♟️ The Metagame #026: The Rules of the Game

Rules.

You can love ‘em, or you can hate ‘em.

But when it comes to games, rules are the glue that hold them together.

Rules don’t just form the foundation of games. Without them, the art of play descends into chaos.

So what do games—and the rules that shape them—teach us about navigating life?

Today’s topics include:

• Why rules make games worth playing

• The difference between perfect and imperfect games

• Life as the ultimate infinite and imperfect game

Read time: 5 minutes

The Framework of Play

Imagine you’re playing Monopoly, but there are no rules.

I could play as the banker and steal money every turn. I might take a property because I feel like it. No rent payments when I land on someone else’s property, no need to roll dice—I’ll just move my piece wherever I want.

Now let’s take it to America’s pastime—baseball.

What if a team decided they could have as many players on the field as they wanted? What if a batter decided, “You know what? I’m staying at bat until I hit the ball. Forget three strikes.”

Or poker: what if I declared myself the ultimate wildcard? I could look at everyone else’s cards, take my money back whenever I lost, or take the pot for myself whenever I felt like it.

As you can probably tell, after a certain point these lawless “games” quickly devolve into chaos.

A game without rules isn’t a game—it’s a free-for-all. As restrictive as they might seem, rules are what make games playable. They create the structure that allows for strategy, conflict, creativity, and adaptation.

In fact, these constraints are the very thing that allow us to thrive within the system.

They’re not just limitations. They’re opportunities in disguise.

Within every constraint lies a chance to think critically, collaborate, manipulate, or innovate. The boundaries don’t hinder us—they shape the way we thrive.

The Infinite Game

Let’s step back for a second. As we know them, games exist in two categories: finite and infinite.

• Finite games are what we’re used to—Monopoly, baseball, poker. They have clear boundaries, a defined start and finish, and a way to “win.” They’re structured, contained systems.

• Infinite games, on the other hand, don’t end. There’s no final score or clear finish line. Life, in many ways, is an infinite game.

But even infinite games have rules—they just operate on a different level. Instead of a finish line, the goal is to keep the game going, to adapt, and to find order amongst the unpredictability.

Sure, in the game of life there are laws we have to abide by.

Because without these laws, society would quickly collapse into an animalistic, every-man-for-themself battlefield.

And this is not a game conducive to the growth and improvement of humanity.

Humans work best when we collaborate, innovate, and improve within the artificial bounds of a healthy society.

But lately, it seems like we are straying from this path.

The reason?

Fundamental rules of society are not being followed.

The unspoken agreements that hold society together—mutual respect, fairness, honesty—are eroding. And when these rules are ignored, it feels a lot like that lawless game of Monopoly: chaotic, frustrating, and ultimately unplayable.

When people decide the rules no longer apply to them, we don’t just lose the game—we lose the trust and collaboration that make the game worth playing in the first place.

But here’s the thing: when rules feel broken or unfair, we have the power to fix them. Just like house rules in a game, we can adapt the system to better serve the players.

It’s not about abandoning the game altogether—it’s about rewriting the rules to restore balance and create something sustainable.

Finding Order Amongst the Chaos

The beauty of both finite and infinite games is that they thrive on the balance between structure and chaos. Too much order, and the game becomes stale, predictable, and lifeless. Too much chaos, and the game falls apart entirely.

That’s why I love a good board game night.

Nowhere else can you get so invested in an artificial system for a few hours, making decisions that, in the real world, have no real consequences—but within the game, they mean everything.

You put a little wooden Catan settlement in front of mine, cutting me off? In the real world, it’s insignificant. But in this contained system, it’s an act of war.

Or take Monopoly—where tiny slips of paper masquerading as money suddenly become the center of heated debates, alliances, and betrayals.

These rules—the boundaries of the game—are what make it all so engaging. They give every choice weight and every move meaning.

In the same way, our lives operate within a similar framework. The “rules” we follow—whether they’re societal, personal, or imposed by external forces—shape our actions and interactions. And just like in a game, those rules are what allow us to learn, adapt, create, and innovate.

So, the next time you’re frustrated by the constraints you face, ask yourself: are these rules really holding you back? Or are they offering you a new way to play?

Because life, like the best games, isn’t about avoiding the rules. It’s about finding meaning within them—and sometimes bending them just enough to make them your own.

Quote of the week

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions, hit me up on LinkedIn or on 𝕏 at @sam_starkman, or feel free to reply to this email!

— Sam