Game feel design

Game Feel Design

Purpose

Design moment-to-moment feedback — hit-stop, screen shake, tweening, and response timing — so actions feel readable and satisfying.

Use When

• core actions feel flat, mushy, or unresponsive in playtests
• feedback layers (visual, audio, haptic) need a coherent budget and priority
• juice additions start hurting readability or competitive clarity

Inputs

• core loop and action set
• input-to-response timing measurements
• existing feedback inventory (VFX, SFX, camera, haptics)
• readability and accessibility constraints

Process

1. inventory each player action and its current feedback stack
2. define target response timing per action (anticipation, contact, recovery)
3. assign feedback layers per action: animation, camera, audio, haptics, UI
4. set a juice budget — where intensity helps and where it harms readability
5. define tuning variables and exposure so feel can be iterated without code changes
6. validate against accessibility needs (shake reduction, flash limits, haptic toggles)

Outputs

• feedback stack specification per core action
• response timing targets
• juice budget with readability limits
• tuning variable list for iteration

Quality Bar

• supports the core fantasy and player goals
• defines readable rules, edge cases, and feedback
• creates concrete hooks for tuning, telemetry, and QA

Common Failure Modes

• stacking effects until readability collapses
• tuning feel by anecdote without timing measurements
• feedback that cannot be reduced or disabled for accessibility

Related Agents

• gameplay-programmer
• ui-ux-designer
• audio-designer

Related Commands

• game-feel-pass
• audio-pass
• ui-flow-review

Related Skills

• accessibility-design
• combat-design

Notes

• Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
• If engine-specific constraints materially change the workflow, hand off to the matching engine skill or engine-specific reviewer.