Ludologium
Editorial essay collection

Ludological Monographs

What changes when a rule, an information state or a payoff changes? Five editorial essays by Evelyna Bellamy distinguish historical rules, declared models and measurement requirements. These essays have not been externally peer reviewed.

Mechanism Design & Historical Economics 6 min read

The Georgist Engine

Following the money through Magie’s rules and a declared teaching model

A payment can reward an owner, enter a treasury or return to the players. Those destinations change a game’s incentives. I compare the stated purposes and rules of Magie’s 1904 and 1924 patents, then work through a small transfer example. It clarifies a mechanism without claiming to simulate Monopoly or prove a policy outcome.

By Evelyna Bellamy · revised 2026-10-10 · 1161 words

2026-03-15Read essay
Game Trees & Information 4 min read

The Topology of Choice

A Small Tree, a Hidden State and the Price of Knowing

A game tree describes what can happen; an information set describes what a player can know when choosing. Two small constructed examples make that distinction inspectable and show why a search result depends on declared payoffs, observations and opponent assumptions. No equilibrium or reinforcement-learning result is claimed.

By Evelyna Bellamy · revised 2026-10-11 · 692 words

2026-02-28Read essay
Rules & Game Design 4 min read

Ontology of the Rule

One Checker Drop and the Choices It Makes Possible

The Classic Connect 4 drop rule makes some cells reachable and others unavailable at a given turn. A declared board position follows that one rule through immediate choice, tactical dependence and an intended experience, using MDA as a framework rather than as proof of what every player feels.

By Evelyna Bellamy · revised 2026-10-11 · 735 words

2026-02-10Read essay
Game Preservation 4 min read

The Emulation Dilemma

Preserving a Target and Declaring a Play Configuration

A preservation target and a preferred play experience can require different configurations. A declared Super Mario Bros. case separates the archival object, emulator version and full input-to-display path, while an illustrative timing calculation shows why a frame count cannot certify how a tested system feels.

By Evelyna Bellamy · revised 2026-10-11 · 714 words

2026-01-22Read essay
Strategy & Declared Models 4 min read

Metagame Dynamics

A Declared Payoff Patch and the Difference Between Incentive and Adoption

A rule change alters the incentives a player faces; it does not by itself tell us how quickly players adapt. A small constructed payoff table follows a versioned patch through best responses, then separates that arithmetic from the telemetry needed to describe an actual metagame.

By Evelyna Bellamy · revised 2026-10-11 · 714 words

2026-01-05Read essay