Yes, you have to cite that video game. The days of seeing games as simple toys are long gone, and academics now recognize these complex interactive experiences as rich texts worthy of study. Properly citing a video game shows that you take your subject seriously and gives your reader a clear path to the exact source you used. It’s a fundamental piece of good scholarship. This guide explains how to cite a video game without the headache.
TLDR: The Core Five
A complete video game citation needs five key pieces of information, regardless of the style format you’re using. Think of it as the game’s fingerprint:
- Title: The full, official title of the video game.
- Developer: The main creative team or company that made the game.
- Publisher: The company that distributed and sold the game.
- Version Number: The specific patch or build of the game you played.
- Publication Date: The year of publication for that specific version.
- Platform: The console or system you played it on (e.g., PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch).
Breaking Down the Core Components
Let’s look at each piece of the video game citation puzzle. Finding this information can sometimes feel like a side quest, but it’s usually located on the game’s packaging, title screen, or in the digital storefront where you got the game.
Game Title and Developer
Always use the complete and official game title, including any subtitles. It’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, not just Zelda. The developer is the studio that did the creative work, like FromSoftware or Insomniac Games. The publisher is the entity that brought the game to market, such as Nintendo or Sony. Sometimes, the developer and publisher are the same company. If they are different, you list both. You might wonder why the developer isn’t listed first, like an author. Style guides like MLA place the developer with the publisher because their roles can be deeply intertwined, and this approach avoids confusion.
Quick Tip: For most modern games, a quick search online will clarify the exact developer and publisher if you can’t find it in the game itself. The publisher name is a crucial part of the citation.
Version, Publication, and Platform
Why does the version number matter so much? Because a video game is not a static object. A massive update can add content, fix bugs, or completely rebalance the gameplay, making version 1.0 a very different experience from version 2.5. But the version you play matters. Citing the correct version number ensures your reader knows exactly which state of the game you analyzed. The year of publication should correspond to that version’s release. Finally, listing the platform is essential because a game can have variations between its PC, Xbox, or Nintendo release. This is a critical part of any video game citation.
MLA & APA Examples
So how do you wrangle all this digital welter into a clean citation? The two most common formats are MLA and APA. They organize the same core information in slightly different ways. While you can always find help on the official MLA style website or on general citation pages, the table below gives you a clear comparison.
| Element | MLA 9 Format | APA 7 Format |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Title of the Video Game: Subtitle. | Title of the video game: Subtitle. |
| Version | Version xxx, | (Release Year). |
| Publisher | Developer / Publisher, | [Video game]. Publisher. |
| Publication Date | Year of Publication. | (Information included earlier). |
| Platform | Platform. | (Not explicitly required in APA, but often helpful). |
Here are some color-coded examples showing the format in action:
MLA 9 Example:
Hades. Supergiant Games, 2020. Nintendo Switch version.
APA 7 Example:
Supergiant Games. (2020). Hades [Video game]. Supergiant Games.
Citing Specific In-Game Moments
Here’s something many guides miss: how to cite a video game’s specific content. What if you need to reference a particular line of dialogue, a quest, or a cutscene? You can’t just put a page number. I remember writing a paper on player choice and needing to pinpoint the exact dialogue in Mass Effect that defined a character’s arc. Citing it directly made my argument so much stronger.
The solution is to describe the moment in your own text and then provide the standard video game citation in your works cited list. For an in-text citation, you can reference the quest name, chapter, or even a timestamp from a recorded playthrough if you have one.
The moral conflict of the entire game is crystallized during the quest “The Bloody Baron,” where the player’s choices lead to one of several grim outcomes for the central characters (CD Projekt Red).
This method treats the video game as a living text, allowing you to perform close readings just as you would with a novel or film. It acknowledges the granular storytelling that makes modern games so compelling.
A Note on Titles and Esports
A common question is whether to put a game title in italics or quotation marks. The rule is simple: individual video game titles are italicized, just like books and movies. The soft whir of the console fan is the quiet soundtrack to many late-night gaming sessions, and those games deserve the same respect as other media. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, the term “esports” itself is not italicized or capitalized, and specific competitive games follow the standard italicization rule.
What if I can’t find the developer or publisher for a game?
This can happen with very old or obscure indie games. Do your best to find the information online. If you absolutely cannot locate the publisher or developer, you may have to omit that information. Transparency is key, so you could add a note explaining the omission if it feels significant for the game you’re discussing.
How do I cite a video game I played on an emulator?
You should always cite the original game’s information. List the original developer, publisher, year of publication, and original platform. The fact that you accessed it via emulation is a detail about your method of access, not a property of the game itself. You can mention your use of an emulator in a footnote or in the body of your text if it’s relevant to your discussion.
What about mods? Do I need to cite them?
Yes, absolutely! Mods can dramatically alter a video game. To cite a mod, treat the mod’s creator or team as the author and the mod’s name as the title. Then, indicate that it is a modification of the original game. For example: “Aetherium Wars. Created by Lautaro “ladda” Castagnola. Version 1.2, modification for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 2023.” This gives proper credit to the modding community’s creative work.
This is a lot to remember. Is there an easier way?
Of course. Once you understand the components, using a tool can speed things up. A good free citation generator can help you build an accurate video game citation quickly. Just plug in the information you’ve gathered, select your style, and it will generate the correct format for you. It’s a great way to check your work.
Treating a video game as a citable source is a powerful move. It validates the medium as a serious subject for analysis and strengthens your own academic voice.