[Game Title] — Living GDD
Project Version: v0.1.0
Document Revision: 1
Last Updated By: game-design
Keep this document current and testable. The agent drafts it from the user's brief; do not ask the user to fill blanks. For a first concept pass, complete Status, the core prompts in Sections 1–4, the Must/Not in this release boundary in Section 6, and the top risk/current experiment in Section 7. Delete unused placeholder rows. Add active system specifications in Section 5 and evidence records in Section 8 only as the next prototype needs them, then replace hypotheses with evidence.
Status
- Stage: Concept / Prototype / Build / Ship
- Current build: [path, URL, tag, or commit]
- Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD
- Largest current risk: [one testable question]
- Decision labels: Hypothesis / Tested / Committed
1. Game promise
- One-sentence game: [Player + core action + pressure/goal + distinctive result]
- Player fantasy: [Who the player feels like and what feeling to protect]
- Target player: [Relevant experience, interests, and accessibility needs]
- Platform and input: [Browser/device plus keyboard, pointer, touch, or gamepad]
- Rendering mode: [2D by default / 3D only when the user explicitly chooses it]
- Engine: [Phaser 3.90.0 for 2D / Three.js + TypeScript for 3D, with exact dependency version in TECH_STACK.md]
- Typical session: [Duration and natural stopping point]
- Desired feeling arc: [Start → tension/growth → result]
- Hard constraints: [Schedule, team, technology, content, or release limits]
2. Pillars and boundaries
| Pillar |
Observable player promise |
Trade-off it wins |
| [Pillar 1] |
[What the player perceives or does] |
[What to prefer when ideas conflict] |
| [Pillar 2] |
[What the player perceives or does] |
[What to prefer when ideas conflict] |
| [Optional pillar 3] |
[Promise] |
[Trade-off] |
Non-goals for this release
- [Explicitly excluded feature, audience, mode, or production burden]
- [Second exclusion]
- [Optional third exclusion]
3. Experience chain and core loop
| Fantasy |
Player verbs |
Mechanics |
Rules/pressure |
Feedback |
Reason to repeat |
| [Experience] |
[3–6 verbs] |
[Systems] |
[Limits and consequences] |
[How results are perceived] |
[Mastery, variation, reward, or new goal] |
Core loop
- [Receive or choose a goal.]
- [Read the situation and decide.]
- [Perform the core verb.]
- [Receive a clear consequence.]
- [Retry, advance, or choose the next goal.]
State flow
Launch → Start → Play → Pause/Resume → Outcome → Retry/Continue
- Start condition: [How play begins]
- Success/outcome condition: [Observable rule]
- Failure/end condition: [Observable rule]
- Retry/continue: [What resets, what persists, and retry friction]
4. Player model
Controls and feedback
| Input/context |
Verb |
Availability |
Immediate response |
Accessible alternative |
| [Input] |
[Action] |
[When legal] |
[Control/visual/audio response] |
[Remap, toggle, assist, or N/A with reason] |
Rules the player must understand
- [Rule or invariant in player language]
- [Rule or invariant in player language]
- [Rule or invariant in player language]
Essential information
| Player question |
How the game answers |
Fallback cue |
| What is my goal? |
[World/UI/audio cue] |
[Persistent or repeatable cue] |
| What can I act on? |
[Affordance and state cue] |
[Redundant cue] |
| What changed and why? |
[Cause/effect feedback] |
[Result/failure explanation] |
| What can I do next? |
[Prompt, layout, or state] |
[Recovery route] |
Presentation baseline
- Camera: [Fixed/following; framing, bounds, movement, shake, and comfort limits]
- 3D presentation when applicable: [Scene, world-up, units, model format, lighting, camera controls, loading fallback, and performance target]
- UI: [Persistent information, overlays, safe areas, and hierarchy]
- Feel and feedback: [Timing, motion, audio, effects, and restraint]
- Accessibility: [Remapping, alternatives, reduced motion, contrast, text, and audio controls]
5. Active system specifications
Copy this block only when a system enters active work. Keep its stable SYS-### ID. Tracked tasks must reference the ID or exact heading.
SYS-001 — [System name]
- Status: Hypothesis / Tested / Committed
- Player purpose and pillar: [Why it exists]
- Decision or expression: [Meaningful choice or skill]
- Inputs and preconditions: [Trigger and legal context]
- Owned/read state: [State and source of truth]
- Outputs/events: [State changes and external signals]
- Dependencies: [Systems, assets, content, or platform assumptions]
Rules and transitions
- [Availability/start rule]
- [Active behavior, priority, or formula]
- [Resolve, interrupt, and recovery rule]
available → started → active → resolved/interrupted → recovered
Feedback and fairness
| Event/state |
Immediate confirmation |
Consequence |
Recovery/next action |
Redundant cue |
| [Event] |
[Response] |
[Visible result] |
[What follows] |
[Non-audio/non-color cue] |
Tunables
| Name |
Unit |
Default hypothesis |
Safe test range |
Intended player effect |
| [Meaningful name] |
[s, px/s, count, %] |
[value] |
[low–high] |
[Effect] |
Edge cases
- [Repeated/simultaneous input]
- [Interrupt, scene/state change, or limit]
- [Cleanup and player recovery]
Delivery contract
- Acceptance criteria — maximum 3:
- Non-goals — maximum 3: [Excluded behavior for this version]
- Primary playtest question: [One uncertainty this implementation must answer]
6. MVP and release boundary
Must
- [Complete start → play → result → retry/continue loop]
- [Core system/content requirement]
- [Required feedback, UX, accessibility, or delivery condition]
Later, after evidence
- [Extension and the evidence that would justify it]
- [Extension and trigger]
Not in this release
- [Explicit exclusion]
- [Explicit exclusion]
Quality boundary
- Target environment: [Device/browser/display/input]
- Performance target: [Frame rate, load time, or supported floor]
- Save/data expectation: [Persistence and compatibility]
7. Risks and playtests
| Priority |
Risk as a question |
Cheapest valid test |
Pass/change signal |
Status/evidence |
| 1 |
[Largest uncertainty] |
[Prototype/playtest] |
[Observed behavior] |
[Planned/Keep/Change/Inconclusive + link] |
| 2 |
[Next uncertainty] |
[Test] |
[Signal] |
[Status] |
Current experiment
- Question: [One question]
- Build: [Included and deliberately omitted]
- Observe: [Behavior/result, not only opinion]
- Decision: Keep / Change / Inconclusive
- Next action: [One concrete follow-up]
8. Evidence and decisions
Tuning
| Variable |
System |
Current value |
Target effect |
Last evidence |
Next test |
| [Name] |
[SYS-###] |
[Value + unit] |
[Player outcome] |
[Build/test/date] |
[Change/control] |
Playtests and design changes
| Date/build |
Question or trigger |
Observed evidence |
Decision |
Affected sections/tasks |
| [Date/build] |
[Question, constraint, defect] |
[What happened] |
[Keep/change and why] |
[Headings, SYS IDs, TASK IDs] |