Skill: stanestane/game-design-player-perspective-reframe (version 1.0.0)

--- name: game-design-player-perspective-reframe description: Reframe a player's current situation to reveal new meaning, goals, roles, or playstyles without changing the underlying mechanics. Use when diagnosing stagnation, boredom, or mid/late-game disengagement; when designing re-engagement prompts, adaptive guidance, or dynamic missions; or when a player is technically able to continue but no longer sees the current state as interesting, valuable, or purposeful. --- # Game Design Player Perspective Reframe Reframe a player's current situation so the same game state can be interpreted through a more motivating lens. Use this skill when the player is not blocked by a fundamentally broken system, but by a stale interpretation of what their situation means or what kind of play is currently available to them. ## Core principle Sometimes the problem is not lack of content, but lack of meaning. A player can have options available and still feel stuck because they are reading the current state through an exhausted frame: "I cannot grow," "I am behind," "nothing is happening," or "this part is just waiting." Reframing changes the interpretation of the state so a new kind of goal, role, or challenge becomes visible. ## What to produce Generate: 1. **Current state summary** - what the player is doing, wanting, and feeling 2. **Stagnation diagnosis** - why the current frame is no longer working 3. **Reframe options** - alternative ways to interpret the current state 4. **Chosen reframe** - the strongest new lens 5. **Action hook** - immediate next objective or prompt 6. **Expected effect** - why the reframe may restore interest, agency, or momentum 7. **Use-case judgment** - whether reframing is actually the right intervention, or whether the underlying system instead needs fixing ## Process ### 1. Define the stuck state Clarify: - what the player is trying to do - what they believe is the problem - what the system state actually looks like - what kind of disengagement is happening: boredom, frustration, aimlessness, repetition, self-comparison fatigue, etc. Write: - **Player state** - **Current goal** - **Why the current frame is failing** ### 2. Decide whether reframing is appropriate at all Before generating reframes, check whether the problem is truly interpretive rather than structural. Reframing is appropriate when: - the player has meaningful options, but does not currently value or notice them - the underlying systems are basically sound, but the player's current lens is exhausted - the game can support alternate self-directed goals without pretending the state is healthier than it is - the intervention is meant to extend or redirect engagement, not conceal a broken loop Reframing is not the right primary move when: - the system is actually opaque, unfair, or under-rewarding - the player lacks real agency or feasible next steps - the economy is over-constrained and the reframe would just romanticize waiting - frustration is caused by balance, UX, matchmaking, or monetization abuse If the issue is mostly structural, say so clearly and treat any reframe as secondary at best. ### 3. Diagnose the dominant stagnation pattern Common patterns: - **growth lock** - player only values expansion and cannot see value in consolidation - **efficiency fatigue** - player is optimizing mechanically but no longer feels purpose - **goal vacuum** - no compelling next objective is visible - **identity exhaustion** - player has overidentified with one role or playstyle - **failure fixation** - player reads current state only as a deficit or loss - **content blindness** - systems are present but the player does not recognize them as meaningful play ### 4. Choose a reframe strategy Use one or combine several: #### Role reframe Shift who the player is right now. Examples: - builder -> optimizer - collector -> curator - attacker -> steward - grinder -> planner #### Goal reframe Shift what success means. Examples: - expansion -> refinement - speed -> elegance - raw power -> consistency - completion -> experimentation #### Constraint reframe Turn a limitation into a challenge premise. Examples: - "What can you achieve with only your current tools?" - "Can you solve this with one district / one deck / one weapon class?" #### System reframe Reveal another layer of meaning already present in the same mechanics. Examples: - "This is not just waiting; this is production planning." - "This is not a content gap; it is a logistics puzzle." #### Narrative reframe Wrap the current state in story meaning. Examples: - recovery phase - rebuilding chapter - proving-ground moment - specialist mission #### Social reframe Redefine the current state through comparison, contribution, or recognition. Examples: - show off efficiency - mentor others - attempt a community challenge - compare style rather than speed ### 5. Generate multiple plausible reframes Produce at least three candidate reframes before choosing one. Each candidate should include: - new interpretation - why it fits the current state - what kind of player it is most likely to help - risk of backfiring ### 6. Select the best reframe Pick the reframe most likely to: - restore agency - make the current state feel meaningful - create an immediate next step - fit the player's likely values - avoid lying about a broken system Important: do not use reframing to excuse an actually broken or abusive loop. If the system is fundamentally busted, say so. ### 7. Attach an action hook The reframe must point to a concrete next move. Examples: - optimize output using only current buildings - redesign one district around beauty instead of income - complete a self-imposed low-resource challenge - treat the next three sessions as a scouting-and-planning phase - focus on one underused system and master it Without an action hook, the reframe stays abstract and weak. ### 8. State the expected effect The expected effect should be modest and believable. Good targets: - renewed curiosity - restored short-term agency - lower self-defeating frustration - better recognition of alternate goals already present in the system - a temporary bridge from stale play to fresher play Bad targets: - masking a broken progression wall - making players accept exploitative friction - pretending a starved content phase is secretly rich ### 9. State the use-case judgment Conclude with a blunt judgment: - **Strong fit for reframing** - **Partial fit; system fixes matter more** - **Weak fit; this is mostly a structural problem** Say why. Explain what the reframe is trying to change: - restore curiosity - reduce frustration by changing success criteria - open a new playstyle identity - create a short-term challenge layer - transform waiting into anticipation or planning ## Response structure ### Current State Summary - ... ### Stagnation Diagnosis - ... ### Reframe Options 1. ... 2. ... 3. ... ### Chosen Reframe - ... ### Action Hook - ... ### Expected Effect - ... ### Use-Case Judgment - ... ## Fast mode Use this quick pass when speed matters: - what is the player currently trying to do? - is the problem interpretive or structural? - why does the current frame feel dead? - what other role, goal, or lens could fit the same state? - what should the player do immediately under that new frame? ## Working principle A good reframe does not pretend the player's situation is different. It makes a different and more useful truth visible inside the same situation.


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