Book cover of Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture

Book description

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

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Why read it?

1 author picked Homo Ludens as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Originally written in 1938 in Dutch (Huizinga was a Dutch cultural theorist), Homo Ludens contemplates the meaning and function of play in society. It’s a seminal text, widely cited by anyone who researches games (including video games), and really gets you thinking about what we mean by ‘play’. It also predates the commercial video game industry by some 30-40 years but still speaks to the mechanics and appeal of gaming.

From John's list on video games and popular culture.

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