Skill: stanestane/game-design-fogg-behavior-audit (version 1.0.0)

--- name: game-design-fogg-behavior-audit description: "Audit a game feature, flow, event, onboarding step, progression action, monetization surface, retention mechanic, or social prompt using the Fogg Behavior Model: Motivation, Ability, Prompt. Use when evaluating whether a design actually causes the intended player behavior, diagnosing weak feature adoption, identifying friction or mistimed prompts, or understanding why a feature that seems valuable is not being used." --- # Game Design Fogg Behavior Audit Evaluate whether a feature actually produces the behavior it is trying to cause. Use this skill when the main question is behavioral: will players do the thing, and if not, why not? The goal is not to give a broad aesthetic critique. The goal is to identify whether the intended player action is supported by enough motivation, enough ability, and the right prompt at the right moment. Read `references/fogg-notes.md` when you need a concise reminder of the model and the main failure patterns. Read `references/game-examples.md` when you want examples of how Motivation, Ability, and Prompt show up in game features. ## Core behavior - Keep the analysis practical, not academic. - Always identify the target behavior first. - Do not audit a feature in the abstract if the intended player action is unclear. - Evaluate Motivation, Ability, and Prompt separately before giving a verdict. - Identify which of the three is the main bottleneck. - Recommend specific fixes, not vague advice. - Focus especially on feature design, onboarding, retention loops, event participation, progression actions, social actions, and monetization prompts. ## What to ask first Prioritize these questions: 1. What exact player behavior is this feature trying to cause? 2. What is the feature or flow? 3. Who is the target player or player state? 4. When is the player supposed to do the action? 5. What reward, value, urgency, or reason does the player have to do it? 6. What friction, prerequisites, or UI steps stand between the player and the action? 7. What prompt or trigger is currently used? If the target behavior is vague, ask for clarification or infer the most likely behavior and state the assumption. ## What to diagnose Quickly identify: - whether the intended behavior is clear and specific - whether players have enough reason to do it now - whether the action is easy enough in the current context - whether the prompt appears at the right moment - whether the prompt is visible, timely, and relevant - whether the feature is failing mostly because of low motivation, low ability, weak prompting, or a mismatch between all three ## Response structure Always organize the answer using this structure. ### Target Behavior - state the exact player action the feature is trying to produce - if needed, distinguish primary and secondary behaviors ### Motivation Read - what makes the player want to do it - what weakens desire or relevance - whether the reward, emotional appeal, status, urgency, curiosity, fear of loss, or identity fit is strong enough ### Ability Read - what makes the action easy or hard - clarity - step count - cognitive load - time cost - resource or skill gates - UI friction ### Prompt Read - what currently prompts the behavior - whether the prompt is visible, understandable, and well-timed - whether the prompt hits when motivation and ability are high enough ### Failure Diagnosis - identify the main bottleneck - say whether the feature mostly fails because players do not want it, cannot easily do it, are not being prompted well, or are being prompted at the wrong time ### Recommendation - recommend specific changes - if useful, separate fixes into motivation, ability, and prompt improvements ## Strong use cases This skill is especially useful for: - FTUE and tutorial steps - daily or return-player actions - event entry and event participation - reward claims and progression interactions - store offers and monetization prompts - battle pass or mission adoption - social invites or guild actions - underused buttons, tabs, or feature entries - any feature that seems valuable on paper but is not being used much ## Weaker use cases This skill is less useful for: - broad game vision critique without a specific target behavior - purely aesthetic review - open-ended sandbox play where the intended behavior is intentionally loose - high-level worldbuilding analysis ## Style guidance - Be concrete. - Do not turn the analysis into generic behavioral-science fluff. - Keep the focus on what the player is actually being asked to do. - If the feature is trying to drive too many behaviors at once, say so. - If the behavior target itself is bad or confused, say that before tuning Motivation, Ability, or Prompt. ## Fast mode Use this compressed flow when the user wants a quick answer: - what exact behavior is this feature trying to cause - do players want to do it - can they easily do it - are they prompted at the right moment - which of the three is weakest - what should change first ## Working principle A feature does not succeed just because it exists, is visible, or is theoretically valuable. It succeeds when the player has enough reason to act, enough ability to act, and a prompt that lands at the right moment.

path: references/fogg-notes.md
content: # Fogg Notes

Use this reference when you need a concise reminder of the Fogg Behavior Model.

## Core model

Behavior is most likely to happen when three things meet:
- **Motivation** - the player wants to do it
- **Ability** - the player can do it easily enough
- **Prompt** - something triggers the action at the right moment

If one of these is too weak, the behavior often does not happen.

## Game-friendly interpretation

### Motivation
Possible sources:
- reward value
- emotional payoff
- status
- competition
- curiosity
- urgency
- fear of missing out or loss
- social meaning
- identity fit

Common failure patterns:
- reward is too weak
- player does not understand why it matters
- feature feels irrelevant in current progression state
- the effort feels larger than the payoff

### Ability
Possible blockers:
- too many steps
- poor discoverability
- confusing UI
- too much reading
- high time cost
- skill gate
- currency or resource gate
- contextual mismatch

Common failure patterns:
- feature is technically available but practically annoying
- the player is prompted when busy, confused, or underpowered
- the action depends on prerequisites the player does not yet have

### Prompt
Possible forms:
- button placement
- notification
- tutorial callout
- event banner
- reward reminder
- social invitation
- contextual nudge after a relevant success or failure

Common failure patterns:
- prompt appears too early
- prompt appears too late
- prompt appears when ability is low
- prompt is visually weak or easy to ignore
- prompt frequency creates blindness or irritation

## Important caution

Do not assume the answer is always "add motivation".
Many weak features fail because the action is too annoying, unclear, or badly timed, not because the reward is too small.


path: references/game-examples.md
content: # Game Examples

Use this reference when you want examples of how Motivation, Ability, and Prompt show up in game feature design.

## FTUE prompt to equip an item

Target behavior:
- equip the newly earned item

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** is fine because the reward is obvious
- **Ability** is weak if the inventory is confusing or buried
- **Prompt** is weak if the game never highlights where to tap next

## Daily event participation

Target behavior:
- enter the event and play at least one run

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** may be weak if rewards feel generic
- **Ability** may be weak if entry requires too many prerequisite taps or currencies
- **Prompt** may be weak if the event appears when the player is already overloaded with menus

## Battle pass claim flow

Target behavior:
- open the pass and claim rewards regularly

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** is usually decent because rewards exist
- **Ability** can fail if claim flow is tedious or hidden
- **Prompt** can fail if reminders are subtle, late, or visually drowned out by other surfaces

## Social invite feature

Target behavior:
- invite a friend

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** may be weak if social value is unclear
- **Ability** may be weak if the invite path is awkward or requires too much setup
- **Prompt** may be weak if the request appears before the player has enough positive investment to recommend the game

## Limited-time store offer

Target behavior:
- tap and purchase or at least inspect the offer

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** may fail if value is unclear
- **Ability** may fail if pricing or contents are confusing
- **Prompt** may fail if the offer appears at a moment of low trust or high frustration

## Return-player notification

Target behavior:
- reopen the game after being away

Possible failure diagnosis:
- **Motivation** may fail if the content is not compelling
- **Ability** may fail if returning feels cognitively expensive or the session startup is slow
- **Prompt** may fail if timing is bad or if notifications are too generic to matter


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