To cite a video game in MLA style, begin with the full title of the game, then add relevant contributors, the version, the developer or publisher, the release date, and the platform you used. Include only details that apply to your source. In your writing, name the game or use a shortened title that points readers to the same Works Cited entry.
A game can change across consoles, computer editions, remasters, and updates. The safest approach is to cite the version you actually played, not the first result you find online. This guide turns that source check into an ABZ decision path: Source → Credit → Version → Location → Match.
Make five decisions before writing the citation
- Source: identify the exact game you used. A remake, downloadable expansion, mobile edition, and original release may be different sources.
- Credit: decide whether a director, performer, writer, or other contributor is important to your discussion. MLA’s model allows relevant contributors, but they are not mandatory in every entry.
- Version: record an edition, release, or version number when it helps distinguish your source. Do not guess a patch number.
- Location: note where you played it: for example, a named console, Windows PC, macOS, or a mobile platform. A store is not always the same thing as a platform.
- Match: make the name or shortened title in your prose and parenthetical citation lead to the first element of the Works Cited entry.
The current MLA Style Center video-game model starts with the title and shows optional contributors, version information when relevant, the developer or publisher, the date, and the platform. It also says the game engine is not necessary. That distinction matters: an engine is software used to build a game, while the developer or publisher identifies the work you played.
Collect the source details first
Do not try to format the entry while the game is closed and its details are out of reach. Make a quick source inventory. The title screen and credits are often stronger evidence than a search snippet, while an official store or account page can help confirm the platform and installed version.
| Detail | Where to look | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Full title and subtitle | Title or start screen; box, cartridge, manual, or official listing | Shortening the title in Works Cited |
| Relevant contributor | In-game credits or official credits | Adding every credited person |
| Version or edition | Settings, information screen, launcher, or official store details | Guessing from the release year |
| Developer or publisher | In-game credits, packaging, or official listing | Substituting the game engine |
| Release date | The date attached to the version or edition used | Mixing dates from different platforms |
| Platform | The console, computer, or mobile platform actually used | Listing a platform you did not use |
If details conflict, pause and check whether the sources describe different editions. A remaster on one console may have a different publisher and date from the original game. Your entry should describe one coherent source.
Build the Works Cited entry
After collecting the facts, arrange them in the order shown by the current MLA model. A basic entry may look like this:
Title of Game. Version, Developer or Publisher, Year, Platform.
Fictional classroom example:
Skyline Archive. Version 2.4, Lantern House Games, 2026, Windows PC game.
Skyline Archive and Lantern House Games were invented for this article. Do not submit the example as a real source. Replace every part with information from the game you actually used. If the version is neither shown nor needed to distinguish the work, leave it out rather than inventing one. If a director or performer is central to your discussion, consult the MLA model for placing that contributor after the title.
The exact punctuation and labels may vary with the details available. A citation is not improved by adding uncertain information. It is improved when the reader can identify the same game, edition, and platform you examined.
Match the in-text citation to Works Cited
Video games often lack stable page numbers. Do not invent a page, level, timestamp, or scene label just to fill a parenthesis. Instead, introduce the game clearly in your sentence and describe enough context for the reader to understand where the evidence occurs.
Fictional example: In Skyline Archive, the archive doors open only after the player compares two conflicting maps.
Because the title appears in the sentence and the fictional game has no stable locator, another parenthetical citation may not be useful. If the title is not named in your prose, a shortened title such as (Skyline Archive) can direct the reader to the title-first Works Cited entry. Purdue OWL’s overview of MLA in-text citations for electronic sources explains the same central rule: the in-text signal should match the first element readers find in Works Cited.
Some assignments may ask for a location description in the sentence, such as a named chapter, quest, area, match, or cutscene. Use that label only if the game actually supplies it. The goal is to help a reader follow the evidence trail, not to make an unstable experience look like a printed page.
Quote dialogue without inventing a locator
When quoting spoken or on-screen dialogue, transcribe the words carefully. Pause the game or recording, confirm the speaker when possible, and preserve wording that matters to your analysis. Introduce the setting in your prose: for example, say that the line appears during a named quest or after a particular decision.
The MLA Style Center has a page about dialogue in a video game that suggests naming the game in prose or using its title in parentheses when no better locator exists. That page was published in 2018 for the eighth edition. Use it as older guidance about the source problem, not as the final authority for ninth-edition details. Check the current handbook or your teacher’s model before submitting.
A screenshot, transcript, gameplay video, and game itself are not automatically the same source. If you quote dialogue from someone else’s recording instead of from the game you played, cite the recording that you actually consulted.
A 10-minute check: Pause, Capture, Credit, Build, Match
- Pause. Stop at the title, credits, or information screen for the exact game edition you used.
- Capture. Write down the title, displayed version, date, platform, and the scene or quest around your evidence. A private note is enough; you do not need to publish a screenshot.
- Credit. Confirm the developer or publisher and add only contributors relevant to your point.
- Build. Put the verified details into the current MLA order. Remove blanks and any detail you cannot support.
- Match. Make sure the title or lead element in your writing sends the reader to the same Works Cited entry.
This routine is an original ABZ classroom aid, not a formally tested intervention. It is a final inspection sequence: it does not replace the current MLA Handbook or assignment directions.
Five common video-game citation mistakes
| Mistake | Why it causes trouble | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Citing a franchise instead of one game | The reader cannot identify the work discussed. | Use the full title of the exact game. |
| Mixing editions or platforms | The date, publisher, features, and dialogue may differ. | Keep every detail attached to one version. |
| Listing the engine as the developer | The tools used to build a game do not identify its creator or publisher. | Check the credits or official listing. |
| Inventing a page, level, or timestamp | The locator cannot be verified in the cited source. | Describe a real labeled location in prose, or omit it. |
| Using different titles in text and Works Cited | The reader cannot follow the citation trail. | Match the in-text lead element to the entry. |
Practice selecting evidence before you cite it
ABZ Quote Detective provides supplemental evidence-selection practice. Grades 4–6 use Evidence mode to choose the sentence that proves a statement, while grade 7 uses Claims & Arguments mode to connect evidence to a claim. That can help with the thinking step before citation: deciding which detail actually supports your point.
Quote Detective does not teach MLA formatting, cite video games, or generate Works Cited entries. After practicing evidence selection, return to the game you used and follow the source-first routine above. For a different source type, see ABZ’s guide to citing a quotation from a play in MLA style. ABZ’s wider grade and skill boundaries are listed in Content & Standards.
Common questions about citing video games
Do I include the game developer or publisher?
Use the organization named in the current MLA model that best identifies your source, based on verified credits or official details. Some games have separate developers and publishers; record the role that applies rather than guessing from a logo.
Do I need the version number?
Include it when it is shown and helps identify the edition you used. A version can matter when updates change dialogue, mechanics, or content. If no version is available or relevant, do not invent one.
How do I cite a console game?
Build the same title-first entry and identify the console platform you actually used. Confirm that the publisher and date belong to that edition, not a release on another console.
How do I cite dialogue from a video game?
Transcribe the line accurately, name the game in your prose, and describe a real labeled scene, quest, chapter, or location when helpful. Do not create a page number or timestamp that the source does not provide.
What if my teacher provides a different model?
Follow the assignment. A teacher may require a particular handbook example, platform label, access detail, or contributor. Use this guide to inspect the source accurately, then format it according to those directions.