- 01Find an inaccessible resource
- 02Read the required capability
- 03Gather and craft a tool
- 04Return to use it
Tools unlock resources
A resource requires a tool capability. Investing current materials opens a new gathering target, beyond simply making the old action faster.
The player's decision
Spend metal on an immediate need or invest in a tool that opens the next resource chain?
Original scenario
Original setup: a wooden pick mines soft stone. Three stones buy a hard pick that breaks the exit ore. Show both the requirement and cost before players grind.
Start with this prototype
Build one screen with two tools, three minerals and one exit. Clicking a deposit reveals requirements; crafting previews costs. Target a five-minute upgrade-to-exit loop without random tool breakage.
Change one variable
Tune the delay between seeing a gate and acquiring its tool; long delays obscure the reason to return.
What to observe in a playtest
Can players name the newly available action? Can they locate missing materials without testing every deposit?
Take the full design card
Includes rules, scope, tuning questions and sources for further planning. It does not create a project automatically.
Original analysis · version 1
Common pitfall
If upgrades only increase numbers, capability progression becomes repetition. Open at least one new interaction.
Observations and sources
Cases refer to public documentation. Developers and community wikis are credited separately; document review is not a claim of hands-on testing.
Brief for the studio
Opens the AI studio with the brief below in the input. You can edit it. Nothing starts automatically.
Build one screen with two tools, three minerals and one exit. Clicking a deposit reveals requirements; crafting previews costs. Target a five-minute upgrade-to-exit loop without random tool breakage.
Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.