# What is a game? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 5, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078 "2010-12-05T23:32:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/1 "2010-12-05T23:32:40Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/2 "2010-12-05T23:37:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/3 "2010-12-05T23:37:58Z")
I answered “something else” though all those definitions fit. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/4 "2010-12-05T23:42:35Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/5 "2010-12-06T00:12:09Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/6 "2010-12-06T00:53:14Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/7 "2010-12-06T04:36:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/8 "2010-12-06T05:00:25Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/9 "2010-12-06T05:08:07Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/10 "2010-12-06T05:15:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/11 "2010-12-06T06:26:54Z")
> [@](#): > > 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? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/12 "2010-12-06T08:18:35Z")
Well, I just lost it. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/13 "2010-12-06T08:52:21Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/14 "2010-12-06T18:30:46Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > 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.” Yes, there is a way to allow multiple answers. But is seemed counterproductive to use it here. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/15 "2010-12-06T18:33:07Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > 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.” 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.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/16 "2010-12-06T18:34:38Z")
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”. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/17 "2010-12-06T19:03:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/18 "2010-12-06T19:10:10Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > 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? 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. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/19 "2010-12-07T03:13:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078/20 "2010-12-07T03:14:13Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Well, I just lost it. **Dammit.** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-game/563078.md?page=2)