Capitalization Rules for the Names of Games

Capitalization Rules for the Names of Games Capitalization Rules for the Names of Games Capitalization Rules for the Names of Games By Mark Nichol How do you style the first letter of words for games and similar entertainment? The default setting is lowercase, though of course there are exceptions. Names of card games are lowercased except for words normally capitalized, thus poker, but â€Å"Texas hold ’em.† Names for other games of chance, whether more or less â€Å"legitimate† ones like Russian roulette and bingo, those that straddle both worlds (like craps, which has two forms: casino, or table craps, and street craps), and confidence games like three-card monte, follow the same rules. Names of variations, and other terminology, aren’t capitalized, either. Those of strategy games such as chess and checkers are lowercased, too (but note â€Å"Chinese checkers†), as are names of tile games such as dominoes. Traditional children’s games like tag and hopscotch, and those with more complex names, such as capture the flag, hide-and-seek, and king of the castle, need no special emphasis, either. Brand names of trademarked games like Monopoly, Scrabble, and Chutes and Ladders are capitalized, but note that it is not necessarily to use registration symbols with them. (You will, of course, note the r in a circle adjacent to the brand name on the game itself and in printed and online literature published by the company, as well as in written materials of any company affiliated or in partnership with the trademark holder, but no other publication is required to include such symbols.) Names of electronic games follow the same rule. You may also see these names italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; the justification for these styles is that such games have a narrative and are therefore equivalent to films. However, names of kinds of software are capitalized but not italicized. Names for games like pool and its variants, foosball, air hockey, and other tabletop entertainments should not be capitalized. Names of competitive sports such as baseball, basketball, and football are lowercase, but note that Major League Baseball is not merely a description of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States but also the official designation and is thus capitalized. Names of large competitive events are capitalized: Examples include, in the United States, the World Series and the Super Bowl, and internationally, the Olympic Games (informally called the Olympics) and the Pan American Games. (But note that â€Å"Highland games† is a description and not the name of a specific event.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.Comma Before ButHow to Write a Proposal