Every game is composed of multiple smaller subgames. The quality of their connections determines how unified the game feels. When connections are loose, as in "chessboxing", players easily perceive the individual
Auction mechanics risk creating degenerate gameplay when the item bid on is so valuable that players are forced to bid it up. Generally, you want situations where players are comfortable losing an auction.
Games ask players to make choices to overcome obstacles and reach a goal. Wildcards, resources that you can use as any other, remove both choices and obstacles. The more wildcards a player has,
Games are most fun when you are still learning and the possibilities are endless. The parts of our brain responsible for reward and motivation respond more strongly when the reward-to-effort ratio
One great thing about output randomness is getting better-than-average results. Who doesn't love rolling a natural 20 or seeing their dice explode? But in a competitive game, one player&