This is the 12676th most frequent Swedish word.
spelen
"Spelen" in Swedish means "the games."
Here 'spelen' is the definite plural form of 'spel', meaning 'the games'. It is used to refer to specific games the speaker enjoys playing.
Jag älskar att spela spelen med mina vänner.
I love playing the games with my friends.
In this sentence, 'spelen' refers to sports events or matches, describing when they will take place.
Spelen börjar klockan sju ikväll.
The games start at seven o'clock tonight.
This usage of 'spelen' refers again to the definite plural form of 'spel', requesting information about specific games the listener has played.