The Elusive Game

We’ve all thought about running the perfect game of Dungeons & Dragons. A game that maximizes everything we desire in a TTRPG and minimizes that which we dislike. It’s elusive—even our best game sessions could be better. And those of us that consume tips and advice from others across the internet around TTRPGs know they could be better. We’ve seen a thousand ideas for having more fun, reducing the suck, and generating player engagement.

Exploring the Jungle Palace by Nele-Diel

But here’s a secret: the elusive game is a farce. You’ll never achieve it. So why does it matter?

The value of the elusive game is not in achieving it. The value is in the deep thinking and reflections made throughout the journey towards it. Aim for the practical, not the exceptional. Focus on the fun.

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” - Bruce Lee

If every game is even 1% better than the last, you’re on track for a fantastic future of RPGs.

Game on.