Game design is the planning and creation of games with rules, goals, and player experiences. Designers create elements such as characters, challenges, and game environments. Games can be physical, like board games, or digital, like video games. The design process includes shaping how players interact with the game.

Game design takes place in studios, companies, and independent projects around the world. It is part of both traditional games that have existed for centuries and digital games developed in recent decades. Different cultures create games with unique themes and styles.

Game design has been part of human activity for a long time, from ancient board games to modern digital games. It became more widespread with the growth of the video game industry in the 20th century. Today, it continues in many forms across different platforms.