brainstorm skill

!bash "${CLAUDESKILLDIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolveconfig --keys reviewmode,automation,docs.density,workflow

Resolved above — use as-is. No block → defaults in .claude/docs/config-resolution.md.

--review overrides review_mode; store it for all gate spawns this run. See .claude/docs/director-gates.md for the full check pattern. Individual gate definitions live in .claude/docs/director-gates/[gate-id].md — the spawned agent reads its own gate file; do not read it in the parent session.

Every AskUserQuestion call follows .claude/docs/automation-modes.md (collaborative asks always · guided major-only · autonomous logs and proceeds; automationalwaysask categories always prompt).

docs.density — it controls per-section depth, where workflow controls which sections exist. modes.rigor sets both together; set docs.density explicitly to vary depth alone: terse = pillar bullets + concept bullets; balanced = pillars + concept with brief rationale (default); thorough = pillars + concept + extensive rationale + alternatives. Apply it to every section you author.

Tier branch — check workflow FIRST

The workflow tier resolved above governs this skill's output:

Phase 5 and the concept-document generation). No change.

• standard / full → run the full flow ("When this skill is invoked" through

Phases 1–5, the director gates (CD-PILLARS / AD-CONCEPT-VISUAL / TD-FEASIBILITY / PR-SCOPE), and the full-length concept document entirely. Output is the one-page design/game-brief.md, not game-concept.md.

• minimal → run the Lean Brief flow immediately below and STOP — skip

Lean Brief flow (workflow: minimal only)

A jam / small-scope session: capture the load-bearing thinking in one page, then get to code. Keep prompting light — a few exchanges, not fifteen. Author from the one-page template .claude/docs/templates/game-brief.md (6 required fields + 2 one-liners). If design/game-brief.md already exists, read it and resume/refine rather than restart.

2–3 one-line concepts (verb-first or mashup, per Phase 2's techniques). One AskUserQuestion to pick or combine — the only guaranteed creative prompt.

1. Concept — from the argument hint (or one quick open question if none), propose

1. Fill the brief fields conversationally (not one prompt each):

a story downstream). If it runs past ~7, push back on scope.

• One-sentence pitch — the excited one-liner.
• Core loop — the 2–4 step cycle the player repeats.
• MVP — the ruthlessly short feature list that makes it the game (each becomes

(offer, don't force). Present the filled brief back in full for a single confirmation.

• Out of scope — what they're deliberately NOT building.
• Build order — sequence to build the MVP, risky / core-fun thing first.
• Who it's for / what they feel and Art & audio direction — one line each

design/game-brief.md?" → [A] Yes — write it / [B] Revise a field first. On [B], revise the named field, show before/after, re-ask; repeat until [A]. Then write design/game-brief.md from the template, creating directories as needed. Honor modes.automation for this write as elsewhere in the framework.

1. Write approval — AskUserQuestion: "Brief is ready. May I write it to

project.yaml first and list /setup-engine only if it is absent or empty:**

1. Next steps (short — this is the point). **Read engine.name from

the engine (required before code)"

1. (only when engine.name is absent or empty) "/setup-engine — configure

epic is implicit at minimal; there is no separate /create-epics or /sprint-plan — the brief's build order is the plan."

1. "/create-stories — turn the brief's MVP list into implementable stories. The

1. "/dev-story — first line of game code"

Why the condition. /start's minimal path runs /setup-engine

before /brainstorm, and /setup-engine Section 2 states that a missing

brief is expected because the brief is authored afterwards. Listing engine

setup unconditionally here tells a user who just followed that path to go

back and redo step one — the only skill in the four-step path that assumes

it runs first.

Then output a one-line summary (pitch + MVP feature count + design/game-brief.md).

Verdict: COMPLETE — game brief created; next stop is code. Do NOT run Phases 1–5, spawn any director gate, or write game-concept.md at this tier.

When this skill is invoked (standard / full tier — minimal uses the Lean Brief flow above):

space survival, cozy farming). If open or no argument, start from scratch.

1. Parse the argument for an optional genre/theme hint (e.g., roguelike,

1. 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)

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.

1. Run through ideation phases interactively, asking the user questions at

Use AskUserQuestion at key decision points throughout brainstorming:

Write full creative analysis in conversation text first, then use AskUserQuestion to capture the decision with concise labels.

• 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

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

Phase 1: Creative Discovery

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

Emotional anchors:

you lose track of time? What specifically created that feeling?

• What's a moment in a game that genuinely moved you, thrilled you, or made

quite found?

• Is there a fantasy or power trip you've always wanted in a game but never

Taste profile:

(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.)

• What 3 games have you spent the most time with? What kept you coming back?

or let you express yourself? (Use AskUserQuestion for this — constrained choice.)