ABSTRACT
The production of videogames often meets Margaret Boden's criteria for both psychological and historical creativity. In fact, playing videogames often counts as a creative activity. The key linking concept is the notion of problem solving, which is central to much videogame play and to many standard examples of creativity. Whether or not videogame play causes an increase or decrease in levels of creativity, there is a separate question about whether videogame play involves creativity. This chapter argues that, at least for many videogames, play does involve creativity. It discusses the significance of problem solving in videogame play. The chapter briefly discusses the question of whether videogame play is more creative than ordinary forms of artistic engagement such as reading. It also argues that although some authors overestimate the passivity of traditional artistic engagement, videogames do—in virtue of their interactive nature—offer opportunities for creative problem solving that are not available in more traditional artistic contexts.
