Game Plan Audit

Audit game plans for completeness, scope realism, and design quality. Catches game-specific gaps that generic plan audits miss.

Quick Reference

Game Plan Completeness Scorecard

#	Check	Severity	Cross-Reference
1	Core loop defined in one sentence	Critical	(see scoping → Core Loop Identification)
2	Target aesthetics identified (1-2 from MDA)	Critical	(see design-frameworks → MDA Framework)
3	MLP has ≤3 features beyond core loop	Warning	(see scoping → The 3-Feature Rule)
4	Tracer bullet defined	Warning	(see scoping)
5	Economy complexity decided	Warning	(see economy-design)
6	Difficulty approach selected	Info	(see difficulty-design → Difficulty Curve Patterns)
7	Scenario walkthrough written	Info	(see scenario-walkthrough → The 5-Beat Structure)
8	Playtest plan exists (who, when, what)	Warning	(see playtesting → Playtest Planning Checklist)
9	Over-scope score ≤2	Warning	(see antipatterns → Is My Plan Over-Scoped?)
10	Content scope estimated with production ratios	Info	(see content-planning)

Scoring: 10/10 = ready to build. 7-9 = minor gaps, address before starting. 4-6 = return to scoping. <4 = needs fundamental design work.

Core Loop Validation Tests

Four tests every core loop must pass:

Test	Method	Pass Criteria
Sentence Test	Describe in one sentence: "Player [verbs] to [goal], earning [reward] that enables [reinvestment]"	Active verbs, clear goal, explicit reinvestment
Verb Chain Test	List the verbs in sequence	2-5 verbs that feed into each other. >5 = too complex. <2 = not a loop
Reinvestment Test	Output of one cycle meaningfully changes the next	Strong: Diablo (Kill→Loot→Equip→Kill stronger). Weak: Flappy Bird (score up, nothing changes)
30-Second Test	Time one micro-loop cycle	Under 60 seconds. If 5+ minutes, loop is too slow for rapid iteration

Core Loop Red Flags:

Red Flag	Symptom
No Reinvestment	Cycle output doesn't change next cycle
External Motivation Only	Story/obligation drives play, not mechanics
Complexity Explosion	6+ verbs in the loop
Hidden Loop	Actual fun ≠ stated loop (players enjoy the metagame, not what you designed)
No Failure State	Can't lose or make bad decisions
Mandatory Grinding	Progression requires repetition without meaningful choice

GDD Quality Audit

Design Document Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Symptom	Fix
The Novel	100+ pages of prose	Max 5 pages for MLP. Decision tables, not paragraphs
The Wishlist	Describes v5.0, no MLP definition	Define MLP first, park the rest
The Fog	Adjectives without verbs ("engaging combat")	Every feature needs concrete player verbs
The Fossil	Written once, never updated	Living doc, date-stamp sections
The Silo	Only designers can read it	Cross-discipline sections with implementation notes
The Clone	"Like X but..." without understanding WHY X works	Identify specific mechanics/dynamics, not the brand

Actionability Test

Score each item 1-5. Total ≥28 = actionable. 20-27 = needs work. <20 = rewrite.

#	Test	What to Check
1	Verb Test	Does every feature description contain player verbs?
2	Prototype Test	Could you build a prototype from this description alone?
3	Decision Test	Does it contain clear decisions (not "we'll figure it out later")?
4	Feedback Test	Are player feedback loops described (action → response)?
5	Scope Test	Is there a clear MLP boundary?
6	Cut Test	Are deferred ideas explicitly listed?
7	Pillar Test	Would the design pillars cause you to reject some plausible features?

Decision Table: Is This Plan Ready to Build?

#	Question	If No →
1	Can you state the core loop in one sentence?	STOP — Define the core loop first
2	Does the core loop pass the Reinvestment Test?	STOP — Loop isn't a loop, it's linear
3	Is scope complexity score ≤15 for solo dev?	STOP — Cut scope until feasible
4	Does the GDD pass the Actionability Test (≥20)?	STOP — Rewrite vague sections
5	Is a playtest planned within the first 2 weeks?	STOP — Schedule a test before building

All five "Yes" → READY TO BUILD. Start with the tracer bullet.

Checklists

Plan Audit Checklist

• Completeness Scorecard ≥7/10
• Core loop passes all 4 validation tests
• No core loop red flags present
• GDD has none of the 6 anti-patterns
• Actionability Test score ≥20
• Scope Complexity score appropriate for team size
• No genre-specific scope traps triggered
• Economy design has sources, sinks, and player decisions (if applicable)
• Difficulty approach matches target audience
• Playtest plan is concrete (who, when, what)
• Data collection strategy exists

What to Measure (Data Collection Checklist)

Start at Tier 0 (observation + notes). Only add instrumentation when you need answers observation can't provide.

Category	Key Metrics
Session	Duration, frequency, sessions-to-churn
Progression	Completion rate per section, drop-off points
Difficulty	Death/failure locations, retry counts per section
Economy	Earning rate, spending patterns, stockpiling behavior
Feature usage	Discovery rate, usage frequency, adoption timing

Analytics tiers: Tier 0 = manual observation (free, immediate). Tier 1 = local CSV logging (free, 1-2 hours setup). Tier 2 = free SDK (GameAnalytics, Unity Analytics). Tier 3 = custom backend (rarely needed for indie games).

Evidence chain: Observation → Diagnosis → Hypothesis → Design Change → Verification. Without this chain, you're guessing.

Deep Dives

• (see plan-audit/detailed-audits.md for MLP Scope Audit, Economy/Balance Audit, Difficulty Curve Assessment, Playtest Readiness Audit, Data Strategy Audit)
• (see plan-audit/questionnaires.md for validated playtest frameworks and templates)

See Also

• scoping — MLP process and cutting heuristics that this audit validates (see scoping → MLP Scoping Process)
• antipatterns — Anti-pattern detection complements this comprehensive audit (see antipatterns)
• design-frameworks — MDA framework for aesthetic validation (see design-frameworks → MDA Framework)
• economy-design — Detailed economy design guidance (see economy-design)
• difficulty-design — Difficulty curves and accessibility (see difficulty-design)
• playtesting — Playtest methodology and iteration (see playtesting → Playtest Planning Checklist)
• architecture-audit — Code architecture audit (companion to plan audit) (see architecture-audit)