Motif: Ambiguity: Mastery

Ambiguity: Mastery (in gaming) refers to the illusion of skillful mastery that arises as players improve within the game’s system. Over time, players may be led to believe, via their character as proxy, that it is possible to completely ´master´ specific skills such as farming, crafting, or combat, because they become more efficient and can predict outcomes. However, this mastery is not purely their own but a result of the game’s structured progression. This can create a false perception that mastery is a smooth, predictable process, when in reality, it is shaped by the game’s rules rather than the player’s independent growth.
OpenAI, ChatGPT (version GPT-4), 2025, https://www.openai.com/chatgpt.

Ambiguity: Mastery (in gaming) refers to the illusion of skillful mastery that arises as players improve within the game’s system. Over time, players may be led to believe, via their character as proxy, that it is possible to completely ´master´ specific skills such as farming, crafting, or combat, because they become more efficient and can predict outcomes. However, this mastery is not purely their own but a result of the game’s structured progression. This can create a false perception that mastery is a smooth, predictable process, when in reality, it is shaped by the game’s rules rather than the player’s independent growth.
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..