The subject of the research is the word formation game in media texts. Special attention is paid to non-standard methods of word formation, their wide expressive possibilities, and the functions of word formation. The aim of the article is to study the features of word formation language game in modern Russian language and to identify its most sought-after methods prevalent in media texts. The research analyzes such methods of word formation as substitute word formation, contamination, and graphic derivation. A brief description of each method is provided. Special attention is given to the study of neologisms created based on precedent texts, also neologisms highlighting abbreviations, assessing their contribution to enhancing the expressiveness and emotive quality of media texts. The materials for the study include publications from federal and regional modern electronic media over the past five years. It allows to evaluate the possibilities of word formation language game and its effect on the audience. The article employs elements of the descriptive method and functional analysis, systematizing the researched material. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the systematization of methods of word formation language game considering their impact on the development of language in electronic media and the formation of its new expressive possibilities. During the research, examples illustrating each of the mentioned methods of word formation are described. Based on the conducted analysis, it is revealed that each of them serves an expressive function. Examples of derivation based on specific patterns are separately studied, which are often created on the basis of stable expressions and idioms. Moreover, a conclusion is drawn regarding the active use by journalists of word formation language game to express authorial assessment, and their search for new expressive forms that lead to word formation experiments, often going beyond established cultural and linguistic norms.