Out now: Handbook Philosophy of Games

Look, what I just found in the mail: My author’s copy of the The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games which is out now. A very long time in the making, it has finally arrived in physical form. The book features chapters on central topics in the field written by a large number of international experts who have also become cherished companions over the years. This publication means a lot to me, since in 2008 I had the chance to help organize the third Philosophy of Computer Games Conference in Potsdam as an M.A. student. That was 17 years ago!

Nguyen, C. T., & Sageng, J. R. (eds.). (2025). The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games. Taylor & Francis Group.

I am very happy that I could contribute the chapter “Existential ludology: Computer Games as Worlds”, co-authored with Olli Tapio Leino.

Leino, O. T., & Möring, S. (2025). Existential Ludology: Computer Games as Worlds. In C. T. Nguyen & J. R. Sageng (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games (p. 90–108). Taylor & Francis Group.

The book is quite expensive, you may wish to consider asking your local or institutional library to order it.

Check out the publisher’s website of the book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Philosophy-of-Games/Nguyen-Sageng/p/book/9781138229105, and the table of contents here below.

Table of Contents

Introduction C. Thi Nguyen and John R. Sageng

Part 1: Introduction and Historical Foundations

1. What’s in a Game? Huizinga, Caillois and Conventional Behavior in Games Chad Carlson

2. Suits on Games and Their Value C. Thi Nguyen

3. Sport and Games – William Morgan

4. What is a Computer Game? Veli-Matti Karhulahti and John R. Sageng

Part 2: Game Ontology

5. Games as Rules Richard Royce

6. Cheating While Playing (and Cheating at Playing) A.J. Kreider

7. Existential ludology: Computer Games as Worlds Olli Leino and Sebastian Möring

8. Space in Computer Games Stephan Günzel

9. Simulations and Games Andreas Gregersen

10. Fiction and Narrative in Videogames Grant Tavinor

Part 3: Play and Players

11. Magic Circles and the Separateness of Play Jaakko Stenros

12. The Variable Nature of Play Annika Waern

13. The Body and Varieties of Play R. Scott Kretchmar

14. Avatarhood Rune Klevjer

Part 4: Aesthetics of Games

15. On Ludic Beauty: Kant, Schiller and the Aesthetics of Gameplay Daniel Vella

16. Game Immersion: The Experience of Virtual Environment Habitation Gordon Calleja

17. Analysing Interactivity and the Performative Actions of Games Shelby Moser

18. Hermeneutics of Play Jonne Arjoranta

19. Representation in Games Ida Jørgensen and Pawel Grabarzcyk

20. Aesthetics of Sport Andrew Edgar

Part 5: Ethics and Values of Games

21. Critical Theory and the Computer Game Graeme Kirkpatrick

22. Race and Gender in Games Stephanie Patridge

23. Representations of Violence in Games Christopher Bartel

24. Critical Overview of Technological Enhancement in sport Emily Ryall

25. Games, Rule Violations, and Fair Play Sigmund Loland

26. Playing a Good Life Miguel Sicart

27. Bernard Suits on the Value of Autotelic Gameplay Christopher C. Yorke.