brainstorm

When this skill is invoked:

1. Parse the argument for an optional genre/theme hint (e.g., roguelike, space survival, cozy farming). If open or no argument, start from scratch. Also resolve the review mode (once, store for all gate spawns this run):

   1. If --review [full|lean|solo] was passed → use that
   2. Else read production/review-mode.txt → use that value
   3. Else → default to lean

   See .claude/docs/director-gates.md for the full check pattern.

2. Check for existing concept work:

   • Read design/gdd/game-concept.md if it exists (resume, don't restart)
   • Read design/gdd/game-pillars.md if it exists (build on established pillars)

3. Run through ideation phases interactively, asking the user questions at each phase. Do NOT generate everything silently — the goal is collaborative exploration where the AI acts as a creative facilitator, not a replacement for the human's vision.

   Use AskUserQuestion at key decision points throughout brainstorming:

   • Constrained taste questions (genre preferences, scope, team size)
   • Concept selection ("Which 2-3 concepts resonate?") after presenting options
   • Direction choices ("Develop further, explore more, or prototype?")
   • Pillar ranking after concepts are refined Write full creative analysis in conversation text first, then use AskUserQuestion to capture the decision with concise labels.

   Professional studio brainstorming principles to follow:

   • Withhold judgment — no idea is bad during exploration
   • Encourage unusual ideas — outside-the-box thinking sparks better concepts
   • Build on each other — "yes, and..." responses, not "but..."
   • Use constraints as creative fuel — limitations often produce the best ideas
   • Time-box each phase — keep momentum, don't over-deliberate early

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Phase 1: Creative Discovery

Start by understanding the person, not the game. Ask these questions conversationally (not as a checklist):

Emotional anchors:

• What's a moment in a game that genuinely moved you, thrilled you, or made you lose track of time? What specifically created that feeling?
• Is there a fantasy or power trip you've always wanted in a game but never quite found?

Taste profile:

• What 3 games have you spent the most time with? What kept you coming back? (Ask this as plain text — the user must be able to type specific game names freely. Do NOT put this in an AskUserQuestion with preset options.)
• Are there genres you love? Genres you avoid? Why?
• Do you prefer games that challenge you, relax you, tell you stories, or let you express yourself? (Use AskUserQuestion for this — constrained choice.)

Practical constraints (shape the sandbox before brainstorming). Bundle these into a single multi-tab AskUserQuestion with these exact tab labels:

• Tab "Experience" — "What kind of experience do you most want players to have?" (Challenge & Mastery / Story & Discovery / Expression & Creativity / Relaxation & Flow)
• Tab "Timeline" — "What's your realistic development timeline?" (Weeks / Months / 1-2 years / Multi-year)
• Tab "Dev level" — "Where are you in your dev journey?" (First game / Shipped before / Professional background)

Use exactly these tab names — do not rename or duplicate them.

Synthesize the answers into a Creative Brief — a 3-5 sentence summary of the person's emotional goals, taste profile, and constraints. Read the brief back and confirm it captures their intent.

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