Cleverness in this case means: - Too many jumps in code logic instead of serial logic - Premature optimization 1: messy code (using lots of unclear variables

Cleverness in this case means: - Too many jumps in code logic instead of serial logic - Premature optimization 1: messy code (using lots of unclear variables etc), this is common within calculations, and games have quite some of those. - Premature optimization 2: failing to properly architect - Single-character variables. Java IDEs default to fullvars - Bad function/method names - Not expressing what you mean (for i= vs foreach) - Too many abstraction layers / IoC - Too many sideeffects / complex code (interwoven code) - Callback hell Nr 1 is important.. You need to be able to "follow the code". If that requires you to create a DSL in order to code something async in a serial way, then by all means do so. For example with: network (duh.), but also in games: character dialogs, animations etc. etc.