Modern gaming gives us more information than ever before. Build guides, tier lists, walkthroughs, and optimisation tools promise to make us better players - but are they also taking away the experimentation and genuine discovery that made us fall in love with games in the first place?

In this weeks episode of Lore & Order, we explore the rise of gaming's optimisation culture. From "best builds" and spoiler-filled guides to the psychology behind why our brains crave the most efficient path, we ask whether we're still playing games, or simply following someone else's instructions.

We also unpack psychological ideas including Information Foraging Theory, Loss Aversion, Maximising vs Satisficing, and the Generation Effect - and what they can teach us about protecting the joy of discovery.

Whether you've ever looked up a boss str ...