Abstract
The ludic space exists both within and beyond reality as a parallel world. While play design has been explored through rules, experiences, and systems, the role of play materials as mediators between lived and ludic space remains under-discussed. This paper examines how play materials invite players into, operate within, and emerge from the ludic space, shaping gameplay and learning. Using a practice-based approach, the Between Worlds (BW) framework was developed and empirically grounded through classroom projects involving over 130 undergraduate students at BITS Design School. The framework identifies four qualities of play materials that enable transitions between lived and ludic space: player engagement, translation, functionality, and emergent outcomes. The study contributes to game-based learning and design pedagogy by repositioning play materials as active mediators of meaning-making, demonstrating how they can support participatory, generative learning experiences and deeper engagement with complex real-world systems.
Keywords
Material Agency, Design Education, Game-Based Learning, Play Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2407
Citation
Srinivasan, L., and Jogani, K. (2026) Between Worlds: Play Materials As Mediators of the Lived and the Ludic, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2407
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Between Worlds: Play Materials As Mediators of the Lived and the Ludic
The ludic space exists both within and beyond reality as a parallel world. While play design has been explored through rules, experiences, and systems, the role of play materials as mediators between lived and ludic space remains under-discussed. This paper examines how play materials invite players into, operate within, and emerge from the ludic space, shaping gameplay and learning. Using a practice-based approach, the Between Worlds (BW) framework was developed and empirically grounded through classroom projects involving over 130 undergraduate students at BITS Design School. The framework identifies four qualities of play materials that enable transitions between lived and ludic space: player engagement, translation, functionality, and emergent outcomes. The study contributes to game-based learning and design pedagogy by repositioning play materials as active mediators of meaning-making, demonstrating how they can support participatory, generative learning experiences and deeper engagement with complex real-world systems.