Hmm. I think it’s important to differentiate between AW and PtbA. PtbA is a language that a game can be written in. Any game. It’s a codified way of organizing if/then statements in order to provide a structure to a conversation.

AW was the first game written in this language, but it’s not the language. AW also happens to be a good game. But it doesn’t need its rules organized as they are to create the same instances of play.

You can create a good or bad game in PtbA because PtbA is not the game; it’s the language the game is written in.