Wulfraech

Lord of The Rings, Skyrim, Dungeons and Dragons.

In particular, metagaming often refers to having an in-game character act on knowledge that only the player has access to (such as tricking Medusa to stare at a mirror when the character has never heard of Medusa and would not be aware of her petrifying stare). For instance, a player might adjust his character's actions if the player has some foreknowledge of the long-term intentions of the gamemaster, or, more commonly, the gamemaster's tendency to have (or lack) mercy on players whose characters do things that would cause them to fail at their objectives. A player changing how they play the game based on their knowledge of the gamemaster would be metagaming.

Examples of metagaming include:

Adjusting a character's actions based on foreknowledge of the long-term intentions of the gamemaster.

Gaining knowledge from Out-Of Character.

Using knowledge from a previously played or dead character.

Using certain types of attack or defense based on the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent that the player's character is unaware of.

Acting on any knowledge that the character is not aware of (such as creating gunpowder in a Dark Ages or Middle Ages setting).

Adjusting a character's behavior towards other player characters based on real-life relationships with other players.

Using knowledge of the game's mechanics to gain an advantage in the game by having the character do something incompatible with that character's personality.

Assuming that something that appears to be wrong or unlikely in the game world is a mistake of the gamemaster rather than something that could be investigated. (This does not apply to situations where the mistake appears in the gamemaster's depiction of the world rather than in the world itself, which can cause a player to become aware of something which their character is not aware of.)

Deciding on a character's course of action based on how the game's mechanics will affect the outcome without more significant regard placed on how the character would actually behave.

Any action that is based upon the knowledge that one is playing a game.

Another form of metagaming occurs as a form of powergaming during character creation, when a player takes flaws or liabilities that they know the gamemaster is unlikely to fully exploit, thereby acquiring extra creation options without paying a corresponding penalty.
In split-screen games, using another player's viewpoint to gather information that one's own character doesn't have access to.

Assuming that if an item (often a chest, desk or book-case) is mentioned by the gamemaster during the initial description of an area, it must have some relevance to the storyline, and immediately searching or examining it. (while ignoring other furnishings or objects that are most likely there as well).

Traditionally, metagaming is generally frowned upon in role-playing communities, as it upsets the suspension of disbelief and affects game balance. However, some narrativist indie role-playing games deliberately support metagaming in "Director stance" and encourage shared storytelling among players.

In addition, live action roleplaying games with a more cinematic style may use metagame references to specific books and films, either before the game or during play, to prompt the players as to the atmosphere the organisers are aiming to create.

More broadly, metagaming can refer to those aspects of play that exist outside the gameworld, such as out of character discussions between players and the gamemaster.