In any game, there is a moment where the player’s decisions start contributing to their victory.

Just like a good book, sometimes there is a reason to begin in the middle of play, where the action is already taking place.

Making a meaningful decision requires appropriate tools and resources, as well as some kind of strategic focus to pursue, and multiple compelling paths to implement that strategy.

In strategy games, providing some form of starting goal or specialization is a key part of this. Giving the player additional resources at game start is another great way to open up decision space. Don’t force players to take routine or automatic early-game actions, get them right to the point where their decisions begin to affect their final outcome.