game design bartle archetype audit
Audit game features and systems using Bartle player archetypes to identify motivational imbalances and friction.
$5
Works with the AI tools you already use
Claude Code
Cursor
Codex CLI
Muse
Dots+22 moreClaude CodeCursorCodex CLIMuseDots
OpenClaw
Manus
Grok
Grok Bot+18 agentsgame design bartle archetype audit
Example session with this skill installed
Audit our new 'Guild Expeditions' feature. It's a weekly map where players clear nodes for points, top guilds get a trophy, and there's a chat room for the squad. Points are based on speed.
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the game design bartle
- Generated the UI component
I have audited the 'Guild Expeditions' feature. The design strongly favors Achievers and Killers through its speed-based ranking and trophy rewards, but currently offers a 'Social shell' experience for Socializers and lacks depth for Explorers.
Bartle Archetype Audit: Guild Expeditions
Audit Target
Target: Guild Expeditions (Weekly event)
Primary Goal: Drive weekly engagement through guild-level competition and speed-running mechanics.
Intended Segment: Mid-to-late game players in organized guilds.
Archetype Profile
| Archetype | Rating | Why | Likely Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achievers | Strongly served | Speed-based points and node clearing provide clear, measurable progress and optimization goals. | High engagement; will theorycraft the most efficient paths. |
| Explorers | Weakly served | Static weekly maps with 'clear nodes' mechanics offer little discovery once the meta is found. | Early curiosity followed by rapid boredom once the map is 'solved'. |
| Socializers | Moderately served | Shared goals and a dedicated chat room facilitate basic coordination. | Will participate for the guild, but may find the focus on speed stressful/anti-social. |
| Killers | Strongly served | The 'top guild' trophy creates high-stakes relative power and dominance over rival groups. | High motivation to outperform others; potential for toxicity if lower performers are blamed for slow times. |
Imbalance Diagnosis
The Speed Trap: By tying all value to speed, you have created an
Achiever Trap that leaves no room for
Explorers to experiment with non-meta strategies.
Social Shell: The chat room provides visibility, but the mechanic (speed clearing) doesn't require deep cooperation, only individual efficiency.
Recommendations
For Explorers: Add "Unstable Nodes" that appear randomly each week with unique modifiers that aren't revealed until a player enters, rewarding adaptation over rote speed.
2.
For Socializers: Introduce "Combo Nodes" that require two players to hit triggers simultaneously, moving the focus from raw speed to synchronized teamwork.
3.
For Killers/Achievers: Implement a "Hall of Fame" that tracks historical records, giving these types a permanent status marker to chase beyond the weekly reset.
Next steps
- Decide if the "Explorer starvation" is acceptable for a weekly competitive event.
- Define the specific modifiers for "Unstable Nodes" to increase systemic depth.
- Review the reward tiering to ensure mid-tier guilds still feel a sense of achievement.
game-design-bartle-archetype-audit.tsx
TSX · React component
Example file from a real run - the skill writes it into your workspace.
Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.
What you get
About this skill
The problem
Game designs often fail because they unintentionally alienate specific player types or create "grind traps" that only appeal to one motivation. Developers struggle to see how a new feature might frustrate explorers or allow competitive players to ruin the experience for socializers.
What it does
- Evaluates features through the four Bartle lenses: Achievers, Explorers, Socializers, and Killers.
- Identifies motivational imbalances where a system over-serves one group while neglecting others.
- Pinpoints "Killer contamination" or "Achiever traps" that could lead to player churn.
- Generates a structured Archetype Profile rating the design's impact on each player type.
- Provides actionable recommendations to strengthen weak archetype fits without breaking core loops.
Why this beats prompting it yourself
General LLMs often give vague "everyone will like this" feedback. This skill enforces a rigorous audit process that looks for specific failure patterns like "Social shells" or "Explorer starvation," ensuring your design is critiqued against actual game mechanics rather than marketing platitudes.
Use cases
- Reviewing a new battle pass or progression system for Achiever fatigue.
- Auditing a social hub to ensure it provides meaningful interaction rather than just visibility.
- Testing a new PvP mechanic to see if it creates toxic dominance loops for non-competitive players.
- Evaluating late-game content to ensure Explorers still have systems to test and discover.
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
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