Dark and Darker Terms and Slang Explained: Kiting, Gear Fear, Third-Party, and More
A plain-English glossary of Dark and Darker terminology and slang, with why each term actually changes how you play the dungeon.
If you have ever dropped into a lobby, heard a teammate yell "third party incoming, they're W-keying us at the choke" and had no idea what any of it meant, this Dark and Darker terminology guide is for you. The community speaks in shorthand, and once the dark and darker slang meaning behind the noise clicks, strategy talk stops sounding like a foreign language. This is a scannable glossary, but it is not just definitions. For every term, I tell you why it matters to how you actually play a raid, because knowing that a word exists is useless if you do not know what to do about it.
Combat and movement terms
The single most valuable skill word in the game is kiting. If you are wondering what is kiting in Dark and Darker: it means dealing damage while you back away or circle, keeping just enough distance that the enemy's swing or the monster's claw whiffs on empty air. Rangers kite by shooting arrows and back-pedaling. A Fighter can kite a slow skeleton by walking backward and poking with a longsword's reach. You are trading raw damage output for control of the fight's tempo, and against a stronger opponent, tempo is often all you have.
| Term | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Kiting | Attacking while retreating or circling to avoid being hit | Lets you beat opponents who out-gear you if you out-space them |
| W-keying | Aggressively pushing straight into an enemy, no retreat | High risk; punishes gear fear but walks into ranged poke |
| Spacing / reach | Managing the gap so their weapon misses and yours lands | A longer weapon can win a duel it has no business winning |
| LOS (line of sight) | Breaking the enemy's view using walls, doors, corners | Cuts ranged damage and buys time to heal or reposition |
| Choke | A narrow doorway or corridor that funnels movement | Where fights get decided; hold it or avoid getting pinned in it |
| Aggro / de-aggro | Pulling a monster's attention, then losing it | Kite mobs onto enemies, or shake them before a PvP fight |
Loot, gear, and risk terms
This game is full-loot extraction, so almost every risk word circles back to one feeling: gear fear. That is the pit in your stomach when you finally kit up in a good set and then play too scared to use it, because dying means it is gone forever. Gear fear is the most expensive mistake in the game. Dead gear sitting in your stash wins zero fights and earns zero loot. If you are geared, the correct answer is usually to play like it and take the fights your kit is built for, not to rat around hoping nobody finds you.
| Term | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gear fear | Playing too cautiously because you dread losing your kit | Costs you more value than the death you were avoiding |
| Kit / kitting up | The full set of gear you bring into a raid | Your kit decides which fights are winnable and which to skip |
| Naked / gray run | Entering with no gear or starter gear only | Near-zero risk; great for learning maps and farming safely |
| High roll | A run where you find unusually good loot | The moment gear fear kicks in; extract it before you get greedy |
| BiS | Best in slot, the ideal item for a gear slot | Shapes your build goals and what you shop for at merchants |
| PDR / MDR | Physical and magical damage reduction | Stacking it changes whether a hit chunks you or barely stings |
Player types and the third-party problem
Since raids hold multiple squads, the defining social dynamic has a name. If you are asking what is third partying in Dark and Darker: it is when two players or teams are locked in a fight, and a fresh third team swoops in to kill the exhausted survivor. The winner of the first fight is usually low on health, out of position, and out of heals, which makes them free loot. This is why experienced players fight fast and quiet, and why the words below matter so much. You are not just tracking your opponent, you are tracking everyone the noise might attract.
- Timmy — an undergeared or inexperienced player. Not always an insult; sometimes a warning that an easy-looking target might be bait.
- Chad — a fully kitted, confident player who wins on stats. Fighting one head-on is usually a mistake unless you have a plan.
- Rat / ratting — playing passively, avoiding fights, looting quietly and slipping out. A legitimate way to build wealth without dying.
- Sweat / sweaty — a tryhard playing at full intensity. "That lobby was sweaty" means expect skilled, aggressive opponents.
- Extract — leaving the dungeon alive through a portal, the only way you actually keep what you looted.
- Down — taking a portal deeper instead of out, trading more danger for richer loot.
- Very low death rate, so your gear survives to the next raid
- You farm gold and materials without needing to win duels
- You dodge third-party chaos by simply not being where the noise is
- Slow, and you improve your combat far more slowly than fighters do
- You still lose everything the one time you get cornered
- Feels boring to many players, which burns you out fast
Where these words show up in a raid
- BeforeKitting up
You decide your kit at the shops. A geared run means committing; a naked or gray run means low-risk practice. This choice sets how much gear fear you should feel later.
- EarlyClearing and looting
You aggro mobs, manage spacing so they never surround you, and start a high roll if the chests are kind. Stay quiet, because sound draws players.
- MidFirst contact
You hear another squad. Now kiting, LOS, and choke control decide the duel. Fight fast, because a slow fight is an invitation to a third party.
- LateExtract or down
Wounded and loaded with loot, you choose: extract to bank the run, or push down for more. Greed here is how good runs die.
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Guide FAQ
What is kiting in Dark and Darker and how do I get better at it?
Kiting is attacking while you move backward or circle, so the enemy's attacks miss while yours land. Practice it against monsters first: back-pedal, poke, and keep the gap steady. The habit to build is checking your surroundings while you kite, because the fastest way to lose a kite is to trap yourself against a wall or in a doorway.
What is third partying in Dark and Darker?
Third partying is jumping into a fight that is already happening to kill the weakened survivor. It is not considered cheap; it is just how extraction PvP works. Protect yourself from it by finishing fights quickly, keeping some heals in reserve for the follow-up, and listening for other players before you commit to a loud duel.
Is ratting worth it, or should I fight?
Ratting is worth it when your goal is to farm gold and materials with minimal risk, or when you are undergeared in a sweaty lobby. But you will improve your combat much faster by taking fights and learning from your deaths. Most players land somewhere in the middle: rat when you are outmatched, fight when the odds are fair.
How do I stop playing scared with good gear?
Gear fear fades when you separate your self-worth from your stash. Treat gear as ammunition, not a trophy. A good kit is meant to be spent taking winnable fights, and losing it in a fair fight is the cost of playing the game. Bank a comfortable buffer of backup sets so any single death stops feeling catastrophic.
Timmy vs Chad — what is the difference?
A Timmy is an undergeared or inexperienced player, while a Chad is a fully kitted, confident one. The labels are about gear and mindset, not skill alone. Never fully trust the read, though: a clever player will disguise a strong kit to bait aggressive opponents into a losing fight.