Talking Cardboard

In game design, randomness can be used to provide tension and give the players some challenges and adversity to overcome. Making players feel under pressure and scrambling to make do with what they have is often a good thing. There's a bad way to do it though - and that is when the bad luck simply stops players doing anything at all. The best example is in Magic the Gathering, when you draw no land cards. It's a terrible experience because you can't do anything, you just sit there and take it, waiting to eventually draw some while your opponent pummels you. It's far better when bad luck constrains your choices but doesn't cut them off entirely.