# Game Design Player Need Satisfaction Audit > Audit a game, feature, live-ops system, onboarding flow, progression loop, social feature, monetization flow, or return loop for player need satisfaction using Self-Determination Theory and the PENS lens. Use when evaluating whether a design is actually fun beyond surface KPIs, diagnosing weak retention or shallow engagement, comparing variants, identifying where a system denies autonomy, competence, or relatedness, or understanding whether a game feels emotionally nourishing or quietly depleting. - Skill: `stanestane/game-design-player-need-satisfaction-audit` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add stanestane/game-design-player-need-satisfaction-audit` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/stanestane/game-design-player-need-satisfaction-audit/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Security - Author: Stanestane (https://skillmd.com/u/stanestane) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/stanestane/game-design-player-need-satisfaction-audit --- # Game Design Player Need Satisfaction Audit Audit a design by asking whether it satisfies core psychological needs rather than merely driving activity. Use this skill to examine whether a game, feature, or live-ops system supports autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and where it may be denying those needs instead. Keep the analysis practical and design-facing. Treat fun as need satisfaction rather than as a vague entertainment label. ## Core principle People do not play games only because they are interactive or rewarding. They play because games satisfy core psychological needs. A feature can have solid metrics, clean progression, and monetization hooks, yet still feel emotionally weak if it fails to satisfy these needs. ## Need lenses ### 1. Autonomy The need to feel like a causal agent of one's own actions. In game terms: meaningful choice, ownership, self-directed action, strategic freedom, and perceived control. ### 2. Competence The need to feel effective, capable, and progressively more skillful. In game terms: clear goals, understandable feedback, mastery, successful execution, improvement, and meaningful progress. ### 3. Relatedness The need to feel socially connected, embedded, recognized, compared, valued, or bonded with others. In game terms: cooperation, rivalry, status visibility, shared progress, belonging, social ritual, and social meaning. ### 4. Benevolence (optional) Use this supplementary lens when the design includes helping, gifting, nurturing, stewardship, caretaking, or contribution to others. ## What to produce Generate an audit with these outputs: 1. **Need satisfaction profile** - how strongly the design satisfies autonomy, competence, and relatedness 2. **Need denial profile** - where the design frustrates or blocks those needs 3. **Mechanism map** - which systems create or reduce satisfaction 4. **Risk diagnosis** - where the design is emotionally hollow, coercive, or overly one-dimensional 5. **Improvement recommendations** - targeted design changes to improve need satisfaction ## Process ### 1. Define the audit target Clarify exactly what is being audited. Possible targets: - full game - core loop - new feature - onboarding - event structure - social system - monetization flow - return loop - session opener Write: - **Audit target** - **Player context** - **Why this audit matters** ### 2. Map intended player experience Describe what the design is supposed to make the player feel and do. This step prevents theory from floating free of the actual experience. Ask: - What is the intended player fantasy? - What actions define the loop? - What are players choosing? - What are they trying to master? - Where are they encountering other people, directly or indirectly? - What does success look like from the player's perspective? Write: - **Intended player experience** - **Core actions** - **Sources of progress** - **Sources of social meaning** ### 3. Audit autonomy Ask whether the design helps the player feel like an active agent rather than a passenger. Signs of autonomy satisfaction: - meaningful choices, not fake choices - multiple valid paths or priorities - flexible pacing or self-directed goals - player expression of preference or playstyle - guidance that supports choice rather than replacing it - actions that feel intentional and consequential - constraints that are understandable rather than arbitrary Signs of autonomy denial: - overly forced funnels - constant interruption or coercion - fake choice with one obviously correct option - rigid pacing with little ownership - recommendation systems that feel bossy - decisions that do not materially matter - excessive timers or blockers with no agency-preserving response Ask: - What meaningful choices does the player make? - Can the player set their own short-term priorities? - Does guidance preserve agency or replace it? - Are there multiple viable ways to progress? - Does the player feel ownership over success? - Where does the system make the player feel trapped, railroaded, or manipulated? Use this format: | Autonomy Dimension | Evidence of Satisfaction | Evidence of Denial | Severity | |---|---|---|---| ### 4. Audit competence Ask whether the design helps the player feel effective, improving, and capable. Signs of competence satisfaction: - clear goals and immediate feedback - understandable cause and effect - actions produce visible results - progression is legible - player skill or understanding improves outcomes - challenge is meaningful but not chaotic - the system teaches without humiliating Signs of competence denial: - noisy or ambiguous feedback - success feels random or disconnected from decisions - actions fail for opaque reasons - no sense of improvement or mastery - friction overwhelms learning - players cannot tell what good play looks like - systems produce repeated confusion, blocked states, or dead-end effort Ask: - Does the player understand what they are trying to achieve? - Is the result of action legible and satisfying? - Can the player improve through practice, strategy, or understanding? - Is there a clear bridge between effort and result? - Are failure states fair and interpretable? - Where does the design create frustration without learning? Use this format: | Competence Dimension | Evidence of Satisfaction | Evidence of Denial | Severity | |---|---|---|---| ### 5. Audit relatedness Ask whether the design makes the player feel socially connected, situated, or recognized. Signs of relatedness satisfaction: - meaningful club, guild, or social systems - visible social comparison that feels motivating - cooperation, gifting, helping, or mutual dependency - rituals of return and shared participation - recognition, identity, or status within a group - ambient social presence, even if asynchronous - emotional connection to characters, community, or shared world Signs of relatedness denial: - social systems are present but emotionally empty - comparison is punishing rather than connective - other players feel like abstract obstacles only - no sense of belonging or shared culture - social actions are transactional with no felt relationship - players feel isolated even inside a nominally social feature Ask: - How does this design help the player feel part of a larger social matrix? - What forms of recognition or comparison exist? - Is there cooperation, competition, shared identity, or belonging? - Are social features emotionally meaningful or just functional? - Does the design create connection or merely visibility? - Where does the feature feel socially sterile? Use this format: | Relatedness Dimension | Evidence of Satisfaction | Evidence of Denial | Severity | |---|---|---|---| ### 6. Audit benevolence or contribution when relevant Use this supplementary lens when the design lets players feel good by helping, nurturing, protecting, or contributing. Relevant cases include: - city care - co-op support - gifting - club contribution - stewardship systems - pet or resident care - restoration or rebuilding fantasies Ask: - Can the player improve something beyond themselves? - Can they care for, help, or contribute to others? - Does contribution feel meaningful or cosmetic? - Is there emotional payoff in generosity or stewardship? ### 7. Build the need satisfaction profile Summarize the overall shape of the experience. Score each need from 1 to 5: - **1** = strongly denied - **2** = weak or inconsistent - **3** = moderate - **4** = strong - **5** = central strength Use this format: | Need | Score | Why | |---|---:|---| | Autonomy | 1-5 | ... | | Competence | 1-5 | ... | | Relatedness | 1-5 | ... | | Benevolence (optional) | 1-5 | ... | Interpretation patterns: - high autonomy, low competence -> expressive but confusing - high competence, low autonomy -> polished but controlling - high relatedness, low autonomy -> socially sticky but personally shallow - high competence, low relatedness -> satisfying alone, weak community pull - balanced strength across all three -> strongest candidate for durable engagement ### 8. Diagnose need denial and imbalance Identify what is missing, what is overrepresented, and what failure shape is emerging. Common failure shapes: #### A. Spreadsheet fun - competence signals are present - autonomy is weak - relatedness is weak - the system is efficient but emotionally dry #### B. Coercive retention - progression exists - constant nudging and timers deny autonomy - competence is undermined by blockers - players return from obligation rather than desire #### C. Social shell - clubs or leaderboards exist - relatedness cues are visible but shallow - there is little real belonging or identity #### D. Pleasant but empty - autonomy is present - low challenge or poor feedback reduces competence - interaction lacks a meaningful arc #### E. High-pressure optimization trap - competence exists for experts only - autonomy narrows into one dominant strategy - social comparison becomes discouraging ### 9. Convert findings into design actions For each issue, specify: - **Need affected** - **Current problem** - **Design cause** - **Suggested change** - **Expected emotional effect** Examples: - add more player-selectable priorities -> increases autonomy - clarify action-result feedback -> increases competence - add visible club contribution loops -> increases relatedness - reduce forced interruptions -> reduces autonomy denial - add progression bridges between systems -> strengthens competence and autonomy together Use this format: | Need | Problem | Suggested Change | Expected Effect | |---|---|---|---| ### 10. Reuse the audit over time Run this audit: - during concepting - after prototype reviews - before greenlight - after live launch - when retention or sentiment drops - when comparing AB variants Do not treat this as a one-off theory exercise. It is most useful when repeatedly applied to major game systems. ## Response structure Use this structure unless the user asks for something else: ### Audit Target - ... ### Intended Player Experience - ... ### Autonomy - Strengths: ... - Weaknesses: ... ### Competence - Strengths: ... - Weaknesses: ... ### Relatedness - Strengths: ... - Weaknesses: ... ### Need Satisfaction Profile - Autonomy: ... - Competence: ... - Relatedness: ... ### Risk Diagnosis - ... ### Recommendations 1. ... 2. ... 3. ... ## Fast mode Use this quick pass when speed matters: - Where does the player experience meaningful choice? - Where do they feel effective and improving? - Where do they feel connected to others? - Where does the design deny one of those needs? - Which need is strongest, and which is weakest? - What one change would most improve the weakest need? ## Usage notes This audit is especially useful for: - session opener flows - city request systems - season passes and event track progression - club systems and wars - trains and deliveries - city-building fantasy versus optimization friction - monetization touchpoints that may erode autonomy - guidance systems that may help competence while harming autonomy Common patterns to watch for: - too much instruction can improve competence but reduce autonomy - timers and blockers can motivate return but also create autonomy denial - social systems can create relatedness cues without true belonging - event layers can create progress but overload competence if feedback is fragmented ## Working principle A successful game does not merely retain players. It repeatedly satisfies core psychological needs. Use this skill when a design is performing mechanically but you need to understand whether it is emotionally nourishing or quietly depleting.