I’m not a particularly competitive player. Sure, winning is fun, but for me, the main goal of playing a game is the experience—not just racking up victories. I care more about everyone at the table having a good time.
That said, there’s one thing that can ruin a game for me: surprise game rules.
Surprise Game Rules Suck
When you’re learning a new game, it’s natural to lose at first. You pick up strategies, improve, and eventually get better. That’s just part of the process.
But surprise rules—obscure mechanics that only show up in niche situations—are a different beast. These tend to fall into two categories:
- Accidental edge cases that slipped past playtesting.
- Intentional mechanics designed to sell more miniatures or reward players who exploit loopholes.
Loopholes and game-breaking exploits can completely ruin the balance of a game. They’re not clever strategies; they’re signs of poor game design.
When Loopholes Aren’t as Bad
In a fully cooperative game, loopholes and explosive combos can sometimes be a feature rather than a flaw. If a broken strategy benefits all players rather than just one, it can become a fun discovery rather than a feel-bad moment. A good example is Hametsu by Black Site Studios, where powerful combos help everyone rather than skewing the game.
The Gaslands Incident
When I used to run Gaslands at my local game store, I generally stuck to a few house rules to make the game more enjoyable. For the most part, it worked.
But then, someone pulled off a game-breaking exploit that soured the experience for everyone. The move? Position a Monster Truck a couple of lines back, activate it first, and use nitro to plow through the rest of the pack. The game immediately felt unbalanced and unfair.
The worst part? Months later, I stumbled across an official article that framed this as a valid tactic rather than a broken mechanic!
“..setup the Monster Truck a couple of lines back, activate it first and try not to giggle too much as you nitro over the rest of the pack.”
Since then, I haven’t wanted to play Gaslands anymore. The trust in the game is gone, and I don’t feel comfortable running it without heavy house rules. And honestly, if I have to rewrite the rules just to make a game fair, I start questioning whether the designers forgot to use their own game designs advice in their own games!
Final Thoughts
A good game should reward strategy, skill, and adaptability—not reward those who exploit loopholes or obscure mechanics. Surprise rules that blindside players create frustrating experiences, and frustration kills games.
That’s a big reason I’ve moved on to other games. Somehow, Warhammer 40K is still going strong, despite being packed with game-breaking exploits. That kind of gameplay just isn’t for me—but hey, to each their own.
—
Update:
I am planning on re-introducing the game using the rule changes from the Gaslands Comprehensive Overhaul in addition to banning both Monster Trucks and all Sponsors (which 25% percent surveyed of people don’t use in the game regardless).
I am an outdoorsy geek. Which is not rare at all. In fact, outdoorsy geeks are some of my favorite people 🙂