Cheap Tactics in Competitive Gaming

Many gamers complain about “cheap” or “cheesy” tactics in competitive play. This chapter offers an account of these complaints as moral claims expressing a negative evaluation of players’ actions and/or character. After a brief history of cheap tactics, a number of existing definitions of cheapness are surveyed, but none are adequate. A new definition is offered, one that avoids the shortcomings of existing definitions, captures the essence of cheapness, explains the moral grounds for complaints about cheapness, and distinguishes cheapness from cheating and toxicity. In closing, reflections are offered about what can be done about cheapness in competitive gameplay.