Symbolic Interaction Communication of Traditional Games in Yogyakarta Palace Culture

Traditional games constitute living cultural heritage that transmits social values, collective memory, and cultural identity; however, their meanings are increasingly threatened by modernization and digitally oriented leisure activities. This study aimed to analyze symbolic interactions in traditional games within the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace, identify the meanings attributed to their symbols by abdi dalem, and explain their role in sustaining Javanese culture. The study employed a qualitative design combining phenomenology and communication ethnography. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with purposively selected abdi dalem, and documentation, then analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, conclusion drawing, and source, theoretical, and methodological triangulation. The findings revealed that symbolic interactions developed through Mead’s interconnected concepts of mind, self, and society. Game forms, numbers, colors, movements, turns, and customary rules functioned as significant symbols conveying ethical, social, philosophical, and spiritual meanings. Traditional games also facilitated role-taking, value transmission, social cohesion, and the reinforcement of cultural identity. The discussion demonstrates that abdi dalem act simultaneously as players and interpreters who continually negotiate shared meanings within palace norms. Therefore, traditional games are not merely recreational activities but also living communication systems that preserve Javanese values and support intergenerational cultural continuity within contemporary society amid rapidly changing social conditions.