Voted up this comment, for kabbalistic reasons.
okay, playing house isn't actually a coherent category. there are ways to play house that have carse-jargon-“definite rules” and have a carse-jargon-defined-beginning&end, and there are ways to play house that don't. most instances of playing house are of the former type, likely including your experiences.
carse uses words in weird ways.
carse uses words in weird ways. in carse jargon, playing house is a finite game.
tomayto tomahto
afaict the quirrell tulpa is one of the more common types of tulpas. if you have one, do not use it. it is secretly voldemort and will destroy your soul.
When you say “a science-fiction story”, I am curious if it ever was finished. Is it HPMOR?
Reading this was a bit annoying:
Only one statement about a hand of cards is true:
There is a King or Ace or both.
There is a Queen or Ace or both.
Which is more likely, King or Ace?
... The majority of people respond that the Ace is more likely to occur, but this is logically incorrect.
It is just communicating badly https://xkcd.com/169/ . In a common parse, Ace is more likely to occur. It would be more likely to be parsed as you intended if you had said
Only one of the following premises is true about a particular hand of cards:
(like you did on the next question!)
you're not really wrong but you're missing the point
you are missing the concept of blather