game-design-player-motivation-audit

Name: game-design-player-motivation-audit
Author: Stanestane

34stars3forks

How to install game-design-player-motivation-audit?

stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle/game-design-player-motivation-audit

$npx -y skills add Stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle --skill game-design-player-motivation-audit

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Audit a game, feature, live-ops system, progression loop, social feature, or monetization surface using a Self-Determination Theory-inspired motivation framework. Use when evaluating what kind of motivation a design creates, comparing alternative motivational profiles, diagnosing

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SKILL.md

1	# Game Design Player Motivation Audit
2
3	Audit a design by asking not just whether it motivates action, but what kind of motivation it creates, for whom, and at what cost.
4
5	Use this skill to distinguish between engagement driven by enjoyment, value endorsement, identity, social pressure, reward dependency, or helplessness. Keep the analysis practical and design-facing, but use terminology that stays broadly consistent with Self-Determination Theory.
6
7	## Core principle
8
9	Not all motivation is equal.
10
11	Two designs may generate similar engagement numbers while creating very different player experiences. One may be driven by genuine enjoyment. Another may be driven by reward compulsion, social pressure, or fear of missing out. This skill helps distinguish those motivational structures.
12
13	## Motivation spectrum
14
15	Audit designs across the following motivation types:
16
17	1. Amotivation
18	2. External Regulation
19	3. Introjected Regulation
20	4. Identified Regulation
21	5. Integrated Regulation
22	6. Intrinsic Motivation
23
24	These are not mutually exclusive. Strong game systems often combine several.
25
26	## What to produce
27
28	Generate a motivation audit with these outputs:
29
30	1. Target behavior - what the design is trying to motivate
31	2. Motivation breakdown - which types of motivation are doing the work
32	3. Need satisfaction check - autonomy, competence, relatedness
33	4. Motivational profile - the overall mix and likely player effect
34	5. Diagnosis - how the experience is likely to feel
35	6. Recommendations - what to strengthen, reduce, or rebalance
36
37	## Process
38
39	### 1. Define the target behavior
40
41	Clarify the behavior the design is trying to produce.
42
43	Examples:
44	- start a session
45	- complete first 3 actions
46	- return later in the day
47	- finish an event track
48	- engage with social systems
49	- optimize city layout
50	- master a mechanic
51	- collect themed content
52	- spend premium currency
53
54	Write:
55	- Design being audited
56	- Target player behavior
57	- Time horizon - immediate / short-term / medium-term / long-term
58	- Primary player segment
59
60	### 2. Audit for amotivation
61
62	Ask where the design may create helplessness, meaninglessness, confusion, or low-agency compliance.
63
64	Amotivation is the failure state. It appears when actions feel empty, forced, over-scripted, or detached from perceived value.
65
66	Signals:
67	- player taps because the UI tells them to, not because they care
68	- grind without meaningful context
69	- tutorials or flows that feel like chasing arrows
70	- actions with low perceived agency
71	- delays or chores with no emotional or strategic meaning
72	- story, prompts, or task lists that feel like friction rather than invitation
73
74	Ask:
75	- Does the player understand why this action matters?
76	- Does the action feel voluntary or merely demanded?
77	- Does the player feel capable of affecting the outcome?
78	- Is any part of the flow just "push button to continue"?
79	- Is the action connected to a player goal, fantasy, or meaningful payoff?
80
81	Write:
82	- Amotivation risks
83
84	### 3. Audit external regulation
85
86	Ask how much of the design relies on rewards, punishments, reminders, deadlines, or pressure external to the activity itself.
87
88	This is the classic "do X to get Y" layer. It is common in free-to-play systems and often useful for activation, but dangerous when it carries the whole design.
89
90	Typical patterns:
91	- event track milestones
92	- login rewards
93	- reward ladders
94	- timed offers
95	- battle pass tasks
96	- grind gates with attractive rewards
97	- loss aversion and FOMO structures
98
99	Ask:
100	- If the reward disappeared, would the action still be attractive?
101	- Is the reward carrying the whole system?
102	- Is the system sustainable, or will it feel hollow once novelty fades?
103	- Is the reward structure clear and fair?
104	- Is there a risk of converting play into chore behavior?
105
106	Write:
107	- External regulation drivers
108
109	### 4. Audit introjected regulation
110
111	Ask where the design taps into ego, validation, self-image, pride, shame avoidance, status, or social comparison.
112
113	This layer is about internal pressure: proving something, keeping up, avoiding embarrassment, preserving self-image, or feeling recognized.
114
115	Typical patterns:
116	- leaderboards
117	- ranks
118	- badges and medals
119	- rare visible rewards
120	- progression prestige markers
121	- guild contribution surfaces
122	- public completion proofs
123	- comparative map or avatar placement
124
125	Ask:
126	- Does this design create bragging rights?
127	- Does it create pressure to keep up with others?
128	- I

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Type

game-design-player-motivation-audit

34stars3forks

View on GitHub

How to install game-design-player-motivation-audit?

stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle/game-design-player-motivation-audit

$npx -y skills add Stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle --skill game-design-player-motivation-audit

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Files · 1

View on GitHub

SKILL.md

1	# Game Design Player Motivation Audit
2
3	Audit a design by asking not just whether it motivates action, but what kind of motivation it creates, for whom, and at what cost.
4
5	Use this skill to distinguish between engagement driven by enjoyment, value endorsement, identity, social pressure, reward dependency, or helplessness. Keep the analysis practical and design-facing, but use terminology that stays broadly consistent with Self-Determination Theory.
6
7	## Core principle
8
9	Not all motivation is equal.
10
11	Two designs may generate similar engagement numbers while creating very different player experiences. One may be driven by genuine enjoyment. Another may be driven by reward compulsion, social pressure, or fear of missing out. This skill helps distinguish those motivational structures.
12
13	## Motivation spectrum
14
15	Audit designs across the following motivation types:
16
17	1. Amotivation
18	2. External Regulation
19	3. Introjected Regulation
20	4. Identified Regulation
21	5. Integrated Regulation
22	6. Intrinsic Motivation
23
24	These are not mutually exclusive. Strong game systems often combine several.
25
26	## What to produce
27
28	Generate a motivation audit with these outputs:
29
30	1. Target behavior - what the design is trying to motivate
31	2. Motivation breakdown - which types of motivation are doing the work
32	3. Need satisfaction check - autonomy, competence, relatedness
33	4. Motivational profile - the overall mix and likely player effect
34	5. Diagnosis - how the experience is likely to feel
35	6. Recommendations - what to strengthen, reduce, or rebalance
36
37	## Process
38
39	### 1. Define the target behavior
40
41	Clarify the behavior the design is trying to produce.
42
43	Examples:
44	- start a session
45	- complete first 3 actions
46	- return later in the day
47	- finish an event track
48	- engage with social systems
49	- optimize city layout
50	- master a mechanic
51	- collect themed content
52	- spend premium currency
53
54	Write:
55	- Design being audited
56	- Target player behavior
57	- Time horizon - immediate / short-term / medium-term / long-term
58	- Primary player segment
59
60	### 2. Audit for amotivation
61
62	Ask where the design may create helplessness, meaninglessness, confusion, or low-agency compliance.
63
64	Amotivation is the failure state. It appears when actions feel empty, forced, over-scripted, or detached from perceived value.
65
66	Signals:
67	- player taps because the UI tells them to, not because they care
68	- grind without meaningful context
69	- tutorials or flows that feel like chasing arrows
70	- actions with low perceived agency
71	- delays or chores with no emotional or strategic meaning
72	- story, prompts, or task lists that feel like friction rather than invitation
73
74	Ask:
75	- Does the player understand why this action matters?
76	- Does the action feel voluntary or merely demanded?
77	- Does the player feel capable of affecting the outcome?
78	- Is any part of the flow just "push button to continue"?
79	- Is the action connected to a player goal, fantasy, or meaningful payoff?
80
81	Write:
82	- Amotivation risks
83
84	### 3. Audit external regulation
85
86	Ask how much of the design relies on rewards, punishments, reminders, deadlines, or pressure external to the activity itself.
87
88	This is the classic "do X to get Y" layer. It is common in free-to-play systems and often useful for activation, but dangerous when it carries the whole design.
89
90	Typical patterns:
91	- event track milestones
92	- login rewards
93	- reward ladders
94	- timed offers
95	- battle pass tasks
96	- grind gates with attractive rewards
97	- loss aversion and FOMO structures
98
99	Ask:
100	- If the reward disappeared, would the action still be attractive?
101	- Is the reward carrying the whole system?
102	- Is the system sustainable, or will it feel hollow once novelty fades?
103	- Is the reward structure clear and fair?
104	- Is there a risk of converting play into chore behavior?
105
106	Write:
107	- External regulation drivers
108
109	### 4. Audit introjected regulation
110
111	Ask where the design taps into ego, validation, self-image, pride, shame avoidance, status, or social comparison.
112
113	This layer is about internal pressure: proving something, keeping up, avoiding embarrassment, preserving self-image, or feeling recognized.
114
115	Typical patterns:
116	- leaderboards
117	- ranks
118	- badges and medals
119	- rare visible rewards
120	- progression prestige markers
121	- guild contribution surfaces
122	- public completion proofs
123	- comparative map or avatar placement
124
125	Ask:
126	- Does this design create bragging rights?
127	- Does it create pressure to keep up with others?
128	- I

People who liked this also viewed

6 picks

Type