Game Jargon Definition: “Ludology”

Ludology (noun) - lu·dol·o·gy. /lo͞oˈdäləjē/

Game studies, also known as “ludology,” is the study of games, including the act of playing them, and the players and cultures surrounding them. It is a field of cultural studies that encompasses all types of games throughout history. This field of research utilizes modes of inquiry similar to folkloristics and cultural heritage, sociology, as well as psychology, while also examining aspects of the design of games, the players in the game, and the role the game plays in a given society or culture where it is encountered. Game studies is often confused with the study of video games, but video gaming is only one area of focus. Ludology encompasses all types of gaming, including sports, tabletop games, and serious games that are used for training or educational purposes.

Prior to the advent of video games, those involved in game studies primarily utilized  anthropological modes of inquiry. With the development and spread of a number of video games as well as other gaming modalities, games studies has diversified methodologically, to include approaches from sociology, psychology, and other fields.

A notable domain of ludology is the study of gaming culture. People who play video games are a subculture (actually, a set of sub-subcultures) of their own. Gamers will often form communities with their own terminologies (one reason why defining jargon is important).