Little worlds and miniatures give us the illusion of control in an out-of-control time.
I definitely think Gray’s point has a ton of merit. The opportunity to toy with a small system, which I can feasibly wrap my head around, is always a joy. Part of where I struggle with games is when a system gets complex enough that I stop feeling in control. This can sometimes be to a game’s benefit, but, more often, just makes me feel frustrated and lost (this was my initial experience with Europa Universalis IV, for instance).
