overworld

From over- +‎ world. Compare underworld.

overworld (plural overworlds)

1. The celestial world.
   • 1951, Naomi Replansky, “The Sightseers” in Ring Song (published 1952):

     This is a steaming underworld:
     Where are the writhings? Where the cries?
     We came down from our overworld
     To see them writhe, to hear their cries.

2. The community of law-abiding citizens.

   Antonym: underworld

3. (video games)
   1. An overarching map or region connecting various disparate towns, dungeons, or stages, usually represented on it by icons.
   2. The portion of a game that is set above ground, as opposed to underground caves etc.

      Antonym: underworld

      • 2017, Alyssa Aska, Introduction to the Study of Video Game Music, page 88:

        The overworld theme for the original Super Mario Bros. remains one of the most recognizable video game tunes to date.

   3. (role-playing games) The entirety of the world where the player can walk around, as opposed to separate game sections for battles, puzzles, etc.

• overworld map

• hub world
• wilderness

• OED 2nd edition 1989

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