The Best Game Expansions Make You Rethink the Game
Much of the joy in playing games comes from climbing the heuristic tree. We encounter a new game and don't know what works, so we try different tactics and see better
Heuristics
Over the course of many games, players develop rules of thumb to automate low-level decision-making, allowing them to execute more sophisticated strategies. The process of learning and testing heuristics, or "climbing the heuristic tree," is a major factor in what makes games fun and replayable.
How Galaxy Trucker Succeeds at Onboarding Players
Complex games live or die by how well they onboard players. Among other things, this means making sure new players have simple tactics they can latch onto before they understand the game, also