game design friction journey audit
Audit game mechanics to separate strategic challenge from harmful friction, dead time, and progression deadlocks.
$5
Works with the AI tools you already use
Claude Code
Cursor
Codex CLI
GitHub Copilot
Gemini CLI+20 moreClaude CodeCursorCodex CLIGitHub CopilotGemini CLI
OpenClaw
Manus
Grok+17 agentsgame design friction journey audit
Example session with this skill installed
Audit the crafting flow for my survival game. Players need 5 rare ores, a level 3 bench, and 2 hours of real-time smelting. They often quit mid-smelt or complain about the ore grind.
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the game design friction
- Generated the UI component
The audit identifies a stack effect between high resource scarcity and real-time dead intervals, causing a breakpoint where anticipation turns into disengagement.
Crafting Journey Friction Audit
| Step | Friction Point | Type | Cause | Intensity | Visibility | Fairness Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource Gathering | 5 Rare Ores | Productive | Low drop rates | High | Obvious | Fair |
| Tool Check | Level 3 Bench | Mixed | Vertical progression | Medium | Obvious | Fair |
| Initiation | Crafting UI | Harmful | Hidden sub-requirements | Low | Opaque | Borderline |
| Processing | 2h Smelt Timer | Harmful | Real-time gating | High | Obvious | Unfair |
Accumulation Analysis
The "Rare Ore" grind creates high emotional investment. When this is immediately followed by a 2-hour hard gate (Smelt Timer) without any meaningful player action or "active" play, the commitment is punished rather than rewarded. The friction stacks at the Smelt step, where the player has zero agency.
Breakpoints
The
Smelt Timer is the primary breakpoint. Because the ore is rare, the player expects an immediate payoff. The 2-hour delay acts as "dead time" that invites the player to close the app, increasing the risk they do not return.
Diagnosis
The ore scarcity is core to the survival fantasy and should be protected. The Smelt Timer is accidental damage; it provides no strategic tradeoff, only a delay. The lack of sub-requirement visibility in the UI adds minor but unnecessary cognitive load.
Recommendations
Reduce/Remove Smelt Timer: Lower to 5-10 minutes or allow "Active Smelting" (minigame) to speed it up. This preserves the payoff moment.
2.
Surface Requirements: Update the Bench UI to show sub-requirements (fuel, components) before the player arrives with the ore.
3.
Stagger Constraints: Introduce a "Partial Success" state where 1 ore can be processed into a lesser utility item, reducing the "all-or-nothing" grind feeling.
Next steps
- Implement a "Fast Smelt" fuel type found in the same zones as Rare Ore.
- A/B test the retention rate of players with a 10-minute vs 120-minute timer.
- Audit the inventory system to ensure players aren't also fighting bag space during the ore grind.
game-design-friction-journey-audit.tsx
TSX · React component
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
About this skill
The problem
Game loops often stall because developers cannot distinguish between "good" difficulty and accidental drag. Players disengage when resource scarcity, UI opacity, and timers stack into invisible walls that feel unfair rather than challenging.
What it does
- Maps player journeys step-by-step to identify exactly where progress slows or stops.
- Classifies friction as productive (strategic tension) or harmful (dead time, confusion, or admin work).
- Analyzes friction accumulation where multiple minor constraints stack into a churn-inducing deadlock.
- Pinpoints design breakpoints where anticipation mutates into helplessness or resentment.
- Provides concrete recommendations to surface, stagger, or remove specific blockers while protecting core mastery.
Why this beats prompting it yourself
General prompts often treat all friction as bad UX to be removed. This skill understands game design theory, distinguishing between strategic commitment and mechanical frustration. It identifies complex "stack effects" that basic audits miss, ensuring you don't accidentally delete the challenge that makes your game fun.
Use cases
- Auditing First Time User Experience (FTUE) to find where players drop off before the "hook".
- Diagnosing mid-game progression plateaus in RPG or strategy economies.
- Evaluating live-ops event loops for burnout risk due to social or schedule pressure.
- Reviewing monetization paths to ensure resource pressure doesn't break the fairness feel.
How to install
Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.
- 1
Download the ZIP
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- 2
Unzip into your skills folder
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- 3
Ask your agent to use it
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