game-vision-architect

name

game-vision-architect

description

Define the foundational identity of a game — who it's for, why it should exist, and what fantasy it fulfills. Use this skill when: (1) starting a new game project from scratch, (2) the designer has an idea but hasn't articulated a clear vision, (3) a game needs its core identity defined or redefined, (4) working backward from a mechanic/aesthetic to establish the vision it serves, (5) validating whether an existing vision still holds after significant design changes. Medium-agnostic — works for digital games, tabletop, pen-and-paper, and hybrid designs.

Game Vision Architect

Establish the game's reason to exist before anything else gets designed. This skill produces the north star that every other design decision is measured against.

Vision Components

A complete game vision consists of five elements. Work through them in order, but expect to revise earlier elements as later ones crystallize.

1. Core Fantasy

The aspirational promise — what does the player get to be or do?

Articulate in one sentence. The core fantasy is not a story synopsis — it's the power fantasy, the role, the experience the player is buying into.

Strong core fantasies:

• "You are a cunning spymaster manipulating factions from the shadows"
• "You are an explorer charting unknown territory where every discovery changes the map"
• "You are a crew of misfits keeping a failing spaceship alive against impossible odds"

Weak core fantasies (too vague):

• "An exciting adventure game" — what's the fantasy?
• "A fun strategy experience" — who am I in this world?
• "Players compete to win" — that's every game, not a fantasy

Test: If a player reads the core fantasy, can they immediately imagine themselves in the role? Can they feel the appeal before knowing any mechanics?

2. Player Persona

Psychographic profiles of who this game is for. Not demographics — motivations, play preferences, and unmet needs.