Game Design Goal Framing

SKILL.md

---
name: game-design-goal-framing
description: Turn a vague feature idea or design direction into a clear game design goal with purpose, scope, fit, success criteria, and constraints. Use when a feature sounds promising but fuzzy, when a team cannot explain why something should exist, when success is unclear, or when a concept needs a stronger goal before ideation, evaluation, or prototyping.
---

# Game Design Goal Framing

Define what the feature is actually for.

Use this skill to sharpen a game design idea into a clear goal statement. The aim is to prevent fuzzy concepts, circular design discussion, and features that exist without a real reason. Keep the framing practical and explicit.

Read `references/family-conventions.md` when you need the shared conventions for this GROW-derived skill family.

## What to produce

Generate:
1. **Goal statement** - what the feature is meant to achieve
2. **Purpose** - why it should exist
3. **Fit** - how it connects to the rest of the game
4. **Success criteria** - player-facing and KPI-facing signals
5. **Constraints** - quality, scope, time, and resource limits

## Process

### 1. Clarify purpose
Ask:
- what problem does this solve
- what player behavior should change
- what player need or business need it serves

### 2. Check game fit
Ask:
- how it connects to existing loops and systems
- what player expectations it should meet
- what it must not break or dilute

### 3. Define success
Use a SMART-style lens:
- **Specific** - clear feature vision
- **Measurable** - success signals or KPIs
- **Attainable** - feasible with current constraints
- **Relevant** - connected to strategy and player value
- **Time-boxed** - aligned to a release or milestone

### 4. Write the framed goal
Use a compact format such as:

**Goal statement**  
We want to [player or business outcome] by introducing or changing [feature or system], measured by [signals], within [timeframe].

## Response structure

### Goal Statement
- ...

### Purpose
- ...

### Fit with the Game
- ...

### Success Criteria
- ...

### Constraints
- ...

## Fast mode
- What is this feature for?
- How should it help the player or the game?
- What would success look like?
- What constraints matter most?

## Working principle

A feature without a clear goal is just a vague wish wearing design clothes.