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Glite Dictionary
murderhobo trope

murderhobo trope

9.9
A pattern in roleplaying games where characters travel and kill others without caring about the story
  • noun
  • /ˈmɜrdərˌhoʊboʊ troʊp/
  • NSFW
translation icon : tropo del asesino errante
  • The campaign quickly devolved into the murderhobo trope, with players attacking everyone they met.

Examples

  • In our last session, the players embraced the murderhobo trope and started attacking every NPC in sight.

  • Many game masters dislike the murderhobo trope because it undermines story-driven adventures.

  • The podcast parodied the murderhobo trope by having its heroes avoid combat entirely.

  • The murderhobo trope can ruin a campaign.

  • Many players dislike the murderhobo trope in games.

  • Many game masters dislike the murderhobo trope because it disrupts the narrative flow.

  • The director criticized the latest game for relying too heavily on the murderhobo trope, which made the story feel bland.

Surface Forms

murderhobo trope singular
murderhobo tropes plural

Morphology

murderhobo + trope

The headword combines a transparent word 'trope' with the slang blend 'murderhobo', which is a portmanteau of 'murder' + 'hobo' and not a standard dictionary item. A B1 learner who knows 'murder' and 'hobo' could infer a literal sense like 'wandering killer', but the specific roleplaying meaning (players who roam and kill indiscriminately, ruining campaigns) is culturally specific and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The phrase murderhobo trope comes from players in roleplaying games. It is made from murder meaning 'to kill' and hobo meaning 'a person who wanders', giving the clear picture of characters who 'wander and kill without taking part in the story', so it now describes that kind of play.