Quest log
Also said as Journal, Mission log, Objectives screen
A screen that keeps track of what you've been asked to do and what you already know. It is the game's memory, so players don't need one of their own.
People come back after two weeks with no idea what they were doing, and a good log lets them pick up again instead of quitting. Its danger is the opposite: a long list of chores that reads like a to-do list at work.
Say it
“Each entry in the quest log gets one sentence on what to do next, and one on who asked and why. Open on the most recent quest, and keep finished quests in their own tab.”
Where you’ve seen it
Elden Ring has no quest log at all, on purpose. Players keep paper journals or use companion apps instead, which is the clearest test there is of what a log is worth.
Not to be confused with waypoint
The log says what you are doing and why. A waypoint says where to walk. Many games have both, and some have only the second.