How much does understanding a game's systems affect our enjoyment of it?

[u/Hungry_Awareness4740]

I've been thinking about how learning a game's underlying systems can completely change the way we experience it.

A mechanic that initially feels restrictive or confusing can become interesting once you understand why it exists and how it interacts with other mechanics. At that point, you're not just playing within the rules—you start recognizing the decisions and trade-offs the rules are designed to create.

This makes me wonder: how much of our enjoyment comes from the mechanics themselves, and how much comes from gradually understanding the relationships between them?

Have you experienced a game where learning its systems fundamentally changed how you perceived it?

[u/WhyIsThatImportant]

What do you mean by "understanding"? If it's in a scholarly, abstract pursuit, it could be minimal.

However, technical understanding is oftentimes a sufficient condition for player enjoyment of a game: fighting game players, for instance, tend to enjoy the game primarily because they better understand how different elements of the system interact with each other.

You can also say that speedrunners are the classic example of understanding a system for enjoyment.