The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PRANKISH
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
R
A
N
K
I
S
H
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Playful" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case playful = prankish.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PRANKISH mean?
PRANKISH adjective- Given to or characterized by impishness or playfulness; mischievous.