The game accompanies a person throughout life, from birth to old age. Without it, the evolution of mankind would be impossible. As an important tool for learning and perfecting the world, it has changed throughout our history. With the help of the game, the child learns, models situations that - already seriously - he will have to live independently in the future. The author considers the game as an integral part of the development of the Homo Sapiens species and talks about the refraction of this topic in different periods, from Antiquity to Modern times, in the works of thinkers of various philosophical schools: Plato and Hegel, Kant and Huysing. Today, in the era of a highly developed industry, specialists and all caring people sound the alarm: the game is in danger. We are playing less and less! For what reason? You will find the answer to this question in the book. It is addressed both to specialists: psychologists, teachers, culturologists - and to a wide range of readers.