Player Fairness, Failure & Retention Toolkit
Design failure that makes players want another attempt instead of quitting in frustration. This 8-skill bundle analyzes onboarding, flow, failure loops, attribution, perceived randomness, fairness, memorable moments, and unfinished goals. Use it to understand why technically balanced systems can still feel unfair, why players blame the game instead of themselves, what they remember after a session, and what makes them want to come back.
Works with every agent that reads SKILL.md — Claude Code, Cursor, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, OpenClaw, and more.
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What's included
8 skillsAudit game onboarding using the Hero's Journey to improve first-session retention and player emotional connection.
Diagnose pacing issues, difficulty cliffs, and boredom plateaus using Flow theory for games and features.
Audit and optimize game failure loops to convert player defeat into motivation and mastery.
Audit game mechanics using Attribution Theory to diagnose unfairness, reduce player churn, and improve feedback loops.
Audit game mechanics to ensure random systems feel fair, rewarding, and psychologically satisfying to players.
Diagnose why game mechanics feel unfair and convert player rage into "one more try" motivation.
Audit game experiences using the peak-end rule to ensure players remember highs and endings instead of friction.
Audit game systems using the Zeigarnik effect to ensure unfinished tasks create healthy return pull instead of anxiety.
See it in action
game design ftue hero journey audit
Example session with this skill installed
Audit the FTUE for a dark fantasy ARPG where the player starts in a jail cell, follows a ghost guide for 10 minutes of combat basics, and then faces a boss they are scripted to lose against.
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the game design ftue
- Generated the UI component
I have audited the FTUE for your dark fantasy ARPG. While the atmosphere is strong, the scripted loss at the "Threshold" creates a high risk of "Threshold Humiliation" for new players.
FTUE Hero's Journey Audit: Dark Fantasy ARPG
| Stage | Analysis | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Call to Adventure | The jail cell start is a classic "Ordinary World" exit, but the "Why" is missing. Why should the hero escape? | Weak |
| Meeting the Mentor | The ghost guide provides essential gifts (basic sword) but lacks emotional weight. It feels like a floating UI element. | Neutral |
| Crossing the Threshold | The scripted boss loss violates the "Competence" need. Players often mistake design intent for bad balancing. | Critical Risk |
| Psychological Needs | Autonomy is low due to the linear jail corridor. Competence is stripped away by the scripted death. | Low Satisfaction |
Drop-Risk Diagnosis
The primary drop-risk occurs at the 12-minute mark. After spending 10 minutes learning mechanics (investment), the player is forced into a failure state (punishment). This creates a "Competence Trap" where the player feels the game is unfair rather than challenging.
Recommendations
Reframe the Mentor: Give the ghost a name and a shared goal. Instead of "Press X to attack," have the ghost beg the player to "Break these chains so we can both be free."
2.
Adjust the Threshold: Instead of a scripted death, have the boss "break" the environment, forcing the player to escape. This maintains the boss's threat without hurting the player's sense of agency.
3.
Early Hook: Insert a 15-second cinematic or environmental storytelling piece in the cell that hints at the "inviting fantasy"—show what the player is fighting to get back to.
Next steps
- Review the ghost's dialogue script for emotional hooks.
- A/B test a version where the boss fight is winnable but ends in a narrow escape.
- Map out the "Part 0" framing to establish the hero's motivation before the first combat.
game-design-ftue-hero-journey-audit.tsx
TSX · React component
Example file from a real run - the skill writes it into your workspace.
How to install
Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.
- 1
Download the ZIP
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- 2
Unzip into your skills folder
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- 3
Ask your agent to use it
Restart the agent if it was already running. It picks the skill up automatically - no config needed.
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