The Serious Business of Play: Finding Connection, Meaning, and Sometimes Joy

IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY to tell someone you’re a game scholar, or that you use public and private dollars to harness the power of games and play for social good. Sometimes the reaction is, “How fun,” tinged with an underlying skepticism suggesting that what we do is not important. Sometimes people ask if you can hire their kid, who is “really into video games.” Occasionally, you get a “Thank you,” with sincere hope that we can do something to make the huge amount of time our kids—and, increasingly, adults—spend immersed in video games more productive and empowering.

In our relentlessly achievement-driven society, it’s tempting to consider games and play as frivolous, but in fact, they serve many important purposes, providing opportunities to play with possible selves and futures; to collaborate with friends, family, and even strangers; to experiment and fail in a safe context; to accomplish meaningful goals; and, yes, simply to have fun.

We have come to appreciate that games run the gamut from frivolous to deeply impactful, and they can be used to support play in ways that are benign, beneficial, or harmful. What is clear is that well-designed games can be quite powerful and captivating for those who play them. Games and play can provide a sense of consequence that, for many, is difficult to find in “real” life.

Each of the stories in this special issue explores how play provides a powerful context for creating important connections and meaning while at the same time providing a space for joy, escape, and even healing. Through play, we create not simply fictional characters but real