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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 8621981" data-attributes="member: 16586">Gamism is Step On Up. The core conceit of gamist design is that the game exists primarily to challenge the players.  Mechanics are developed to reward players for navigating a challenging play space. In D&D's case (as it was originally designed) this means rewarding XP and magic items for separating monsters from their treasure. It also includes puzzle box monster design, wandering monster tables, exploration turns and the like to put pressure on the PCs to navigate the play space with skill.One common sign you might be seeing a gamist design is large lists of discrete mechanical elements (monsters, magic items, spells, feats, etc) because they help to create an environment where knowledge of the game's overall meta is crucial to success. Classic D&D's monster and dungeon/module design is the prime example of the sort of play where high level knowledge acquired through experience in the game is rewarded.Contrast this with a game like Marvel Heroic Roleplay where players are rewarded not for overcoming challenges, but instead for complicating their character's lives in character specific and thematic ways. Also has minimal discrete mechanics and does not require any knowledge of the game's overall meta to achieve character success.Gamism is at heart all about rewarding skill at playing a game and overcoming challenges.</blockquote>