Game Catchup

Game Catchup Skill

Produce a structured, spoiler-sensitive "what you missed" briefing for a player returning to a game after a gap. The goal is to help them get reoriented quickly and decide whether/how to jump back in — not to be an exhaustive changelog.

Workflow

1. Identify the gap

Extract from the user's message:

• Game name (required)
• Last played date (if given — use it to anchor the search window; if absent, search broadly for "recent" updates)

If the game name is ambiguous (e.g., "that survival game I mentioned"), search past conversations first with conversation_search using the game name or genre before asking.

2. Check past conversations

Before searching the web, do a quick conversation_search for the game name. If a prior catchup for this game exists, note what was already covered and skip it. Also check for any formatting preferences the user expressed ("do it like the Dune Awakening one" = check that conversation for structure).

3. Search strategy

Do not search with a single broad query. Use a targeted, multi-step approach:

1. Orientation search — [Game] major updates patches changelog [year] to get a list of named updates/versions
2. Per-update deep dives — For each named major update found, search [Game] [Update Name/Version] what was added to get details
3. Community/meta search — [Game] community [year] major changes controversy to catch anything update logs miss (big meta shifts, balance controversies, player exodus, beloved features added/removed)
4. Future search (if relevant) — [Game] upcoming update roadmap [year] if there's something announced but not yet released

Use web_fetch on patch notes pages or wikis when snippets are too thin. Prioritize: official patch notes > game wikis > dedicated gaming news sites > Reddit (for community sentiment only).

4. Structure the output

Organize by named update or patch milestone, not by raw date or version number alone. Each section should feel like a mini-briefing, not a changelog dump.

Section format per major update:

### [Update Name] — [Date] ([Free/Paid])

[2-4 sentence narrative summary of what this update was *about* — its theme or intent]

**Key additions:** bullet list of the most player-relevant changes
**Notable changes:** anything that alters existing systems the player knew
**Community reaction:** (brief, only if noteworthy — skip if bland)

For minor patches between major updates, group them: "Between [A] and [B] — QoL patches" with a short prose paragraph, not individual entries.

Always end with a TL;DR block:

---
**TL;DR:** [2-4 sentences] — scope of change since they left, whether the game is worth returning to now, and any single most important thing they should know.

5. Formatting rules

• Use ## for the game title header, ### for each update
• Lead with the most recent updates if the gap is short; lead with the biggest/most impactful if the gap is long
• Call out explicitly if a paid DLC is required for content vs. free updates
• Mention 1.0 / full release milestones prominently if they happened during the gap — these are orientation landmarks
• Flag content spoilers before describing story updates: > ⚠️ Story spoilers below — only if the game has significant narrative content
• If something the player likely built or relied on was removed or significantly nerfed, call it out explicitly in bold
• If the gap includes a major platform expansion (PS5 port, crossplay launch, etc.), mention it briefly
• Keep the whole response scannable — a returning player should be able to read the TL;DR, skim the headers, and know exactly where they're going

6. Tone and framing

• Write like a knowledgeable friend catching them up over a beer, not a patch notes bot
• Acknowledge what the state of the game was when they left if it's relevant context (e.g., "When you left, the game was in early access and the endgame was thin — that's changed a lot")
• Be honest about community sentiment — if a patch was controversial or reception was mixed, say so
• Don't pad with filler. If a minor patch only fixed bugs, one sentence is enough

Edge cases

Game with no updates since they left: State this clearly, note what the current version is, and mention if the game is in maintenance mode or active development.

User doesn't know when they last played: Ask one clarifying question ("Do you remember roughly when — was it this year, or further back?") before searching. If they're vague ("a while ago"), search the last 12-18 months and frame the catchup accordingly.

Very long gap (2+ years): Focus on the biggest structural changes and current state rather than enumerating every update. Acknowledge you're summarizing rather than being exhaustive.

Early access → 1.0 transition during gap: Highlight this prominently at the top — it's the single most important orientation fact.

Live service game with constant updates: Group into seasons or content cycles rather than individual patches. Focus on what changed about the game's structure and meta, not every individual balance tweak.