Curriculum of Ludics

This curriculum introduces ludics — the theoretical study of play and games. It moves from defining the field, through its major theoretical frameworks, to applying those frameworks analytically. Each lesson builds on the previous one and draws examples from across the games module.

Sequence

1. What is Ludics? — Defining the field; play as a category of human activity distinct from labor, ritual, and art.
2. Theories of Play — Huizinga, Caillois, Sutton-Smith; three foundational frameworks and what each reveals.
3. The Magic Circle and Its Critics — The boundary between play and ordinary life; where it holds and where it dissolves.
4. Ludic Structures — Agon, alea, mimicry, ilinx; formal categories of play and the paidia-ludus spectrum.
5. Play and Culture — Games as cultural artifacts; transmission, adaptation, and the social work play does.
6. Ludic Analysis — Applying ludic theory to specific games and play practices.

Reference

• Ludics History — Historical development of play theory from Schiller through game studies.
• Ludics Genealogy — Intellectual lineages across ludic theory traditions.