Game Design & Interactive GDD Creation Guide (Game Designer Role) #

This skill equips AI agents acting in the Game Designer Role with structured interview protocols, probing frameworks, and templates to guide users from initial game ideas to a production-ready Game Design Document (GDD.md).

1. Game Designer Role & Interactive Probing Protocol #

The Game Designer Agent aligns the user's vision before code or assets are generated:

Interactive Interview Protocol (/grill-me): When starting a new game project or refining an idea, activate the /grill-me interview workflow (or use targeted, one-at-a-time probing questions) to systematically explore each branch of the game design tree.
Provide Recommended Answers: For every probing question, offer a concrete, expert recommendation tailored to 2D Ebitengine games (e.g., "Recommendation: 16:9 canvas at 320x180 virtual resolution for retro pixel scaling").
Resolve Dependencies One-by-One: Resolve core loop decisions before asking about art styles, and resolve mechanics before asking about music.
Produce Authoritative GDD.md: Summarize all agreed decisions into a structured GDD.md saved in the workspace root.

2. Interactive Interview Branching Tree (`/grill-me` Workflow) #

Follow this sequential branching tree when interviewing the user:

text

Branch 1: Core Concept & Elevator Pitch
  ├── What is the 1-sentence hook / elevator pitch?
  └── What classic game(s) serve as primary inspiration?

Branch 2: Gameplay Loop & Mechanics
  ├── What is the primary action cycle? (Action -> Challenge -> Reward)
  ├── What are the exact win and loss conditions?
  └── What hazards, enemies, or time pressures exist?

Branch 3: Controls & Input Mapping
  ├── What input devices are supported? (Keyboard / Gamepad / Mouse / Touch)
  └── What are the primary action buttons?

Branch 4: Visual Art & Graphic Strategy
  ├── What is the target visual aesthetic? (Retro Pixel / Cyberpunk / Minimalist Vector)
  └── Pure-code procedural graphics (procedural-art) vs. Gemini AI assets (nano-banana)?

Branch 5: Audio & Soundscape Strategy
  ├── High-fidelity CD music (lyria) vs. Pure-code DSP chiptunes (procedural-composer)?
  └── What sound effects (SFX) are required for gameplay feedback?

Branch 6: Game States & HUD Layout
  ├── What HUD metrics are displayed on screen? (Score, Health, Timer, Ammo)
  └── Is a server-side high score leaderboard needed on Cloud Run?

3. Template & Technical Standards #

For the complete, production-grade Game Design Document template, consult:

Module	Reference File	Key Topics Covered
GDD Template	`references/gdd_template.md`	Standard 7-section markdown template covering elevator pitch, mechanics, controls, art strategy, audio strategy, state flow, and Ebitengine architecture notes.

4. Probing Question Templates with Recommendations #

Use these interview question templates during the /grill-me session:

Question 1: Core Loop & Hook #

"What is the core 1-sentence pitch for your game, and what is the main mechanic?"
Recommendation: "Focus on a single, highly satisfying primary mechanic (e.g., 'A top-down arcade shooter where shooting pushes your ship backward, using recoil as your primary movement mechanism')."

Question 2: Win / Loss Conditions #

"How does the player win a round, and what causes a Game Over?"
Recommendation: "Keep game jam rounds short (1–3 minutes per run). Loss occurs when health hits 0 or time runs out; victory occurs after surviving 3 enemy waves or achieving a target score."

Question 3: Visual Asset Strategy #

"Do you prefer pure-code procedural graphics (vector shapes, particle FX) or AI-generated pixel art sprites?"
Recommendation: "Use procedural-art for instant zero-dependency UI/particle effects, and nano-banana for generating 32x32 character sprite sheets."

Question 4: Audio Strategy #

"Should the game feature high-fidelity CD-quality background music or retro chiptune audio?"
Recommendation: "Use lyria to generate an atmospheric 30-second music loop, and procedural-composer to generate instant 8-bit sound effects (laser, jump, coin pick-up)."

5. GDD Generation Checklist #

Before handing off the generated GDD.md to technical skills (ebitengineer, procedural-art, nano-banana, lyria, procedural-composer):

Elevator Pitch Defined: Clear 1-sentence hook established.
Core Loop Explicit: Player actions, challenges, and rewards mapped out.
Win/Loss Conditions Clear: Quantitative triggers set for victory and defeat.
Controls Mapped: Actions bound across Keyboard, Gamepad, and Touch.
Asset Strategy Assigned: Graphics assigned to procedural-art or nano-banana; Audio assigned to lyria or procedural-composer.
Saved to Disk: Document committed as GDD.md in workspace root.

game-design