Characteristics of games

To achieve play four characteristics have to be met.
1.It has to be voluntary. You must be a free chose to play, it cant be a duty. This dose get complicated when the idea of addiction and painful play are considered.
2.It has to be outside ordinary life. Therefore it must be a temporary activity, for fun, absorbing and unprofitable (you don’t profit from play). So gambling may be considered to not be playing.
3.It has to have fixed boundaries. It has precise rules that make achieving goals more complicated and even inefficient.
4.It has to promote social groups. There can be a secrecy among the players, this creates a sense of belonging. Nicknames often come from being part of a team game, so a separate persona is made.