nuzlocke

N1U1Z10L1O1C3K5E1

noun

A self-imposed challenge where the player can only catch the first wild Pokémon encountered in each area, and any caught Pokémon that faints cannot be used again.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

nuzlocke1

nounnuzlocke (plural nuzlockes)

plural nuzlockes

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Nuzlocke.

Nuzlocke2

nounNuzlocke (plural Nuzlockes)

plural Nuzlockes · alternative Nuz-Locke · alternative nuzlocke · alternative nuzlock

  1. slanglifestyleA self-imposed challenge where the player can only catch the first wild Pokémon encountered in each area, and any caught Pokémon that faints cannot be used again.
    1 more example

    Here are the rules for a Nuzlocke: • If a Pokemon faints, it’s dead. You need to release it, store it in a box for the rest of the run, or transfer it to another game. You can’t use it until you’ve successfully become the Pokemon League Champion and completed the Nuzlocke. • You can only catch the first Pokemon you encounter in each location. This includes caves, towns, routes, and so on - if the area has an official title, it counts as an independent location where you can capture one single Pokemon, provided it’s the first one you come across. If you make it faint or it flees, you can’t catch a new one - no second chances. This doesn’t apply to static encounters, although using Legendary Pokemon is frowned upon. You can catch Shiny Pokemon regardless of the rules, although the consensus on whether or not they’re allowed to be used is widely disputed.

    2021 January 8, Cian Maher, “The Nuzlocke Challenge Is The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Classic Pokemon”, in The Gamer, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2022
  2. broadlyslanglifestyleA similarly challenging playthrough of any game other than Pokémon, especially one involving some kind of self-imposed permadeath mechanic.

    Ok now that Ive done two impromptu nuzlockes of games outside Pokemon (Mario Odyssey and Kirby Super Star). Im starting to think where else I can push it lol Splatoon 2 Nuzlocke? Start from fresh save file and try to make it to X rank. If you lose a match you lose that weapon 🤔

    2020 January 26, Failboat103, Twitter, archived from the original on 27 Jan 2020
verbNuzlocke (third-person singular simple present Nuzlockes, present participle Nuzlocking, simple past and past participle Nuzlocked)

present singular third person Nuzlockes · participle present Nuzlocking · participle past Nuzlocked · past Nuzlocked · alternative Nuz-Locke · alternative nuzlocke · alternative nuzlock

  1. slanglifestyleTo play a Nuzlocke.

Synonyms & antonyms

Narrower
ABC-LockeApocalockeAvatar NuzlockeChesslockeColorlockeDraftlockeEgglockeGenerationlockeGiftlockeHardcore NuzlockeLeglockeMasterlockeMonolockeResetlockeRocketlockeSleeplockeSoul LinkStarlockeSui-LockeTasklockeTradelockeTribelockeUniquelockeWedlockeWonderlockeZombielocke

Origin

Blend of Nuzleaf + Locke. From the title of Nuzlocke Comics, which features a Pokémon, Nuzleaf, drawn to resemble John Locke from Lost as a recurring character.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

nuzlocke. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuzlocke

MLA

“nuzlocke.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuzlocke. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nuzlocke,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuzlocke.

Source: nuzlocke on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.