game-design – Design & UI skill for AI agents

Game Design Principles

> Design thinking for engaging games.

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1. Core Loop Design

The 30-Second Test

Prototype a short loop; 30 seconds is a heuristic, not a universal rule:
1. ACTION → Player does something
2. FEEDBACK → Game responds
3. REWARD → Player feels good
4. REPEAT

Loop Examples

| Genre | Core Loop |

|-------|-----------|

| Platformer | Run → Jump → Land → Collect |

| Shooter | Aim → Shoot → Kill → Loot |

| Puzzle | Observe → Think → Solve → Advance |

| RPG | Explore → Fight → Level → Gear |

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2. Game Design Document (GDD)

Essential Sections

| Section | Content |

|---------|---------|

| Pitch | One-sentence description |

| Core Loop | Actions, feedback and meaningful outcomes |

| Mechanics | How systems work |

| Progression | How player advances |

| Art Style | Visual direction |

| Audio | Sound direction |

Principles

• Keep it living (update regularly)
• Visuals help communicate
• Less is more (start small)

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3. Player Psychology

Motivation Types

This is a historical player-type heuristic, not an exhaustive taxonomy or a validated label for an individual. Confirm motivations through voluntary playtests.

| Type | Driven By |

|------|-----------|

| Achiever | Goals, completion |

| Explorer | Discovery, secrets |

| Socializer | Interaction, community |

| Killer | Competition, dominance |

Reward Schedules

| Schedule | Effect | Use |

|----------|--------|-----|

| Fixed | Predictable | Milestone rewards |

| Variable | Unpredictable outcomes | Optional rewards with transparent odds |

| Ratio | Reward after a number of responses | Can be fixed or variable; a separate dimension from predictability |

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4. Difficulty Balancing

Flow State

Too Hard → Frustration → Quit
Too Easy → Boredom → Quit
Just Right → Flow → Engagement

Balancing Strategies

| Strategy | How |

|----------|-----|

| Dynamic | Adjust to player skill |

| Selection | Let player choose |

| Accessibility | Options for all |

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5. Progression Design

Progression Types

| Type | Example |

|------|---------|

| Skill | Player gets better |

| Power | Character gets stronger |

| Content | New areas unlock |

| Story | Narrative advances |

Pacing Principles

• Early wins (hook quickly)
• Gradually increase challenge
• Rest beats between intensity
• Meaningful choices

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6. Anti-Patterns

| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do |

|----------|-------|

| Design in isolation | Playtest constantly |

| Polish before fun | Prototype first |

| Force one way to play | Allow player expression |

| Punish excessively | Reward progress |

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> Remember: Fun is discovered through iteration, not designed on paper.

When to Use

Use when designing a playable core loop, preparing a GDD, balancing difficulty, or evaluating progression through playtests.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

Verification

Treat tables as design starting points, not guarantees. Prototype the selected mechanic, test accessibility and recovery paths, and measure frame timing, memory and behavior on target hardware before claiming completion. Store submission and licensing requirements must be checked against current official platform documentation.