A game is a combination of toy, entertainment, art and tool in the form of an interactive experience. It can be competitive and challenging, or a pure narrative adventure powered by the player’s imagination (text-based games). There are also video games that simulate real world events, like war, that require substantial time investments, or that have complex social interactions, and many of those offer players a sense of control over their own fate.

A central aspect of all games is that they involve taking turns, where one player contemplates a move before acting on it. Most board games do this through the use of a board with spaces for tokens to represent each player’s status and progress, and some include dice or cards. In video games, the turn-based approach is more commonly referred to as “real-time” and can be simulated with a variety of mechanics, including haptic feedback (such as a virtual vibrating controller that resembles the sensation of an earthquake).

While the majority of games are designed for entertainment or amusement, some are designed to teach the player something useful, such as history or other school topics; this is often referred to as educational software or edutainment. Other games are designed to create positive emotions in the player, and studies have shown that these can improve learning outcomes.

Some games have drawn criticism for their content, particularly violent video games. Critics have warned that such games can desensitize the player to violence and can lead to antisocial behaviour. However, other research has found that games can be used as therapy and help relieve stress. For example, patients with chronic pain have shown improved heart-rate variability after playing casual games like Tetris.

Many games are marketed as brain games to help with concentration or memory, and they are a popular way for older people to keep their minds active. They are also being used in the classroom to motivate students, as they allow teachers to make lessons more exciting and relevant to young digital natives.

It’s a cliche to say that games can be incredibly boring, especially the time investment-heavy ones like World of Warcraft, but it’s true. However, games can be a lot of fun and can give us a sense of autonomy (that we are free to choose our own actions), competence (we can succeed and be successful) and relatedness (we can connect with other people via online gaming). This is because well-designed games engage the players in a manner that meets their basic psychological needs. For this reason, they are considered mood management tools.