Map prefixes and suffixes

Common traditional naming conventions for maps for some Half-Life and Source games use a small prefix (often two or three letters) followed by an underscore at the beginning of the map name. For example "de_dust", where "de_" is the prefix and "dust" is the map name.

Official prefixes are as follows.

Official games

Counter-Strike, Source & Condition Zero

• as - Assassination (Counter-Strike and VIP Mod only)
• cs - Hostage Rescue
• de - Bomb Defusal

Note:Condition Zero uses enhanced versions of the original Counter-Strike maps denoted with a "_cz" suffix.

Day of Defeat & DOD:S

• dod

Deathmatch Classic

• dmc

Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2

• d1 - Half-Life 2, First development team
• d2 - Half-Life 2, Second development team
• d3 - Half-Life 2, Third development team
• ep1 - Half-Life 2: Episode 1
• ep2 - Half-Life 2: Episode 2

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

• dm

Portal

• testchmb
• escape

Ricochet

• rc

SiN Episodes: Emergence

• arena
• se1

Team Fortress 2

• cp - Control Point
• ctf - Capture the Flag
• tc - Territorial Control
• pl - Payload

Third-party mods

Brain Bread

• bb

D.I.R.I.P.

• diprip

Dystopia

• dys
• pb

Empires

• emp

Eternal Silence

• es

Fortress Forever

• ff - All gametypes

Garry's Mod

• gm
• rp - Roleplay
• sb - SpaceBuild
• gms - Stranded
• zs - Zombie Survival
• fw - Fort Wars

Half-Life 2: Capture The Flag

• ctf - Capture the Flag
• dom - Domination

Hidden: Source

• hdn - Hidden
• ovr - Overrun

Insurgency

• ins

Iron Grip: The Oppression

• ig

Jailbreak

• jb

Natural Selection

• co - Combat
• ns - Natural Selection (original)

Project Valkyrie

• 3mm - 3-Month Mod

Sourceforts

• sf

Specialists, The

• ts

Sven Co-op

Older Sven Co-op maps tend not to have prefixes, but, to stop confusion with third-party single player levels and original Half-Life multiplayer add-ons, the "sc" prefix has come into use.

• sc

Synergy

• syn

Zombie Master

• zm

Zombie Panic, Zombie Panic: Source

• zps
• zpo
• zpl

Unofficial prefixes

In addition, some custom maps will be marked with unofficial prefixes, either to denote its nature or to brand it.

Unclassified

• aaa
• jp
• kz - Climing/jumping
• nrp
• rwp
• sa - Snipers Alley
• sp - Single player
• sdk
• test
• tr - Training

Counter-Strike, Source & Condition Zero

• aim - Aim Arena has teams that are restricted to one class of weapon and have no objectives except to eliminate the opposing team. Emphasis is placed on player's aim.
• awp - AWP Arena restricts players to AWPs only
• dm - Deathmatch Arena-styled maps used by deathmatch mods for CS and CS:S. These maps are usually small and simple like "fy" maps but adapted in order to have multiple spawn points.
• es - Escape (now defunct, originally official)
• fy - Frag Yard is a map with an assortment of weapons spawning on the ground versus player inventory.
• fun - Fun Map is a map with some strange objectives, contraptions or other mysterious things.
• gg - Gun game. The only objective on this map is to kill the other team. Weapons are usually bought.
• he - HE Grenade Arena restricts players to Heavy Explosive grenades.
• ka - Knife Arena restricts players to knives only.
• surf - Surf Maps (unofficial gamemode)
• zm - Zombie (unofficial gamemode)

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch

• js - coop

Team Fortress Classic

• conc - "Conc" maps, using concussion grenades to do a climb/jump sort of map.

Team Fortress 2

• ccp - Cyclic Capture Point
• dm or duel - Death Match or Duel
• dom - Domination
• es - Escort
• koth - King of the Hill
• jump - Jump maps (rocket or stickey jumping)
• melee - Melee only map
• sniper - Sniper only/prefered map
• toy or rats - Players are small compaired to the level scale
• rc - A Capture Point match where the points are randomly assigned

Thematic

• killbox - Killbox (DM) is a map consisting of at least one box-shaped arena.