History Main / SlidingScaleOfObjectiveVsSubjectiveGames

* Some forum games, such as ''ITT: we are [insert character trope]'' on the Wiki/TVTropes fora.

!!!Most Objective

!!!1: Completely objective

!!!2: Objective rules with significant subjective strategy

!!!3: Mix of objective and subjective elements:

!!!4: Subjective play with a few objective rules

!!!5: Structured but totally subjective

!!!6: Unstructured subjective

!!!Most Subjective

* ''TabletopGame/ApplesToApples'', ''TabletopGame/CardsAgainstHumanity'', ''TabletopGame/{{Superfight}}'', and other party games that involve playing to a rotating "judge".

* ''TabletopGame/ApplesToApples''

* Some forum games, such as ''ITT: we are [insert character trope]'' on the TVTropes fora.

* ''ApplesToApples''

* ''[[CalvinAndHobbes Calvinball]]'' is a fictional game in this category.

* ''Charades'': It's clear what everyone is allowed to do (aside from borderline cases of what counts as an item of media), but the importance of working out how to communicate things to other players and what other players are trying to communicate necessitate a lot of subjective judgment. The principle applies in other modalities as well, such as [[WinLoseOrDraw drawing]] or [[{{Pyramid}} defining while avoiding a specific word]].

Then there are games where things are more vague. Most forum games and [[TabletopRPG TabletopRPGs]] fall here. Maybe some things are spelled out, but there can easily be disagreement over whether a character can do something, whether a post was funny enough to be worth posting or so on. These rules might be adjudicated on by a GameMaster or by consensus, or it may be up to each player to interpret them for themselves. Sometimes the subjective rules are well defined, but often they include unstated things like "try to make it interesting" (arguably more objectives than rules). And then there are games where all the rules are subjective. Generally games higher on the scale place more importance on strategy while games lower on the scale place more importance on creativity. GameplayAndStorySegregation tends to occur more often higher up the scale.

Games where there is a highly competitive followings, where successful players are renowned, people see the game as SeriousBusiness, and every detail of strategy is carefully analysed (e.g. ''{{Chess}}'', ''{{Go}}'', ''Football'') tend to fall in this category.

* ''{{Chess}}'' is well known to be here.

* ''Scene Three Ways'': There must be three scenes. The other rules, while well defined, are subjective (what counts as Film Noir, for example?).

* Some theater sports, for example Typewriter.

* ''AbsoluteBalderdash'': Apart from one subjective rule which rarely comes into play (extra points for a fake answer "very similar to" the real one), but working out answers which will trick other players and working out which answers are the real ones involves subjective thinking.

* {{Chess}} is well known to be here.

* ''CorruptAWish'': What counts as a corruption is subjective, but you must post a wish.

Games where there is a highly competitive followings, where successful players are renowned, people see the game as SeriousBusiness, and every detail of strategy is carefully analysed (e.g. {{Chess}}, {{Go}}, Football) tend to fall in this category.

* Charades: It's clear what everyone is allowed to do (aside from borderline cases of what counts as an item of media), but the importance of working out how to communicate things to other players and what other players are trying to communicate necessitate a lot of subjective judgment. The principle applies in other modalities as well, such as [[WinLoseOrDraw drawing]] or [[{{Pyramid}} defining while avoiding a specific word]].
* Absolute Balderdash: Apart from one subjective rule which rarely comes into play (extra points for a fake answer "very similar to" the real one), but working out answers which will trick other players and working out which answers are the real ones involves subjective thinking.
* ApplesToApples

* Corrupt Wish: What counts as a corruption is subjective, but you must post a wish.
* Scene Three Ways: There must be three scenes. The other rules, while well defined, are subjective (what counts as Film Noir, for example?).
* Spacejump

* Some forum games, such as ITT: we are [insert character trope]

* [[CalvinAndHobbes Calvinball]] is a fictional game in this category.

Then there are games where things are more vague. Most forum games and [[TabletopRPG TabletopRPGs]] fall here. Maybe some things are spelled out, but there can easily be disagreement over whether a character can do something, whether a post was funny enough to be worth posting or so on. These rules might be adjudicated on by a GameMaster or by consensus, or it may be up to each player to interpret them for themselves. Sometimes the subjective rules are well defined, but often they include unstated things like "try to make it interesting" (arguably more objectives than rules). And then there are games where all the rules are subjective. Generally games higher on the scale place more importance on strategy while games lower on the scale place more importance on creativity. GameplayAndStorySegregation tends to occur more higher up the scale.

Games where there is a highly competitive followings, where successful players are renound, people see the game as SeriousBusiness, and every detail of strategy is carefully analysed (e.g. {{Chess}}, {{Go}}, Football) tend to fall in this category.

* Charades: It's clear what everyone is allowed to do (aside from borderline cases of what counts as an item of media), but the importance of working out how to communicate things to other players and what other players are trying to communicate necessitate a lot of subjective judgement.

Here, the rules and aims of everyone is completely clearcut. If this game has characters, then it is still impossible to have a munchkin without actually cheating.

* [[TabletopGamess D20 Tabletop RPGs]]

* D20 Tabletop {{RPG}}s

* D20 Tabletop RPGs

* many, many other board games, card games and so on.

In some games, the rules and aims are totally objective. A computer could (and [[ComputerGames sometimes does]]) say how well each player did and whether they cheated.

!!!most objective

!!!1: completely objective

Games where there is a highly competitive followings, where successful players are renound, people see the game as SeriousBusiness, and every detail of strategy is carefully analysed (e.g. {{Chess}}, {{Go}}, {{Football}}) tend to fall in this category.

!!!2: objective rules with significant subjective strategy

* {{Charades}}: It's clear what everyone is allowed to do (aside from borderline cases of what counts as an item of media), but the importance of working out how to communicate things to other players and what other players are trying to communicate necessitate a lot of subjective judgement.
* AbsoluteBalderdash: Apart from one subjective rule which rarely comes into play (extra points for a fake answer "very similar to" the real one), but working out answers which will trick other players and working out which answers are the real ones involves subjective thinking.

!!!3: mix of objective and subjective elements:

* D20 TabletopRPGs
* Some TheaterSports, for example Typewriter.

!!!4: subjective play with a few objective rules

* CorruptAWish- what counts as a corruption is subjective, but you must post a wish.
* SceneThreeWays: There must be three scenes. The other rules, while well defined, are subjective (what counts as Film Noir, for example?).

* some forum games, such as ITT: we are [insert character trope]

!!!6: unstructured subjective

Then there are games where things are more vague. Most forum games and RabletopRPGs fall here. Maybe some things are spelled out, but there can easily be disagreement over whether a character can do something, whether a post was funny enough to be worth posting or so on. These rules might be adjudicated on by a GameMaster or by consensus, or it may be up to each player to interpret them for themselves. Sometimes the subjective rules are well defined, but often they include unstated things like "try to make it interesting" (arguably more objectives than rules). And then there are games where all the rules are subjective. Generally games higher on the scale place more importance on strategy while games lower on the scale place more importance on creativity. GameplayAndStorySegregation tends to occur more higher up the scale.

* [[CalvinAndHobbs Calvinball]] is a fictional game in this category.

Then there are games where things are more vague. Most forum games and RabletopRPGs fall here. Maybe some things are spelled out, but there can easily be disagreement over whether a character can do something, whether a post was funny enough to be worth posting or so on. These rules might be adjudicated on by a GameMaster or by consensus, or it may be up to each player to interpret them for themselves. Sometimes the subjective rules are well defined, but often they include unstated things like "try to make it interesting" (arguably more objectives than rules). And then there are games where all the rules are subjective. Generally games higher on the scale place more importance on strategy while games lower on the scale place more importance on creativity.