Single Player game play, showing the HUD
HUD is a term that stands for "Heads Up Display". It is extremley common for all games to have HUDs, especially in the shooter genre. The HUD shows vital information about the player's character, like ammunition/weapon, game time, scores, the mini-map, as well as a Health Indicator and is shown all the time on the in-game screen unlike other menus and displays. The HUD is important as it relays information constantly about the game and the player's character to help the player make many important decisions.