Force the design space open before it closes too early.
Use this skill when a team already has ideas and needs a structured way to compare them. The aim is to avoid premature convergence by putting several options side by side, then assessing their differences in value, cost, and risk.
Read references/family-conventions.md when you need the shared conventions for this GROW-derived skill family.
What to produce
Generate:
- Problem statement - what needs solving
- Five options - distinct solution directions
- Pros and cons - the upside and downside of each
- Rough comparison - impact, cost, and fit
- Recommendation - the best option or best test candidate
Process
1. Define the problem
State clearly what outcome the options are trying to achieve.
2. Generate five distinct options
Push for real differences, not five tiny variations of the same idea.
3. Evaluate each option
For each one, describe:
- summary
- strengths
- weaknesses
- expected player impact
- implementation difficulty
- strategic fit
Optional: include SWOT-style notes if useful.
4. Prioritize
Recommend:
- the best immediate choice
- the fastest testable version
- any options that should be discarded or held for later
Response structure
Problem
- ...
Five Options
- ...
- ...
- ...
- ...
- ...
Comparison
- ...
Recommendation
- ...
Fast mode
- What are five credible ways to solve this?
- Which one is strongest now?
- Which one is cheapest to test?
Working principle
There is almost always more than one viable answer. Make the alternatives visible.
Part of the Game Design Skills Bundle by Stanislav Stankovic. Licensed under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 — free for personal, academic and nonprofit use. Commercial use requires a licence, sold as skill packs. See https://github.com/Stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle for terms.
Required Notice: Copyright Stanislav Stankovic (https://www.stane-island.net/)