In the fourth chapter of Play Matters, the author makes a clear distinction between play areas and game areas. The latter area is more of a sub category of the former; both areas are seen in a different light due to play, but game areas are geared to a make a specified game available. As such, I feel that play spaces can even appropriate game areas. In video games, play spaces can be made of the traditional game spaces by making up one’s own rules away from or even opposite of the original game’s intention. One example that comes to mind is the phenomenon of the Hyrule Jump in various games in the Super Smash Bros series. Traditionally, the game is a fighting game used to knock opposing forces off of the various stages. One stage, Temple Hyrule, is famous for its enormous size. Due to this, some have made a mini game of this layout, testing the acrobatic abilities of characters around this layout. Playing under this mentality normally would normally be considered under poor judgement, but one can ignore the rules in any given game area and turn it into its own unique play area, so long as creativity is present to guide the new form of play.
Skipping ahead one chapter, I was at first confused by the concept of politics in play. Currently, my understanding of the political aspect of play is that since play appropriates environments, playfulness may have full life consequences in decidedly non-playful situations. The first parallel that comes to mind is with regard to the invention of the potato chip. The chef in question created it as a means of revenge against customers complaining about the thickness of the french fries he cooked by slicing them wafer thin, overly frying them, and pouring excessive amounts of salt. While the cooking of this meal was vengeful in intentions, a form of the darker side of play, the creativity that came out of this playful act created a new snack that was successful around the United States, becoming a major snack food in the economy (http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016/03/14/surprising-history-potato-chips/).