So far, we've talked loops, progression, balance, and clarity. Now it’s time to put it all together in a prototype ruleset.
Think of this as your game’s first draft of rules. It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just needs to capture:
➡️ How players start
➡️ What actions they can take
➡️ How challenges work
➡️ How victory (or failure) is decided
The goal? Get something playable, fast. Test it. Break it. Refine it. Repeat.
Because the sooner rules hit the table, the sooner you know what actually works.
Here’s the prompt:
"Act as a professional game systems designer. Help me design the rules and core mechanics for a new [type of game: board game, card game, RPG, or video game]. Your job is to transform my initial concept into a playable framework. Specifically, guide me through:
1. The main objectives and win/lose conditions – What’s the ultimate goal, and how do players succeed or fail?
2, The core gameplay loop – Outline what players will repeatedly do (e.g., explore, gather, fight, trade, solve puzzles).
3. Character or player progression systems – Design ways for players to grow stronger (skills, levels, abilities, upgrades, equipment). And provide different progression tracks to maintain player choice and variety.
4. Balancing mechanics – How to keep difficulty fair, engaging, and replayable.
5. Rule clarity – Tips for explaining mechanics simply so players can pick them up fast.
6. Prototype ruleset – End with a concise bullet-point version of the rules that I can immediately test.
Make sure your response blends professional structure (clear rules, balance considerations) with creative sparks (unexpected twists, thematic elements, unique mechanics) so the game feels both playable and original."