Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm that organizes software design around data, or objects, rather than functions and logic. An object can be thought of as a self-contained unit that contains both data and the methods that operate on that data. For example, in a game, a Player object might have properties like health and score, along with methods to move or attack. This approach allows for better organization and reusability of code. By using concepts like inheritance, where one class can inherit properties and methods from another, developers can create more complex systems without starting from scratch. This makes it easier to manage and scale software projects.