"Every game ever invented by mankind, is a way of making things hard for the fun of it!"

When humans create games—whether as simple as hide-and-seek or as complex as chess—they introduce unnecessary challenges within a structured environment. Normally, life encourages us to find the easiest path, to resolve problems and seek comfort. Yet, through games, people deliberately set up new obstacles and rules, inviting themselves and others to navigate artificial difficulties. The purpose is paradoxical: to make things more complicated than they have to be, but also more enjoyable.

The pleasure comes from the struggle itself. Games provide a safe space to attempt, fail, adapt, and try again. Each rule and limitation transforms the mundane into something engaging, lending meaning to every action. Without offside rules, scoring a goal in soccer would be utterly simple and dull, drained of strategy and tension. By imposing constraints, games manufacture situations where accomplishing straightforward tasks becomes notable and rewarding.

This playful pursuit of difficulty is deeply human. From childhood, humans invent challenges—balancing on curbs, racing friends, stacking cards—not because life demands it, but because overcoming a self-imposed barrier is intrinsically satisfying. Even in adulthood, the concept persists: video games, board games, riddles, and competitive sports are all embraced by cultures worldwide. These activities cater to creativity, strategy, skill, and luck, providing endless variations on how to transform simplicity into complex entertainment.

Furthermore, games foster learning and social connection. Negotiating rules, collaborating, or competing with others, teaches communication, resilience, and ingenuity. The enjoyment comes not from winning easily but from working to overcome obstacles. The difficulty is the source of the fun; without it, games would lose their meaning. Thus, willingly making things hard lies at the heart of human playfulness, offering a microcosm where effort, engagement, and joy intertwine.