Motif: Ambiguity: Escalating Growth

Ambiguity: Escalating Growth (in gaming) refers to the misleading perception that progression is limitless, effortless, and without real obstacles. When players experience rapid, seemingly frictionless growth—such as infinite leveling, unchecked resource accumulation, or flawless success—they may develop false expectations about progress, both in the game and beyond. This ambiguity arises from the contrast between the game’s portrayal of endless expansion and the reality that, outside the game, true growth is often complex, challenging, and constrained by real-world limitations.
OpenAI, ChatGPT (version GPT-4), 2025, https://www.openai.com/chatgpt.

Ambiguity: Escalating Growth (in gaming) refers to the misleading perception that progression is limitless, effortless, and without real obstacles. When players experience rapid, seemingly frictionless growth—such as infinite leveling, unchecked resource accumulation, or flawless success—they may develop false expectations about progress, both in the game and beyond. This ambiguity arises from the contrast between the game’s portrayal of endless expansion and the reality that, outside the game, true growth is often complex, challenging, and constrained by real-world limitations.
OpenAI, ChatGPT (version GPT-4), 2025, https://www.openai.com/chatgpt.

Luna’s Fishing Garden

From the game’s Steam page: “Luna’s Fishing Garden is a short, cozy fishing and building game. Become a part of a fairytale, catch fish, trade with the fox spirit, and create the garden of your dreams by planting new trees, placing water objects, and bringing animals to the archipelago.” The developers encourage slow and paidic

STRATEGIES is funded by the European Union under grant agreement No 101094373 and the UK Research and Innovation. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or UK Research and Innovation. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them..