Gambling for democracy: level up or game over?

Darkened windows, a teenager in front of the console. Energy drinks and fast food pile up on the table, his parents' calls for a communal dinner are ignored. Instead, he immerses himself further and further into the game, distancing himself more and more from the outside world ..

Clichés about gaming and stereotypical ideas about those who move in the world of video games and gaming are persistent and in some cases persist to this day. However, the reality is now very different: The gaming industry is growing, both worldwide and in Germany. It has developed into a high-turnover industry and diversified massively - in terms of game offerings and formats, but also the target groups of those who are reached by video games and games, the associated fan and cultural scenes and gaming-related platforms such as Discord, Steam and Twitch.

According to the German Games Industry Association, almost half of the German population plays games at least occasionally. And a study conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation in 2025 shows that 48 per cent of those who occasionally play video games and other games are female and the average age is 38.2 years. It is no longer just shooter games such as Counter Strike, sports and racing games such as FIFA or Mario Kart that are played on consoles or computers, but also a wide variety of strategy, adventure and skill games on smartphones. Of course, there are gradations. Those who play regularly every day are between 16 and 24 years old. This group is also 75 per cent male and prefers to play action or shooter games. However, the age group in their mid-50s also state that they play games on a console, computer or smartphone several times a week.

It is clear that the group of gamers is diverse and is found throughout society. Gaming has become a mass phenomenon - both across generations and across different social groups and milieus. Gaming has long since ceased to be purely an entertainment medium and has become an important cultural and communication medium - with relevant links to the political sphere and with a view to democracy.

The relevance of gaming for democracy

Gaming and democracy - how do they fit together? Possible points of reference are manifold and lie in the topics dealt with as well as in the characters, underlying world views and values that are played and reproduced in games. By turning players into acting characters in the fictional world, historical events, for example, can be conveyed in a different way than in other entertainment and educational contexts - complexity becomes not only playable, but manageable. In addition, personal attitudes and values can be developed and personal decisions can be made - not despite, but precisely because of the immersion in the game world. This harbours great, often untapped potential for a constructive political approach and historical-political mediation formats.

Given the sheer number and diversity of players, aspects of interaction and communication are at least as important. This is where gaming-related platforms such as Twitch, Discord, Steam and Roblox come into play, which are not only used by the gaming community to exchange information about game content, trends and mods (i.e. modifications to games programmed by the players themselves), but also for entertainment, networking and discussion. A large number of different people come together here, exchange ideas, communicate and interact with each other - a huge discourse space that also includes political topics beyond gaming.

In the run-up to the 2025 federal elections, the gaming magazine "PC Games" called on the community to provide political education and participate in the elections. Public broadcasters have reported on the Bundestag elections on the Twitch streaming platform, for example. The aforementioned study by the Bertelsmann Foundation concludes that the group of "gaming enthusiasts", i.e. those who play on a computer or console at least several times a week, are highly engaged in civil society, taking part in demonstrations on the street as well as in digital forms of participation such as petitions and taking a political stance on social media. Studies by the RadiGaMe research network show that, for example, discussions on current global conflicts such as Gaza or US customs policy are discussed in the relevant forums. This clearly contradicts the cliché of the isolated IT nerd with no contact to the outside world.

Challenges for democracy

At the same time, a differentiated view also reveals challenges with regard to extremist content and inhumane and anti-democratic attitudes in gaming. This involves more than just public discussions and reporting in the context of attacks and the perpetrators' links to far-right chat groups and gaming forums, such as in the aftermath of the attacks in Halle or Christchurch.

Extremist and historical revisionist narratives, hatred and hate speech towards non-white people, women and the queer community are sometimes widespread. They are expressed directly in game content and modifications, for example, but also in chats and statements made by high-reach streamers. It is still unclear whether this is user-generated content or whether the corresponding narratives are deliberately spread by right-wing extremist forces. Research in Germany is still in its infancy. However, because these platforms are often barely moderated, have a high interaction density and reach and are easily accessible - especially for a young target group - they can be used as a sounding board for propagandistic and anti-democratic statements and actors or even be deliberately misused. This results in risks for democracy and anti-democratic influence that should not be underestimated.

A differentiated view is important

This is another reason why it is essential to take a political view of the gaming world and to explore and discuss its challenges as well as its potential for political discourse and social participation. Not only is more research needed into gaming worlds, gamers and their interaction and communication. More sensitisation to gaming and its socio-political dimensions is also needed across society as a whole and at the various levels of education, leisure activities and the social environment. It is important not to fall into clichés, stereotypes and simplistic assumptions, but to take a closer look. This is worthwhile because, in addition to the challenges mentioned, there is a lot of potential here for a constructive, pro-democratic approach to the gaming community and in particular the young target group that is active there.

The topic also concerns us in our educational work at the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung and we are offering a showcase for democracy on Wednesday, 18 March at 6 pm: "Game Changer - Understanding the history of democracy through play". We will be discussing the democratic potential of digital games with game developers and gaming experts. You can register for the event here.