-continuity