Reverse game is a tactic oft-used by younger/immature people, but is also found in people of any age who have an ineptitude when it comes to conveying interest to the opposite sex with the hopes of garnering their interest in return. While this condition afflicts women as well, it is much more prevalent in men. The tactic can best be described as the situation when Person A speaks negatively about Person B, who they deem to be a threat to their romantic interests, to Person C (who is most commonly the person toward which said romantic interest is directed, though may also be a person through which Person A believes his message will be delivered to said person of interest). This tactic is used by people who have absolutely no class, or social skills, to try to help bolster their own stock.

A buzz word being used to refer to creators and influencers forming or encouraging unhealthy relationships with their fans. Usually used in the context of young audiences feeling they have a relationship with the influencer due to the huge amount of the influencer’s content they consume. The influencer in question, however, is unaware of the fan’s existence other than the general knowledge of having fans. Common examples include Dream and his stans. These relationships are exacerbated by the influencers confirming they have more than a creator-to-viewer relationship.

The word is circulating due to various YouTube essays about the phenomenon using the word, and therefore people who enjoy complaining about influencers repeating what they heard in the video in any comments section they can find.