Large Language Models as Games

Abstract

If computers are dramatic experiences, Large Language Models (LLMs) are games. Consumer AI once served mainly as a feature within larger products, but LLMs and generative tools have created a market for AI as a service. Their conversational design fosters engagement as both tools and entertainment. Prompting has become an art, with users directing LLMs like actors in a co-created performance. This paper identifies five generative interaction types: collaboration, exploration, adversarial, narrative, and roleplaying. From these, four gameplay modes emerge: interactive prompting, playing games with LLMs, using LLMs as in-game agents, and generating games via LLMs. These modes reflect principles of game design—challenge, reward, strategy—embedded in LLM interactions. Whether used for productivity or play, prompting creates a feedback-rich, exploratory experience. This paper argues that LLM use inherently constitutes a form of generative play grounded in interactive storytelling.