World 4 / Quest 15
The Concept Card
Your idea, out of your head and onto one page.
About 45 minutes+150 XP
You’ll build: A one-page concept card for YOUR game — the one you've been thinking about.
You’ll learn
- How to turn a fuzzy idea into a clear one by answering 8 questions
- What a concept card is (real studios use them)
- Find the Fun, level 2: naming the one moment that matters
Briefing
You get the game that's in your head onto one page, with the one moment you can't wait to play at the top. This quest earns the Find the Fun badge, level 2.
Start prompt
Say this to Coach
/arcade-lab Start Quest 15: The Concept Card. Open the coach notes and interview me about my game idea — one question at a time.
Steps
- 1
The interview
Coach asks 8 questions, one at a time. Here they are so you can think ahead:
- What does the player DO over and over?
- What's the goal?
- What stops the player from getting there?
- What makes this game YOURS?
- What does it look like?
- What does it sound like?
- Who is it for?
- What's the one moment you can't wait to play?
Answer each one. Short is fine.
- 2
Push on the fuzzy answers
If any answer was "I don't know" or "stuff," ask Coach for options. "Give me 3 ideas for what could stop the player." Pick one. That's not cheating — that's designing.
Say this to Coach
My answer to question 3 was fuzzy. Give me 3 options for it and I'll pick.
- 3
Write the card
Coach writes CONCEPT.md from your answers: game name (or a placeholder), one-sentence pitch, the 8 answers cleaned up, and the one moment at the top in bold. Read it out loud. Does it sound like your game?
Say this to Coach
Write CONCEPT.md from my answers: name at the top, a one-sentence pitch, then my 8 answers cleaned up, with the 'one moment' in bold. Keep my words — don't make it fancy.
- 4
The 'is it fun?' test
Read the one moment again. Now ask: could you build just that moment in one afternoon and would it be fun by itself? If yes — great, that's next quest. If no, the moment might be too big. Ask Coach to help you find a smaller moment inside it.
Say this to Coach
My one moment is: sliding under a closing door at the last second. Could we build just that moment in an afternoon? If it's too big, help me find a smaller moment inside it that would still be fun on its own.
- 5
Blind-Spot Finder on the idea
The two questions, now about the whole idea: what are you forgetting? What would make this more fun? Add one thing to the card. Cross out one thing if the card feels too full.
Say this to Coach
Read my concept card. What am I forgetting that games like this usually need? And what's one thing that would make it more fun? Then I'll add one and maybe cross out one.
Side quests +10 XP each
0 of 3 done
Stuck?
- Too many ideas? Pick the one you'd be saddest to lose. That's the game.
- No ideas? Take your favorite World 1–3 game and answer question 4: what would make it YOURS?
- The 'one moment' is a whole level? Too big. Ask Coach to shrink it to 10 seconds of play.
Ship checklist
0 of 3 done
Bonus round
Show Dad
Show Dad your concept card on the screen, with the one moment in bold at the top. Dad's question: "What does the player do over and over — and why is that fun?"