one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

definition

Owns a set of player-authored laws, each a condition and an effect expressed in a structured rule language (for example: when a player fells a tree in district X, charge a tax or block the action), a proposal and voting procedure, and an enforcement hook that checks every relevant action against the active laws. A law passes when its vote meets the threshold set by the world's constitution or government type, after which the simulation enforces it automatically. Eco (early access 2018) lets players form governments and propose and vote on laws that restrict what other players can do or apply taxes and grants to specific actions, to manage an ecosystem that overharvest and pollution can damage. A Tale in the Desert (2003) let players petition and vote on laws that the developers then implemented.

player experience

Politics with real teeth. Players argue about what should be allowed, draft rules, lobby for votes, and then live under the result. A logging ban or a carbon tax becomes a social contract that some players obey, some evade, and some campaign to repeal.

design levers

  • expressiveness of the rule language (which triggers, conditions, and effects are available)
  • voting thresholds, quorum, and who can propose
  • constitutional limits on what laws may do
  • enforcement mode: hard blocks, automatic fines, or reports for players to act on
  • how government offices are filled and how long laws persist

failure modes

  • A small active group can pass laws that grief or exclude other players.
  • A rule language too limited to express what players want pushes politics into informal agreements the game cannot enforce.
  • Low participation makes votes meaningless, and governance becomes the hobby of a few players.

dynamics

  • Ecological or economic crises create pressure for regulation, and regulation shifts which professions are profitable.
  • Laws generate evasion strategies and loophole-seeking, which prompts amendments.
  • Factions form around legislative interests, producing persistent political rivalries.

open questions

  • Can LLMs compile natural-language laws into enforceable rules faithfully enough that players trust the translation?
  • What constitutional constraints prevent minority capture without making legislation toothless?

appears in

the paper, 3 sections · 1 chapter · 1 episode
paper

4. A grammar of simulation games

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

8. Where the techniques land

linked in this section of the paper

paper
glossary

Glossary of mechanics

listed under governance & policy, with its summary

book
ch 8

Chapter 8. Where AI lands

linked from the text

book
ep 2

Where the parts came from

on screen at 4:38 after 2000

episode

relations

1 stored edges
synergy

Player organizations

Organized player groups are the constituencies that write and enforce laws.

sources

1
Wikipedia contributors (2026). Eco (2018 video game). Wikipedia

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-taxonomy-m2taxonomy
2026-10-24
reviewed2026-10-24-review-fixesmaintenance