如同很多文化現象一樣,游戲在歷史進程中,被不同的觀察視角理解、界定、闡釋。游戲或被看作是嚴肅的對立面,或被理解為有別于勞作的消遣或教育的手段。在不同的歷史階段,游戲或因迎合社會秩序的運作機制而被推崇,或因其非生產性所具有的顛覆性而遭到排斥。在文學領域,它不僅限于文字游戲,同時也被視為生成自由空間、獲得審美經驗的可能。隨著生存的符號化、數碼化的不斷加劇,游戲波及、占據生活領域的范圍更加擴大,對人的生存、感知與交往方式產生了不可忽視的影響。

Like many other cultural phenomena through history, play has been approached, defined and comprehended from a variety of perspectives. Based upon the historical context, play has been worshiped for its conformism with the social mechanism, or in other cases excluded from mainstream for its subversive potential due to its unproductive nature. In literature, play is not only confined to language games but also viewed as a possibility to access moment of freedom and aesthetic experiences. With the increasing symbolization and digitalization of the modern life, play has consumed more and more of the living space with profound influences on the existence, perception and social interaction of people.