If you get food at a nice French restaurant and ask for hot sauce or salt, you’re committing a culinary sin. If you sit down for a nice bowl of phở, you’re automatically given a plethora of sauces and garnishes that would be a waste not to add. It’s the fundamental divide in food service: either the chef knows what’s best or the customer does. Obviously, there’s no universally “correct” take on that debate. It boils down to who you’re catering to. A diner serving the masses needs options for picky guests, whereas a gastropub serving a tasting menu is trying to provide a precise experience. This same dynamic is found in board games. How much flexibility should a game give its players? Is it better to deliver a singular, targeted experience or a collection of experiences that the group tailors to its own needs?
