Main Street: Genre Research and Inspiration Gathering

[SorraTheOrc]

Summary

Research existing games in the buildy/crafty/simulation card game space to understand what works, what has been done, and where there are gaps. This is the foundation for informed brainstorming on Main Street.

User Story

As a game designer working on Main Street, I want to understand the landscape of existing buildy/crafty/simulation card games so that our brainstorming is grounded in knowledge of what has succeeded and where opportunities exist.

Tasks

1. Survey existing games -- Identify and briefly analyse 8-12 notable games in or adjacent to this genre. Examples to consider:
   • Card-based: Solitairica, Regency Solitaire, Card City Nights, Mystic Vale, Terraforming Mars (solo), Wingspan (solo)
   • Crafty/builder video games with card mechanics: Stacklands, Cultist Simulator, Luck be a Landlord
   • Classic solitaire variants with building themes
2. Identify common mechanics -- Catalogue recurring mechanics (resource conversion, tableau building, deck building, spatial placement, recipe systems, seasonal rounds, etc.)
3. Identify differentiators -- Note what makes each game feel unique (theme, core loop, progression hook)
4. Gap analysis -- Where is there room for a fresh take? What combinations haven't been tried?
5. Document findings in a structured format that can feed into Main Street brainstorming session

Expected Output

A research document (stored as a comment or linked doc) covering:

• Game survey with brief analysis of each title
• Mechanics catalogue
• Theme catalogue
• Identified gaps and opportunities for Main Street

Acceptance Criteria

1. At least 8 existing games are surveyed with brief pros/cons
2. Common mechanics are catalogued and categorised
3. At least 3 potential opportunity gaps are identified
4. Findings are documented and linked to this work item

[SorraTheOrc]

\n\n**opencode**\n\n## Genre Research Complete\n\nComprehensive genre research document produced at docs/games/the-build/genre-research.md (750 lines).\n\n### Summary of Findings\n\n**Games Surveyed (13):** Stacklands, Solitairica, Regency Solitaire, Card City Nights, Mystic Vale, Terraforming Mars (solo), Wingspan (solo), Cultist Simulator/Book of Hours, Luck be a Landlord, Inscryption, Balatro, Meteorfall: Krumits Tale, Ancient Enemy. Plus notes on Dorfromantik, Card Survival, and Slay the Spire.\n\n**Mechanics Catalogued:** 30+ mechanics across 5 categories (Resource, Building/Crafting, Card Flow, Progression, Time/Phase).\n\n**5 Gap Opportunities Identified:**\n1. Visible spatial building with card mechanics (Stacklands meets Dorfromantik)\n2. Card crafting + card building combined (Mystic Vale meets Stacklands)\n3. Solitaire foundation + creative crafting output (not combat)\n4. Short-session persistent building (Animal Crossing cadence)\n5. Process-focused crafting (the journey as gameplay)\n\n**10 Key Takeaways** covering core loop design, spatial tangibility, familiar foundations, 10-25 min session targets, synergy depth, meta-progression, juice/polish, constructive themes, seamless onboarding, and single-player-first design.\n\n**Critical References:** Stacklands (cards-as-physical-objects), Regency Solitaire (building-as-progression loop), Balatro (design philosophy and polish standards), Cultist Simulator (verb slot processing model).\n\nCommit: 1be7024

[SorraTheOrc]

\n\n**worklog**\n\nClosed with reason: Genre research complete. 13 games surveyed, mechanics/theme catalogues produced, 5 gap opportunities identified. Document at docs/games/the-build/genre-research.md. Merge commit 83fc76e.