- 01Identify task stages
- 02Assign by capability
- 03Complete and hand off
- 04Reassign at bottlenecks
Complementary roles
Roles or tools excel at different stages that must be linked. Assignment can adapt; handoffs and support matter rather than one player doing everything.
The player's decision
Keep assigned roles or switch temporarily to unblock the process?
Original scenario
Original setup: one role carries heavy crates, another climbs a narrow ladder. Cargo needs lifting and moving; leaving a crate at the ladder blocks the partner.
Start with this prototype
Build two abilities, two terrain sections and one cargo item. Support local co-op or solo switching. Show handoff zones and restrictions; deliver to win with reset. Omit online teams and class progression.
Change one variable
Compare fixed roles with swappable tools to test understanding rather than arbitrary restrictions.
What to observe in a playtest
Do both players choose actively? Can roles swap, with handoffs neither duplicating nor losing items?
Take the full design card
Includes rules, scope, tuning questions and sources for further planning. It does not create a project automatically.
Original analysis · version 1
Common pitfall
A role waiting through long tasks loses agency. Give each stage useful preparation or support.
Observations and sources
Cases refer to public documentation. Developers and community wikis are credited separately; document review is not a claim of hands-on testing.
- Trine Enchanted Edition
Wizard, knight and thief solve obstacles with different abilities, solo-swapped or separately controlled.
- Overcooked! 2
Cooperative kitchens connect preparation, cooking and delivery through adaptable division of labor.
Brief for the studio
Opens the AI studio with the brief below in the input. You can edit it. Nothing starts automatically.
Build two abilities, two terrain sections and one cargo item. Support local co-op or solo switching. Show handoff zones and restrictions; deliver to win with reset. Omit online teams and class progression.
Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.