I nearly choked on my Mountain Dew when I heard HBO’s “The Last of Us” actors weren’t allowed to play the game. Imagine getting cast as Ellie but being told “Don’t touch the controller!” When I played God of War, I copied Kratos’ growl so hard I lost my voice for days. Shouldn’t actors study the source material like we study boss patterns?

Turns out showrunners fear carbon-copy performances more than noobs fear Dark Souls. Bella Ramsey straight-up admitted they can’t game—watched YouTube playthroughs instead. I get it. Last time I tried Sekiro, my cat walked on the keyboard and achieved more progress. But here’s the kicker: Druckmann says fresh takes beat perfect imitations every time.

When I joined a Red Dead RP server, I botched Dutch’s speeches trying to mimic the game. My crew roasted me until I invented my own outlaw persona. Suddenly everyone loved “Cactus Pete.” That’s what Ramsey did—took Ellie’s spirit without cloning Ashley Johnson’s mocap magic. Ever tried replicating a speedrun strat only to faceplant? Originality survives longer than cheap knockoffs.

Remember those cringe-worthy game movies from the 2000s? Actors looked lost because they treated games like ancient scrolls. Now HBO’s crew treats the game as a vibe check, not a script. It’s like modding Skyrim—keep the soul, swap the textures. Mazino played Jesse like New Game+ mode: same quest, new gear.

Devs and showrunners should take notes from multiplayer lobbies. Let players—and actors—find their own strats. Trust that we’ll spot the Easter eggs without needing handholds. After all, isn’t gaming about making stories your own? Press X to respect the craft.