Edge of the Map Problem

As a matter of practicality, a game can only be a scale model of the situation it covers. Models have edges and gaps and fuzzy bits, and games have players. Even games without a model can have sharp edges, though in their case the “map” is only metaphorical.¹

“Only six inches!” exclaimed Mein Herr. “We very soon got to six yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. And then came the grandest idea of all! We actually made a map of the country, on the scale of a mile to the mile!”

– from Lewis Carroll, Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, Chapter XI, London, 1895, c/o Wikipedia

The “edge of the map” becomes more of a problem the more it affects how a player interacts with a game’s model. A designer’s choice of victory (and ending) conditions affects what risks a player is willing to take and what a player is willing to lose. A designer’s choice of the physical map extent affects how a player is able to maneuver. A designer’s choice of nouns and verbs affects the actions a player is able to take – the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis² at its most explicit.

As you can never eliminate the edge of the map entirely, it’s important to remain conscious of the effect it has on your players.