game design player need satisfaction audit

    1

    Audit game mechanics using psychological frameworks to identify why features feel like chores and how to fix them.

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    Works with the AI tools you already use

    Claude CodeClaude CodeCursorCursorCodex CLICodex CLIMuseMuseDotsDots+22 more

    game design player need satisfaction audit

    Example session with this skill installed

    Audit our new 'Guild Expeditions' feature. It has high daily participation, but players are complaining it feels like a chore. It uses daily timers and forced group matchmaking.

    • Read your context and instructions
    • Compiled the game design player
    • Generated the UI component

    The audit indicates that while the feature successfully drives daily participation, it does so through

    Autonomy Denial, leading to the "chore" sentiment. The reliance on forced matchmaking and rigid timers creates a coercive return loop rather than a self-directed social ritual.

    Guild Expeditions Need Satisfaction Audit

    Audit Target

    Feature: Guild Expeditions (Social/Progression)
    Player Context: Mid-to-late game players seeking rare materials.
    Why it matters: High friction in social features often leads to guild burnout and churn.

    Need Satisfaction Profile

    NeedScoreWhy
    Autonomy2Daily timers and forced matchmaking remove player choice on when and how to play.
    Competence4Clear goals and visible material rewards provide a strong sense of progress.
    Relatedness2Matchmaking with strangers/forced participation feels transactional, not communal.

    Risk Diagnosis: Coercive Retention

    The design currently follows the

    Coercive Retention failure shape. Players return to avoid "letting the guild down" or missing a timer, rather than seeking the social experience. The high participation is driven by loss aversion, not need satisfaction.

    Recommendations

    NeedProblemSuggested ChangeExpected Effect
    AutonomyRigid daily timersImplement a weekly "Energy Pool" for expeditions.Players choose their own session pacing.
    RelatednessHollow social interactionAdd "Guild Assists" where members can leave buffs for others.Creates felt belonging without forced real-time sync.
    AutonomyForced MatchmakingAllow solo-entry with "Mercenary" bots or partial guild groups.Preserves player agency in social composition.

    Next steps

    • Review the "Energy Pool" mechanic against the current economy balance.
    • Prototype the "Guild Assists" UI to ensure the feedback for helping others is immediate and legible.
    • Survey players specifically on "Agency vs. Obligation" regarding the new timer structure.

    game-design-player-need-satisfaction-aud.tsx

    TSX · React component

    Generated

    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

    Diagnose low retention in features that have high initial engagement.Identify points of autonomy denial in monetization and live-ops flows.Evaluate social systems for genuine belonging versus transactional friction.Score design variants based on psychological need satisfaction.

    About this skill

    The problem

    Game mechanics often drive KPIs like retention or spend while leaving players feeling emotionally drained or bored. Traditional audits focus on metrics, missing the psychological reasons why players actually engage or churn.

    What it does

    • Evaluates game systems using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the PENS framework.
    • Identifies specific points where designs deny player autonomy or frustrate competence.
    • Maps intended player fantasies against actual system-driven behaviors.
    • Generates a quantified Need Satisfaction Profile across autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
    • Provides actionable design changes to transform coercive loops into nourishing experiences.

    Why this beats prompting it yourself

    General AI often confuses "fun" with "addictive." This skill uses a structured psychological lens to distinguish between meaningful engagement and hollow compulsion, preventing the "spreadsheet fun" trap that plagues modern live-ops.

    Use cases

    • Auditing a monetization flow to ensure it doesn't erode player agency.
    • Diagnosing why a social feature has high participation but low sentiment.
    • Evaluating onboarding flows to balance competence building with autonomy.
    • Comparing A/B variants based on emotional durability rather than just click-through rates.

    How to install

    Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.

    ~30 seconds
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      Download the ZIP

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      Unzip into your skills folder

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      Ask your agent to use it

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