Game Design Prompt

The Prompt

Design a game mechanic for [GAME TYPE/GENRE] that solves [DESIGN PROBLEM].

Provide:

**Core Loop:**
- What does the player DO moment-to-moment?
- What decision do they make every [X seconds/turns]?
- What's the feedback loop? (action → outcome → learning → better action)

**Progression:**
- How does complexity increase?
- What unlocks keep players invested?
- Power curve: how much stronger does the player get over time?

**Balance:**
- What creates tension? (risk/reward, resource management, time pressure)
- What prevents dominant strategies?
- How do different skill levels experience it?

**Engagement:**
- Short-term hook (first 5 minutes)
- Medium-term goal (first session)
- Long-term investment (why they come back)

**Edge Cases:**
- What happens when a player is stuck?
- What happens when a player exploits the system?
- What happens in multiplayer if skill gap is large?

**Analogy:** "This feels like [EXISTING GAME REFERENCE] but with [KEY DIFFERENCE]"

Justify every mechanic: what player emotion does it create?

How To Use It

Describe your game concept or the specific design problem you’re trying to solve. The AI will propose mechanics grounded in player psychology and game design principles.

Why It Works

Game design is fundamentally about creating interesting decisions. This prompt ensures every mechanic serves player experience (emotion) rather than existing for its own sake, and the edge cases prevent the common failure of mechanics that work in theory but break in practice.

Variations

Economy design:

Design an in-game economy with [N] resources. Define: sources, sinks, conversion rates, and what prevents inflation. The economy must remain engaging at hour 1 and hour 100.

Difficulty curve:

Design a difficulty curve for a [GENRE] game that: teaches mechanics through play (not tutorials), has satisfying peaks and valleys, and never feels unfair. Map it across 10 levels.

Monetization that isn’t evil:

Design an ethical monetization system for [GAME TYPE]. Rules: no pay-to-win, no FOMO manipulation, no gambling mechanics targeting minors. It must still be profitable.