It's perhaps a critical dead end to try and define and singularize what videogames 'ought to be,' but Firaxis, beloved creator of Civilization and the overlooked Marvel's Midnight Suns, has come the closest to what I think is the philosophical essence of great game design. You've got crisp, clear mechanics that are intuitive, understandable, and yet still allow for variation and player creativity. From those mechanics emerge not only a robust and entertaining confluence of systems - a really great videogame experience - but also drama, tension, and something deeply narrative. Firaxis uses game mechanics - and virtually very little else - to catalyze and tinder a rich, dynamic story, which is also driven entirely by player actions. In short, the studio pioneered by Sid Meier, Brian Reynolds, and Jeff Briggs has created not just one of the best strategy games, but one of the best games, period. And now you can get it for cheaper than ever, at the irresistibly low price of less than $2.
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