The 10 rules that Edward Lewis and Roger created in order to guide and protect Oliver and Lulu function as a motif that reinforces the novel’s status as GameLit, adds to the novel’s humorous tone, and helps depict the nature of New Sonoran society. The existence of codified, strictly enforced, and frequently repeated rules orders and shapes Oliver’s and Lulu’s lives in the same way that rules order and shape a game, defining what is and is not allowed during “play.” Although most of the rules are practical and necessary, rule number four, which prohibits swearing, is simply a matter of preference. That this rule is the most frequently repeated and enforced—by Roger’s constant stinging of young adults like Oliver and his friends—is an element of the novel’s comedy.

Most of Lewis and Roger’s rules, however, function to demonstrate the fair, healthy, and stable environment that Oliver and Lulu have inherited. There are rules about eating and sleeping well, for instance, and rules about taking care of one’s own responsibilities. There are rules that help them run the farm effectively and thus protect their future. The initial mystery that surrounds rule number 10, “Live,” draws attention to it and, when it’s finally revealed, highlights its importance: Life is the point of the other rules, the highest value that the other rules are intended to protect. When Oliver’s and Lulu’s lives are threatened by Apex’s invasion, the order and stability of their inherited world begins to crumble. Many of the other rules must be disregarded, at least temporarily, but rule number 10 is sacrosanct. It is the revelation of this rule—“Live”—that ends Oliver’s narration as he processes everything that has happened. It is rule number 10 that motivates Oliver to put his grief behind him and look toward rebuilding New Sonora’s future.