cutscene

noun

cut·​scene ˈkət-ˌsēn 

variants or less commonly cut-scene or cut scene

plural cutscenes also cut-scenes or cut scenes

: a noninteractive video sequence that occurs between segments of a video game and depicts part of the game's background or storyline

Extra bits of story are delivered every two or three levels, each cutscene lasting just a few seconds and providing a further, fleeting glance at the bizarre roster of characters.

—Joe Martin

Excellent cinematic cutscenes are dotted throughout the game, with rebel communications and face-to-face talks giving you hints on your progress.

—Matthew Horan

Ninja Gaiden is also notable for being one of the first action games to have cutscenes between levels.

—Chris Reed

You won't encounter an explicitly relayed narrative—there are no cut-scenes or dialog text; instead, the story is uncovered through the game's lo-fi and maquette-like environments, each filled with sad, funny, and poignant details.

—Lewis Gordon

Examples of cutscene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rockstar has already confirmed that nothing here is a cutscene, and all running in-engine. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

No spoilers but a mid-credits cutscene leaves open the possibility of a potential Moana 3. —Melissah Yang, refinery29.com, 4 Dec. 2024

The only drawback is how the port deals with cutscenes and other nonplayable moments. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024

The opening cutscene took our heroes into a burning building, and the bottom of the screen looked like a yuletide fire. —Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above