Complexity vs. Depth: A Design Guide to Meaningful Play
Dr. Ben discusses complexity and depth and how to design meaningful play. (Episode #163). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp Website https://rpgphd.com/ Discord / discord RPG PHD swag!!! https://rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Instagram / rpg_phd Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=877304... Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊 Is complexity the same thing as depth in tabletop RPGs? In this video, Dr. Ben from RPG PHD explores the difference between complexity and depth in TTRPG design, and why more rules, more mechanics, and more options do not always create a better game. This episode breaks down how depth comes from meaningful decisions, interesting tradeoffs, and player engagement, while complexity often comes from rules weight, exceptions, and cognitive load. Whether you’re a Game Master, game designer, or tabletop RPG player, this video will help you think more clearly about RPG mechanics, design philosophy, and what actually makes a game engaging. If you’re interested in TTRPG design, game balance, rules-light vs crunchy systems, and smarter RPG analysis, this video is for you. --------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 00:55 Complexity & Depth 05:21 Complex but Shallow 07:27 Simple but Deep 10:07 Complexity & Depth Confusion 12:32 Cognitive Load & Decision Payoff 15:27 Design Guide 19:51 Homework 21:39 Thoughts? -------------------------------------------- Costikyan, Greg. Uncertainty in Games. MIT Press, 2013. Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. “MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research.” Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI, 2004. Meier, Sid. Sid Meier’s Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games. W. W. Norton & Company, 2021. Salen, Katie, and Eric Zimmerman. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press, 2003. Sweller, John. “Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning.” Cognitive Science, vol. 12, no. 2, 1988, pp. 257–285. Music and Sounds: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/E... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/M... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/A... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/y... Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdoma... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/y... Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdoma... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/b... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/u... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/j... https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c... https://www.epidemicsound.com/sound-e...
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