# Stacksmith — playtest plan

## Current uncertainty

Does changing a falling-block bag create an understandable stacking strategy, or does it merely make familiar play noisier?

## Session A — baseline literacy

- Play one solo Scrap Oracle fight with the base seven.
- Observe control errors, top-out causes, clear frequency, and whether the next curse is noticed.
- Do not discuss mutations until the fight ends.

**Pass signal:** A player familiar with falling-block games understands movement, rotation, hard drop, damage, sent-block income, and the curse timer without live explanation—and notices that Hold begins locked.

## Session B — one mutation

- Add Plus at 0.45 weight and replay the same difficulty.
- Ask the player to state a plan before starting.
- Count intentional Plus setups, rescue placements, and harmful cavities.
- Afterward, ask whether they would add, boost, suppress, or retire it.

**Pass signal:** The player uses Plus intentionally at least once and can explain a desired probability change.

## Session C — relay ownership

- Two players share the base bag in relay-duo mode.
- Record who speaks before and after the ownership switch.
- Count missed turns, accidental controls, hold misunderstandings, and conflicts over setup.

**Pass signal:** Both partners correctly identify whose turn it is, discuss at least one setup across turns, and want another match together.

## Measures

- time to first line clear;
- damage per minute and curses survived;
- blocks sent, immediate block income, encounter bonus, and total payout;
- curses noticed before casting and placements changed in response;
- top-out height and cause;
- draws, useful placements, and harmful placements per mutation;
- reward choice plus the player's stated reason;
- number of turns in relay before both players anticipate ownership;
- desire to replay on a five-point scale.

## Decision rule

- **Keep:** the observed behavior matches the pass signal twice.
- **Tune:** the intended behavior appears, but readability or numbers interfere.
- **Remove:** the mechanic adds work without changing decisions.
- **Retest:** the session was confounded or evidence conflicts.

Record the decision in the workbook immediately after the session. A reaction without a design consequence remains an observation, not a conclusion.