Optimizing Play: Why Theorycrafting Breaks Games and How to Fix It

An unexpected take on how games work, what the stakes are for them, and how game designers can avoid the traps of optimization.

The process of optimization in games seems like a good thing—who wouldn’t want to find the most efficient way to play and win? As Christopher Paul argues in Optimizing Play, however, optimization can sometimes risk a tragedy of the commons, where actions that are good for individuals jeopardize the overall state of the game for everyone else. As he explains, players...