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
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| AS
|
Assasination
|
Counter-Strike and VIP Mod only
|
| CS
|
Hostage Rescue
|
|
| DE
|
Bomb Defusal
|
|
| ES
|
Terrorist Escape
|
Now defunct, originally official
|
| TR
|
Training Maps
|
Only official appearance in Counter-Strike 1.5 retail.
|
Note:Condition Zero uses enhanced versions of the original Counter-Strike maps denoted with a "_cz" suffix.
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| DOD
|
Default Prefix
|
|
| PARA
|
Para Maptype
|
Last seen in Day of Defeat beta 3.1
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| DMC
|
Default Prefix
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| c0
|
Chapter 0
|
Train Ride
|
| c1
|
Chapter 1
|
Black Mesa Sectors
|
| c2
|
Chapter 2
|
Black Mesa Trainride
|
| c3
|
Chapter 3
|
Black Mesa Outside
|
| c4
|
Chapter 4
|
Xen
|
| c5
|
Chapter 5
|
Ending
|
| t0
|
Training
|
Training Maps
|
| hldemo
|
Demo Maps
|
Originally found in Half-Life: Uplink
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| BA
|
Default Prefix
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| OF
|
Default Prefix
|
| OP4CP
|
|
| OP4CTF
|
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| HT
|
Default Prefix
|
| DY
|
Default Prefix
|
Prefix for maps on the PC ported version.
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| D1
|
Day One
|
Day One of the story
|
| D2
|
Day Two
|
Day Two of the story
|
| D3
|
Day Three
|
Day Three of the story
|
| EP1
|
Episode 1
|
|
| EP2
|
Episode 2
|
|
| EP3
|
Episode 3
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| DM
|
Deathmatch
|
Default Prefix
|
| CTF
|
Capture The Flag
|
|
| TR
|
Training
|
Training Maps
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| L4D
|
Co-op
|
Storyline based gameplay
|
| L4D_SV
|
Survival
|
|
| L4D_VS
|
Versus
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| TESTCHMB
|
Test Chambers
|
Early levels (Test chambers 1-19)
|
| ESCAPE
|
Facility Escape
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| RC
|
Default Prefix
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| ARENA
|
Arena Maps
|
|
| SE1
|
Default Prefix
|
|
| Prefix
|
Map Type
|
Description
|
| ARENA
|
Arena Maps
|
Added with the August 19, 2008 update.
|
| CP
|
Control Point
|
Original Shipping Map Type
|
| CTF
|
Capture the Flag
|
Original Shipping Map Type
|
| TC
|
Territorial Control
|
Original Shipping Map Type
|
| PL
|
Payload
|
Added with the April 29, 2008 update.
|
| PLR
|
Payload Race
|
Added with the May 21, 2009 update.
|
| KOTH
|
King of the Hill
|
Added with the August 13, 2009 update.
|
Third-party mods
-- Official --
- gm
- gmdm - Garry's Mod Deathmatch
- mr - Melon Racer
- ifn - Infection (unreleased test gamemode)
-- Unofficial --
- rp - Roleplay
- sb - SpaceBuild
- gms - Stranded
- zs - Zombie Survival
- fw - Fort Wars
- demo - Gunman Chronicles demo
- cinematic - cutscene
- city
- mayan
- rust
- west
- rebar
- ctf - Capture the Flag
- dom - Domination
- hdn - Hidden
- ovr - Overrun
- co - Combat
- ns - Natural Selection (original)
- oc
- oc_vs - Maps that offer PvP Gameplay
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.
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
- proto - Prototype map
- rwp
- sa - Snipers Alley
- sp - Single player
- sdk - SourceSDK example map
- test - Test map
- zoo - Object gallery
- 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.
- 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.
- mg - Same as Fun Maps, mostly obstacle courses and games with unbalanced teams (i.e. attack and defend with more attackers than defenders).
- gg - Gun game. The only objective on this map is to kill the other team. You can level up to get better guns.
- he - HE Grenade Arena restricts players to Heavy Explosive grenades.
- nade - Same as HE Greanade Arena.
- ka - Knife Arena restricts players to knives only.
- pa - Prepared Assualt
- surf - Surf Maps (unofficial gamemode)
- texture - Secondary prefix. Denotes a map that only uses dev textures.
- ze - Zombie mod escape maps (unofficial gamemode)
- zm - Zombie mod barricade maps (unofficial gamemode)
- conc - "Conc" maps, using concussion grenades to do a climb/jump sort of map.
- ccp - Cyclic Capture Point
- dm or duel - Death Match or Duel
- dom - Domination
- es - Escort
- 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
- vip - Hunted map, to be used with the Hunted Mod
Thematic
- killbox - Killbox (DM) is a map consisting of at least one box-shaped arena.