Abstract
In order to present games in their context and how they function and to provide indicators of cultural references, technical interdependencies and innovative potential, as well as to enable a chronological classification in relation to historical events, it is essential to start with how they function. "Game research" today focusses less on the question of what play is and how it can be defined, and more on play as a process, vehicle and apparatus for depicting and generating knowledge about cultural spaces. Since the act of playing, similar to dance or performance, can neither be catalogued nor exhibited, the focus of my work in this article is on a methodological cultural and media studies approach to the play process, a documentation of the dynamics in board and parlour games and a subsequent implementation of a prototype of this open digital research platform for a community of interested parties and experts, which can be applied not only to game collections. This article discusses the semiotic-media-theoretical approach and its intention as part of the project.