The map is full.
You haven’t even been there yet.
You didn’t discover anything. You followed a dot. You cleared an icon.
And that’s fine, if the game admits it.
But if it talks about “exploration” while routing you like GPS, the system is lying.
Map Systems Shape Behaviour
- Fast travel makes walking obsolete
- Points of interest overwrite curiosity
- Fog of war feels earned, unless it’s auto-cleared
You’re not lost. You’re following orders.
That’s not exploration. That’s task completion.
Discovery Needs Friction
If everything is visible:
- You don’t drift
- You don’t experiment
- You don’t make mistakes
Those are the ingredients of authentic discovery.
The map should hint. Not dictate.
The Marker Isn’t the Reward
When the icon replaces the experience, players optimise for cleanup, not surprise.
That turns exploration into list management.
The joy isn’t in checking the box.
It’s in not knowing what’s there until you arrive.