Why knowing that a solution exists is not the same as knowing what to do When we say that a game is “solved,” we often use the term loosely. Sometimes we mean that the outcome is already determined. Sometimes we mean that an optimal strategy exists. Sometimes we simply mean that an experienced player has
Solved, Solvable, and Masterable Games Read More »
Dice, decks, expected value and the mathematics of uncertainty in game design Randomness has a bad reputation in discussions about strategy. When a player loses because of a die roll or an unlucky card draw, it is easy to conclude that luck has replaced skill. But randomness and strategy are not opposites. Randomness is a
Randomness Is Not the Opposite of Strategy Read More »
When designers talk about the materials from which games are built, we usually mean rules, actions, resources, cards, dice, maps and objectives. Information is easy to overlook because it does not always have a physical component of its own. Yet every decision a player makes depends on information: what they know about the current state
Information Is a Game Design Material Read More »
Balance, snowballing and the design problem of keeping success meaningful without making failure permanent A player can be behind without having lost. In fact, being behind is often one of the most interesting positions in a game. It changes priorities, encourages risk, forces adaptation and creates the possibility of a comeback. The problem begins when
If Falling Behind Means Losing, Why Keep Playing? Read More »
Failure has an unusually positive reputation in games. We accept that players will lose a level, make a bad move, waste a resource or discover that a strategy does not work, and we often describe those moments as part of learning the game. It is tempting to turn this into a general principle: failure is
Failure Works When It Creates Feedback Read More »
