Engagement
Moment-to-Moment Play

Engagement is what keeps players playing once they’ve started. It lives in the intrinsic feel of your mechanics, the quality of decisions you give players, and how clearly your game communicates what’s happening.

E1 — Toy Factor (Core Feel)
  • Are your core mechanics inherently fun to use, even without stakes or challenge?
  • Do your SFX and VFX make your core mechanics feel good to use?
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E2 — Interesting Decisions (“Buts”)
  • Does your game generate enough “But” moments — situations where the player wants to do one thing, but a competing goal pulls them in another direction?
  • Do “But” moments occur at multiple levels? (e.g. a split-second dodge decision and a longer-term character build decision)
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E3 — Difficulty Design
  • Is difficulty in your game created through competing goals and choices, not just increasingly harder obstacles?
  • Does a harder version of your game feel more interesting, not just more frustrating?
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E4 — Clarity & Feedback
  • Could someone who has never played your game accurately describe what is happening based on a single screenshot?
  • Do your visuals and audio make it easy to understand what is happening moment-to-moment?
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Appeal
Initial Attraction

Appeal is what makes players notice, click, and want to try your game before they’ve played it. It lives in your creative direction, theme, and premise — the wide end of the marketing funnel.

A1 — Central Fantasy
  • Is the fantasy your game offers clear and immediately compelling?
  • Do your visuals, audio, and mechanics all reinforce and support your central fantasy?
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A2 — Art Style & Visual Identity
  • Is your art style distinctive and consistent with the fantasy your game is trying to create?
  • Would a screenshot of your game stop someone from scrolling?
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A3 — Creative Coherence
  • Do your theme, art style, and mechanics reinforce each other?
  • Does the overall creative direction of your game feel unified rather than generic or a collection of disconnected ideas?
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A4 — Theme & Mood
  • Does your game’s theme and emotional tone resonate with a clear audience?
  • Is your theme evocative and memorable?
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Score Summary
Engagement
0 / 20
Appeal
0 / 20
Overall Score
Rate all criteria to see your score
0 / 40
1 — Not there yet
2 — Early stages
3 — Developing
4 — Strong
5 — Exceptional