Boss (video gaming)

In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled enemy. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that point, and winning requires a greater knowledge of the game's mechanics. Boss battles are generally seen at a climax of a particular section of the game, such as at the end of a level or stage, or guarding a specific objective. A miniboss is a boss weaker or less significant than the main boss in the same area or level, though more powerful than the standard enemies and often fought alongside them. A superboss (sometimes 'secret' or 'hidden' boss) is generally much more powerful than the bosses encountered as part of the main game's plot and often an optional encounter. A final boss is often the main antagonist of a game's story and the defeat of that character provides a positive conclusion to the game.

For example, in a run 'n' gun video game all regular enemies might use pistols while the boss uses a tank. A boss enemy is quite often larger in size than other enemies and the player character. At times, bosses are very hard, even impossible, to defeat without being adequately prepared and/or knowing the correct fighting approach. Bosses take strategy and special knowledge to defeat, such as how to attack weak points or avoid specific attacks.

Bosses are common in many genres of video games, but they are especially common in story-driven titles. RPGs, FPSs, platform games, fighting games and shoot'em ups are particularly associated with boss battles. They may be less common in puzzle games, card video games, sports games, and simulation games. The first video game to feature a boss fight was the 1975 RPG dnd. The concept has expanded to new genres, like rhythm games, where there may be a "boss song" that is more difficult. In MOBA games, defeating a map boss usually requires help from the other players, but it brings various benefits to the team, such as buffs, or lane push power. Some games, such as Cuphead and Warning Forever, are centered around continual boss fights.