aesthetic-direction-framework
Define the sensory identity of a game — how it looks, sounds, and feels in service of the vision and pillars. The bridge between design intent and sensory execution. Use this skill when: (1) establishing the visual, audio, and tactile identity for a new project, (2) a game "feels wrong" and the sensory layer may be misaligned with mechanics or vision, (3) pillar changes require aesthetic re-evaluation (bidirectional with Skill 2), (4) defining art direction or audio direction pillars, (5) establishing game feel targets (juice, responsiveness, weight), (6) ensuring sensory coherence across all elements, (7) defining component aesthetics for tabletop (table presence, material quality). Co-equal with Design Pillars (Skill 2) at Tier 2. Medium-agnostic.
2026-03-11
Game industry competitive analysis framework for product managers.
Provides structured methodologies for analyzing competing games, studios, and market positioning.
Use when: (1) mapping the competitive landscape for a game genre or product,
(2) building feature comparison matrices across competing titles,
(3) analyzing positioning, monetization, or UA strategy differences,
(4) conducting win/loss analysis on player acquisition and churn,
(5) identifying market trends, genre shifts, and platform changes,
(6) creating competitive intelligence briefs with web research.
Triggers: "competitive analysis", "competitor research", "竞品分析", "竞争对手",
"竞品调研", "市场分析", "competitor comparison", "market positioning",
"feature matrix", "win loss analysis", "genre analysis", "品类分析",
"竞品报告", "市场调研", "对标分析"
2026-03-11
Define the fundamental action cycle — what the player does repeatedly and why it stays engaging. The heartbeat of the game. Use this skill when: (1) translating pillars and experience targets into a concrete gameplay cycle, (2) diagnosing why a game feels repetitive or disengaging, (3) designing nested loop structures (moment-to-moment, session, meta/campaign), (4) identifying attrition risk points where players disengage, (5) evaluating whether a proposed mechanic serves the core loop or fragments it, (6) designing how the loop evolves over time to sustain long-term engagement. Medium-agnostic — works for digital, tabletop, and hybrid games.
2026-03-11
Meta-skill that wraps the Game Design Skill Suite (21 skills, 8 tiers). Manages change propagation, coherence checking, priority arbitration, and adaptive flow between game design skills. Use this skill when: (1) starting a new game design project and determining which skills to activate, (2) a design change in one area may affect other areas, (3) checking whether all design elements are still aligned with vision and pillars, (4) resolving conflicts between competing design demands, (5) re-entering the design process after a playtest or discovery invalidates assumptions, (6) the designer wants to start from a non-standard entry point (e.g., starting from a mechanic idea rather than vision).
2026-03-11
Track what changed, why it changed, and what the result was. Prevent circular design and build institutional memory. Use this skill when: (1) logging design decisions with rationale and supporting data, (2) detecting when a proposed change moves back toward a previously rejected state, (3) tracking the impact chain of changes across systems, (4) maintaining version history of key design parameters, (5) building a searchable history of design evolution, (6) onboarding new team members who need to understand why things are the way they are. Medium-agnostic — works for digital, tabletop, and hybrid games.
2026-03-11
Distill a game vision into 3-5 actionable design pillars that constrain and guide every design decision. Pillars are the filter — if a feature doesn't serve a pillar, it gets cut. Use this skill when: (1) a game vision exists but needs translating into actionable constraints, (2) the team needs a shared framework for evaluating design decisions, (3) feature creep threatens and the project needs refocusing, (4) aesthetic direction challenges require pillar re-evaluation (bidirectional with Skill 3), (5) a pillar is suspected of no longer serving the vision. Co-equal with Aesthetic Direction (Skill 3) at Tier 2. Medium-agnostic.
2026-03-11
