rbergman

Session-level engagement: core loop health, the experience triangle (mechanics, fiction, feedback), emotion layering, tension curves…

Numeric balance across objects with stats: cost curves, transitive versus intransitive systems, payoff matrices, dominant strategy…

The hub and first pass on any single mechanic: the 5-Component Filter (Clarity, Motivation, Response, Satisfaction, Fit), the plugin-wide…

Juice, feedback layering, screen shake/particles/sound timing, the perception-action cycle, and 'why does this feel bad?' diagnostics.

Per-frame performance and GC-pressure optimization for JS/TS game code.

Bootstrap browser-based games with PixiJS 8 and a modern retro/vector aesthetic (Geometry Wars, Asteroids, Tempest, Tron).

Cognitive load for players: perception, attention and memory limits, Gestalt principles for HUD and UI, signal-noise discipline…

Designing and reading playtests: what to observe versus what to ask, question generation, metrics to track, sample sizes…

The math of growth over time: power curve shapes, XP formulas, the flow channel, felt versus actual power, the difficulty sandwich…

"Boring Rust" — clone freely, simple control flow, max-strictness lints with mechanical enforcement, ownership-honest code that compiles…