Well Played is a concept of providing in-depth close readings of video games that parse out the various meanings to be found in the experience of playing a game. Around Halloween in 2020, the Well Played Journal started its 10th volume. Looking back, the first "well played" presentation and article was in 2003, the first book came out in 2009, and the first journal issue was released in 2011.

Thinking of Well Played during the pandemic underscored how games have been a part of our experiences and the value and role games have had in people's lives this past year or so. This Well Played retrospective and companion essays on games during the pandemic capture a critical history of Well Played and highlight how much games can matter in our lives. The retrospective and pandemic essays have resonant themes, so we've woven them together to share a written tapestry of Well Played and games, value, and meaning.