Resolution + next steps

The Model Game is the most intellectually satisfying game and the most seductive trap.

Satisfying because understanding feels like mastery. Because patterns are beautiful. Because the moment of "oh, that's how it works" is genuinely rewarding.

A trap because understanding isn't the same as capability. Because maps aren't territory. Because you can understand your way into paralysis, irrelevance, or isolation.

Now that you can see the game:

• If you're an Armchair Cartographer: Act with your current map. Imperfect navigation beats perfect modeling.
• If you have Maps Without Travelers: Design for the journey, not the territory. Usability beats accuracy.
• If your Maps are Illegible: Translate, don't repeat. Meet them where they are.

The Model Game, played well, is in service of something else. Understanding that enables action. Frameworks that help others navigate. Maps that get used, adapted, and eventually superseded by better maps.

The cartographer who never leaves the map room contributes nothing. The one whose maps help travelers find their way—that's the game worth playing.

You've reached the end of this path. Where do you want to go next?