Let’s see if third time’s a charm.
Somebody uses the word game with no further context. What do you think of as the first meaning of a game?
Okay, got it this time. Sorry for the earlier threads. I was backing up some files and that makes my computer get touchy sometimes. I’ve already asked to have those other threads closed.
I answered “something else” though all those definitions fit.
All of the first six options are certainly games. The seventh may sometimes be. My first thought would be the first, second, or sixth, depending on my impression of the person using the word.
I voted for the electronic option, as when I’m talking about games it’s usually them.
As for actually defining “game”, when I was studying philosophy, this was given as the example of an extremely fuzzy concept - that is, one that we can recognise a game when we see one, but not give an exhaustive list of conditions for what is or isn’t a game. (A real philosopher may be along to correct my terminology, it’s been a long time since I studied).
All are games, but my first reaction is a board game like Monopoly or chess.
Baseball and tennis are games but I’d normally call them “sports.”
Card games are games, but I usually call them “Card games.”
Video games, too, I usually call “video games.”
Things with charts and dice are “role-playing games.”
Things like Tit-for-Tat, whatever that is, are just games, but I wouldn’t think of that before chess and Monopoly.
“Games” in the sense of getting laid or office politics I usually wouldn’t use the word “game” for.
I can’t imagine a complete lack of further context. For instance, if a friend says “I just bought a new game”, I’d assume either a computer game or a board game, depending on which friend it was. But in that context, prisoner’s dilemma or office politics wouldn’t make any sense, and poker would make very little sense.
I’m only asking for what your first answer would be. I’m not asking what you think the only possible answer is.
For those who insist on context, pretend you see a thread titled “What’s your favorite game?” by a poster you don’t know. What kind of game would you think he’s talking about before opening the thread?
I think there’s a way here to allow multiple answers on Polls, but this one seemed to lack that feature so I went with “Something Else.”
Video/computer action games don’t interest me, so those threads here are a distraction. But SDMB has relatively few forums, so we should be happy we have a “Game Room” at all!
I assume Uno counts as a board game, since it doesn’t use playing cards?
But then there are canasta and crazy eights…
I can’t choose between board games and card games because there is no meaningful distinction between Uno and certain card games that use playing cards.
And I would hate to choose card games, because I certainly wouldn’t think of poker, and I think of Uno/canasta/risk/stratego the same way.
He’s not talking about any kind of game; he’s asking others to do so. But that’s still not completely devoid of context, since even if I don’t know the poster, I know that he’s asking on an online message board, which would skew things towards computer games.
Well, I just lost it.
Incredibly, I’ve gotten to the point where when I see the word “game,” the very first thing that comes to mind is not a fun activity, a sport, a computer or video game, or a board game - the first thing that comes to mind is “someone manipulating people.”
Yes, there is a way to allow multiple answers. But is seemed counterproductive to use it here.
That would be the “Something you play in a social setting like getting a promotion or getting laid” option in my opinion.
“Don’t hate the playa. Hate the game.”
I realize in retrospect I left out a possible choice. I should have included an option for “Something you hunt like a deer or a lion”.
Video games. People rarely use the adjective term “video” there. If you mention “gaming”, I think Playstation/PC. If you say “the game”, I think of CDs and DVDs.
The only exception is if you say “going to the game”, which means sports on a field, not poker or D&D.
In that case, I’d say computer/video, followed by cards, followed by board, followed by pen & paper & dice.
If the context was a post entitled “why I’m sick of people playing games” I’d assume it was the next-to-last poll answer.
I took issue with the “Chess and Monopoly” option, but voted for it, regardless, as this one IMHO is the closest choice. Most Euro / German games don’t have dice. Most American ““games”” need at least one Die [Including non D6.]
Strictly speaking, boards and pieces would rule out Magic The Gathering and the lesser CCGs. Bridge and Poker shoehorn “Card Game” into a 52 card Bicycle deck construct. [Not sure how Pinochle would fit.] Granted, Magic lately has gone far beyond a deck and a friend, but I feel that Magic belongs closer to Monopoly and Chess than to D&D - Charts are not needed for M:TG.
A distant second is the Prisoners Dilemma group. Better for both, if this second group can be worked in, seamlessly into the first option.
Dammit.