Mehr als ein Spiegel von Gesellschaft – Spielregeln und Spielweisen für eine Forschung an und mit Gesellschaftsspielen

Abstract

More than a Mirror of Society – Rules for Research on and with Board Games
Board games and gameplay have not been considered much in science so far. Often the game was and is considered either as a sociological phe­nomenon or an object in its materiality. But research on board games can offer more: by looking at the game and play experience altogether, new insights can be gained into how games and society relate to each other. Starting with an introduction into the history of board games, the text quickly introduces the two main parts of scientific board game research: GAME and PLAY. GAME refers to the whole materiality. This also includes the mechanics and ways of playing laid down in the rules. PLAY, on the other hand, means the concrete experience of playing, which can only arise in interaction with the object. So far, research has only rarely considered the interplay of both. Yet, both are inseparable categories. By looking at both GAME and PLAY combined, we can illustrate the influence of board games on society and on us, humans, and focus more on board games as research objects.