Game balance
In the ever-popular world of console, PC, and traditional games of all sorts, game balance is a very important factor. The term stems from the idea of a balance of power within the game world. Take a football game on the PC for example: if the AI controlling the opposing team allows that team's players to run faster than humanly possible, we would say the "game balance" is uneven. It is harder to enjoy an unbalanced game than a balanced one.
Balance in Role-Playing Games
In the case of role-playing games in which a game master (GM) creates the adventure, he or she must be ever-conscious of game balance. Creating monsters whose abilities are far beyond those of any player, for instance, is acceptable only if the players have a way to escape or some miraculous event transpires, resulting in the destruction of the monster. Players involved in an "unbalanced" game might utter the phrase, "That's not fair!" multiple times to the GM during the course of an adventure; most of the players might also end up dead before their time.
A truly skilled game master will create a balanced, immersive adventure which leaves the players fulfilled and satisfied at the end of every gaming session.
Balance in Multiplayer Video Games
Balance in a multiplayer video game -- such as a fighter, or a first-person shooter -- is defined as whether or not the skill of the player plays a big enough role with regards to who wins. In other words, a multiplayer video game is balanced if and only if two players of identical skill have identical chances of winning, regardless of what other options they may choose. For instance, a versus fighter is balanced if two opposing players have identical chances of winning regardless of which characters they select, all other things being equal. It is not balanced if a novice beats an expert simply because he picked a better or more powerful character.
Balance in Tabletop Wargames
Tabletop wargames are often played as a competitive activity rather than as a pure simulation. Essential to this is the selection of a balanced set of forces for the opposing players. A common way of doing this is through the use of army lists.