Sorry

I apply constraint and friction thinking to almost everything — even board games.

Take the game Sorry.

The original game has several throughput constraints:
• slow starts
• dead turns
• excessive waiting
• low strategic depth
• momentum loss

So I changed the rules.

Our version:
• everyone starts with one piece out
• each player begins with 3 cards
• after 3 dead turns, a player can advance from home
• 3 decks are combined to eliminate reshuffling

The result:
• faster gameplay
• more strategy
• more engagement
• less dead time
• better flow

Most people accept systems the way they were handed to them.

I naturally look for friction, constraints, and ways to improve throughput instead.