Game Design Five Options#

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:

1. Problem statement - what needs solving
2. Five options - distinct solution directions
3. Pros and cons - the upside and downside of each
4. Rough comparison - impact, cost, and fit
5. 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#

1. ...
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...
5. ...

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.