---
name: concept-doc
location: .haiku/intents/{intent-slug}/knowledge/CONCEPT-DOC.md
scope: intent
format: text
required: true
---

# Concept Doc

The canonical definition of what this game is. Every downstream stage reads this to know what it's building toward.

## Content Guide

### Pillars (3-5)
Non-negotiable promises the game makes. Each pillar is specific enough to guide decisions.

### Core Loop
- **Minute-to-minute** — atomic player actions and immediate feedback
- **Hour-to-hour** — session-level progression
- **Session-to-session** — metagame, persistence, long-term hooks

### Fantasy
What does the player *feel* while playing? Framed experientially, not mechanically.

### Player Verbs
Atomic actions the player performs. Small, specific, verifiable.

### Reference Games
Competitive and inspirational references, with specific aspects called out ("Hades for the between-run loop", "Celeste for movement precision").

### Target Audience
Specific player archetypes, not demographic buckets.

### Scope
- Platforms
- Content volume (hours of play, biomes/levels, etc.)
- Budget class (indie / AA / AAA)
- Target timeframe at rough order of magnitude

## Quality Signals

- Pillars are specific enough to rule things out, not just rule things in
- Core loop is described at three time scales
- References name specific aspects, not just "we like this game"
- Scope is bounded and defensible
