What is a Game?
A game is a structured type of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. It is a form of amusement or recreation, a means to relieve boredom, and a way to socialize. It may also be considered work (as in professional athletes of spectator sports or games), art (such as jigsaw puzzles or games with an artistic layout such as Mahjong) or skill (as in certain board, card and video games). The game may involve competition against an opponent, in which case it is a form of a challenge, or it may simply require a high degree of skills, in which case it is an achievement.
Games have been played for centuries, and the early ancestors of some of today’s best-known games are very old. The oldest known board showing the game NINE MEN’S MORRIS was found in Egypt, and many ancient games have a worldwide following.
The game industry in the United States grew rapidly, and by the 1930s most large cities had their own game companies. The Depression was a hardship for most, but games helped people to forget their troubles and have some fun. Some games were even designed for education, such as Elizabeth Magie’s THE LANDLORD’S GAME which was intended to inculcate the principles of economist Henry George. Companies began to make sturdier game boxes and offer more parts and pieces than before.
Many of today’s best-known games are produced by a few dozen or so companies. Collectors seek rare and valuable games, especially those with interesting illustrations on the box cover. Popular games of the past include MONOPOLY, which was so successful that a first-edition set has considerable value; the 1935 and 1936 deluxe editions of PLAYER ‘S CHOICE are also highly valued. Other games with interest to collectors are those that feature a particular theme, such as aviation (airships and rockets), bears, bicycles, black characters, comic or cartoon characters, cowboys and westerns, military and war, mystery, political figures, radio sets and personalities, television characters and transportation.
Some games are designed to be played at home, while others are made to be played in a public place, such as an arcade or a casino. Most of these games are designed to be played by two or more players and do not require a large area in which to play, specialized equipment other than what is contained in the game box, nor a great deal of physical exertion.
A game must satisfy several criteria to be a real game: a sense of fairness; the possibility of failure and success; the use of luck and chance; the ability for a player to improve over time; and the level of interaction between players. A game must also be challenging and entertaining. These elements have been the basis of game theory, which provides a framework for designing games and analyzing their rules. The field of study is expanding to include research into the cognitive and psychological benefits of gaming, as well as into the role that games can play in the classroom.