Utopia of Play: games we're forced to play

What makes play different from games? In this episode of Your Local Anthropologist, i explore the concept of play versus games, emphasising the invisible rules that govern modern work culture and social interactions. The discussion highlights how these rules can create a purgatory-like environment, particularly for marginalised groups. The episode also delves into the potential for collective action to challenge and change these oppressive systems, drawing parallels between gaming and real-life struggles against arbitrary rules.Play and craft offer the power to transform us. Work used to house the technology that allowed us to transition from childhood into autonomous adulthood. But today's work no longer delivers transformation, instead we are stuck in a perpetual adolescence. KeywordsUtopia of Play, invisible rules, social violence, work culture, games vs play, collective action, capitalism, gender, race, neurodivergence