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Games & engineering

Players find the paths you didn’t design

In draft Draft date

Unexpected behavior is useful evidence about the assumptions built into a system

Working outline — full essay forthcoming

Rough outline

Begin with player behavior

  • Add an actual example of an unexpected interaction or sequence
  • Explain the assumption the behavior exposed

Examine the reachable states

  • Compare intended flows with states the system actually permits
  • Discuss timing, repeated inputs, and interactions between features

Use exploration as a testing method

  • Vary sequences rather than only individual inputs
  • Preserve surprising cases as reproducible tests

Carry the lesson into agents

  • Consider tool combinations and action sequences outside the happy path
  • Explain where autonomous behavior requires stronger boundaries than player interaction