In the field of language teaching the word game has been used so loosely that it has become a very vague term. This article identifies main features of a game in various definitions given in the literature. It is found that games have the following main features: goals, rules, competition, engagingness, and unpredictability. In traditional Chinese culture, there exists the concept that games distract the mind from learning. To work out a game's potentialities in language teaching, this article continues to explore the implications of the main features of a game for language teaching. At the same time, the ways in which the main features can fhnction properly and beneficently are examined in detail within the framework of a game in the language class. The conclusion is that well-conceived and well-managed language games are useful in making learners more active participants in their language learning. Therefore, we should not belittle the value and significance of language learning games.