A game is an activity that involves a set of rules and a means of determining victory or loss, such as a contest or competition. It can also refer to a plaything that allows for interaction, such as chess and Go or children’s games like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. Video games use a computer to simulate reality through a screen display, most commonly in a video format on televisions or flat-panel displays or touchscreens on handheld devices, or through virtual-reality headsets. They are characterized by the ability to create a world for the user, to provide feedback in real-time, and to allow player control from a third-person perspective.
While departments of computer science have long studied the technical aspects of games, theories that treat them as artistic media are relatively new developments in the humanities. Two of the most prominent approaches are ludology and narratology. While ludology examines the ways in which video games engage and entertain players, narratology examines them as works of fiction and interactive narrative.
The gaming industry is a multibillion-dollar business and has been implicated in issues of ethical conduct and labor conditions. In addition to working long hours in a highly competitive field, video game developers often subject themselves to pressure to meet deadlines. These demands often result in “crunch time,” a period of intense work in the weeks and months prior to release. The industry has also faced accusations of sexual and racial harassment and discrimination, as well as mischaracterizations of certain minority groups in game design and content.
Studies of the relationship between video game play and mental health have tended to depend on self-reports of gaming habits. While this approach is easy to implement and inexpensive, recent evidence has shown that people’s perceptions of their own digital behavior can introduce bias, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn from such research.
A key factor in determining the psychological impact of gaming is its level of interactivity. Games that involve interaction between the players are more likely to promote positive outcomes than those that do not. The interactivity in games may be achieved through rules, the ability to choose a strategy, the opportunity to interact with other players or by providing a guiding story. In games with a high degree of interactivity, players experience a sense of autonomy, competence and relatedness that lead to enjoyment.
While the boundaries of what constitutes a game are fuzzy, it is generally accepted that any game that involves an element of choice, an opponent and an outcome is a game. However, even with these requirements, there are a wide variety of games available. For example, chess and Go are considered games because they have an element of choice, but children’s games like Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land do not, as they are entirely luck-based and do not involve an opponent.