Smart - Games

In gaming, 'smart' transcends mere difficulty, representing elegant design where mechanics, narrative, and player agency converge seamlessly. It manifests in intuitive systems that reward observation and adaptation, like environmental puzzles in Portal or emergent storytelling in Deus Ex. Smart design respects player intelligence, offering meaningful choices without hand-holding—whether through subtle world-building in Hollow Knight or strategic depth in Into the Breach. It's the 'aha!' moment when a game's internal logic clicks, creating satisfaction through clever interplay rather than brute force. Ultimately, smart games feel like collaborative dialogues between designer and player, where every interaction is purposeful and every solution feels earned.