A game is an activity that involves a set of rules and goals, with a level of challenge and interaction. It can be a form of entertainment, education, exercise or skill development, or serve some other social or psychological function.

Video games are played on electronic devices, such as video game consoles, desktop computers, mobile phones or flat-panel displays for hand-held devices. Unlike traditional board games or tabletop games, video games typically have an audio complement delivered through speakers or headphones and may incorporate other sensory feedback mechanisms, such as vibrating pads or force feedback. Most modern video games also have a multiplayer mode in which two or more players compete against each other. Some games are free to play, while others require a subscription or microtransactions to access certain features.

Unlike sports, which are usually characterized by the need for skill and luck, games often rely on memorization and analysis to overcome challenges. Many of them also involve experimentation and trial and error, such as when a player is faced with an obstacle that cannot be solved immediately. When a video game fails to solve an obstacle on the first try, it can teach the player to be resilient and persistent in the face of failure, which are useful skills to develop for real life.

While video games are often criticized for their addictive qualities, the ability to create and share digital worlds with friends provides an escape from the mundane and stressful realities of everyday life. It is not uncommon for gamers to spend hours or even weeks at a time immersed in an immersive otherworld, such as the one created by a massively multiplayer online game like World of Warcraft or Skyrim. Some scholars and critics have compared video gaming to drugs or alcohol, but there are many who argue that this is not true and that the experiences of playing a game are more akin to other artistic activities, such as writing and music.

Writing about games requires a unique set of skills. In addition to the usual technical aspects of writing about an electronic media, the writer must understand and communicate how the medium is used by the audience. This is a particularly challenging task when writing about video games, which can be highly immersive and offer a sense of deep presence and vividness that can be difficult to describe. Writing about video games is therefore much more difficult than writing about other forms of art, such as literature or film, although there are some similarities. For example, both require a certain level of skill to communicate, and they both allow users to construct their own worlds with an imaginative narrative.