Flanagan’s Critical Play is a text I have only read excerpts from, though I hadn’t read this section before. I have often wondered about strategies to allow players to stop what they’re doing and analyze their play. I really liked the idea of toying with the notion of goals. I think the reason this is so attractive is that games like these can explore new conceptual realms with familiar goals, which can be used to guide the player along a journey. I think that emergence can allow for goals to be completely turned on their heads, and also giving the player freedom can lead to endings. These endings, brought on by the decisions of the player, can defy narrative and be unsatisfying because of their choices. I am interested in seeing what sorts of systems can yield defined conclusions that provide critique with them.