Metadatapelien

Metadatapelien is a term used in Dutch discussions to describe a category of games in which metadata—the data that describes other data—drives the core gameplay. The mechanic emphasizes examining, organizing, and interpreting metadata associated with digital objects, such as documents, images, music files, or archive records, rather than relying primarily on visual or narrative cues.

Gameplay typically involves collecting and manipulating metadata to unlock objectives. Players may tag items with keywords, sort or filter collections by date, author, or location, or piece together a sequence of events by cross-referencing metadata across sources. Some designs layer puzzles on top of metadata quality, rewarding accuracy and consistency in tagging or metadata creation.

Metadatapelien are used in education and cultural heritage contexts to teach information literacy and archival practices. They also appear in experimental game design as a data-driven mechanic that highlights issues of metadata quality, provenance, and privacy. In libraries and archives, such games can illustrate how metadata shapes discovery and interpretation.

Challenges include uneven metadata quality, biases in tagging, and privacy concerns when metadata reveals sensitive information. Designers must balance openness with data stewardship, ensuring accessibility and avoiding the accidental disclosure of personal details.

Related concepts include metadata literacy, data archaeology, and alternate reality games, which also foreground information as a mechanism for play.