One of the fastest ways to destroy systemic gameplay is allowing a dominant strategy to emerge too early. A dominant strategy is a solution so effective that it invalidates most other forms of play. Once players discover it, curiosity disappears. This is where many games unintentionally collapse their own depth. They introduce multiple mechanics, abilities, weapons, traversal options, or build paths, but underneath it all, one pattern clearly outperforms everything else. A stealth approach works in every encounter. A weapon dominates all ranges. One build trivialises progression. One tactic bypasses risk entirely. The game may still contain variety in content, but the interaction space shrinks dramatically. And once the player realises there’s one “correct” answer, experimentation stops...
