Most failed solutions come not from bad ideas — but from solving the wrong problem.
Why Redefinition Matters
Game development is full of quick fixes:
- Players skip the story? ➝ Cutscene too long.
- Progression feels slow? ➝ Add more XP.
- Tutorial is boring? ➝ Make it skippable.
But what if:
- Players skip the story because the core loop already explains everything?
- Progression drags because actions feel empty?
- Tutorial bores because the game has no friction to begin with?
📍 The right solution often requires reframing the problem, not reworking the feature.
Surface Problems vs. Systemic Roots
Symptom (Surface) | Possible Root Cause (Systemic) |
“Players die too often” | Clunky controls, unclear feedback, no pacing |
“They ignore side quests” | No narrative relevance or economy pressure |
“Crafting feels useless” | Core loop doesn’t demand resource choices |
“Combat is too easy” | Build variety doesn’t matter → no counters |
📍If you isolate the issue too early, you lock yourself into shallow design.
Practical Steps to Redefine a Problem
1️⃣ Ask What the Player Actually Feels
Don’t patch behavior. Understand emotion.
Example:
“They ignore food buffs.”⤷ Maybe because they never feel threatened by anything.
The problem isn’t food. It’s tension.
📍Try the 5 Whys technique — keep asking “why?” until you reach a design principle, not a symptom.
2️⃣ Zoom Out: What System Is This Part Of?
Every feature is a node in a web. Ask:
- What depends on this?
- What drives this?
- Where does it leak?
A single UX complaint can trace back to economy, pacing, camera, or even tutorial order.
⚠️ Redefinition ≠ overthinking. Don’t dig forever — stop when you see what system behavior needs to change.
3️⃣ Replace “Fix It” with “Trace It”
Try this flow:
Question | Example |
“What’s happening?” | Players abandon ship upgrades |
“Why is that bad?” | Undermines core fantasy of progress |
“What causes this?” | No enemy pressure → no urgency |
“What system enables that?” | Over-tuned regen, lack of scarcity |
Now the fix isn’t “buff the upgrade stats.” It’s “rebalance friction and economy pressure.”
Final Thought: Don’t Isolate. Integrate.
In real games, problems aren’t dots — they’re webs.
If you only look at a feature in isolation, your fix may:
- cause another issue,
- contradict another system,
- or simply not matter at all.
📍Redefining the problem is how you escape patchwork thinking and move toward coherent, emergent, intelligent design.