> For most games, the real objective is learning about each other, or about the game, or about some other real or abstract thing the game is evoking. Yes but t

> For most games, the real objective is learning about each other, or about the game, or about some other real or abstract thing the game is evoking. Yes but this is incomplete, The learning usually has the purpose to overcome the challenge that a game is presenting to the player. Games are, in essence, puzzles. It isn't always obvious what the puzzle is, but the player can definitely tell when it is absent because there is no challenge, there is nothing to overcome, and therefore nothing to learn about. The best games tend to be excellent puzzles that have entertained players for many years. In Mario games it's platform puzzles, in RPG games it's finding a character build, in multiplayer games like fighting or FPS games, it's the other human player. So yes I agree it's not about winning. It's about solving the puzzle/challenge the game presents you with. > So remember, the play objective is not the point of play, and while you should bear it in mind, the real objective sometimes requires you to diverge from it. I also agree with this because the game's objectives are not necessarily the puzzle the game is presenting. Usually the puzzle or challenge to solve lives on a higher abstract meta-game, usually defined by the genre.