On 15 July 2021, I was a guest on the Yeah, I Make Games podcast. I’d been following the host, Miziziziz, for quite some time and was really looking forward to his upcoming game, “Wrought Flesh“, so it was great to get the opportunity to sit down and talk shop.
This episode focuses on player behaviour, looking at why players optimise systems even when it undermines their own enjoyment, and what that means for us as designers.
The conversation leans heavily into level design, player psychology, and how design decisions hold up once players begin pushing systems in ways you didn’t necessarily anticipate.
At the core of the discussion is a question that comes up again and again in game development:
How do you stop players from optimising the fun out of a game?
What We Talk About
During the episode, we touch on a range of topics that frequently come up in my own work:
- Save scumming, and why it’s often a symptom of pressure rather than player “cheating”
- How optimisation can undermine fantasy in stealth and immersive sim games
- Why players gravitate toward the most efficient solution, even when it is less enjoyable
- Designing systems that survive optimisation rather than collapsing under it
- Whether it’s better to restrict player behaviour or simply offer less repeatable content
A lot of the discussion draws on examples from games like Deus Ex, Dishonored, Watch_Dogs, No Man’s Sky, and Minecraft, alongside my own experience working across AAA projects and game jams.
It’s worth noting that some of these problems don’t have a perfect solution, but they’re worth thinking about, because players will always find the fastest path through whatever you build.
The Episode
If you’re interested in player psychology, optimisation behaviour, or level design trade-offs, this episode is worth a listen.
The conversation isn’t about finding a single “correct” answer. It’s about recognising that optimisation is inevitable, and deciding when it’s worth designing against it, and when it’s better to let players break things for themselves. This is something I think about regularly when designing levels, systems, and progression, particularly in games that encourage replay or mastery.
You can also listen to the episode here:
Thanks for listening! If you have any thoughts or questions or feedback, feel free to get in touch.