JUDE · Game DNA
The 52 measures.
JUDE sees, thinks, plays, and feels a session the way a player did. These are the in-game KPIs that reading is made of.
52 in-game KPIs · 44 moment-to-moment · 8 peak-end
How to read the 52
Four questions. One memory lens.
- See14Can the player read the game?
- Think3Do they believe they understand it?
- Play18Is it worth continuing?
- Feel17How does the moment feel?
moment-to-moment peak-end
Peak-end is a lens, not a fifth sense. 8 of the 52 are the remembering self (diamonds). The other 44 are the experiencing self (dots), read continuously. Duration barely counts.
See · Usability · 14 KPIs
Can the player read the game?
Legibility and efficiency. Goals, mechanics, and results are readable without searching.
moment-to-moment peak-end
Goal & next step4
- Objective clarity
- Next-action salience
- Goal visibility
- Tutorial residue
Act & read result5
- Mechanic readability
- Feedback legibility
- Consequence clarity
- Progression legibility
- Failure fairness
Cost of confusion5
- Navigation confidence
- Stall load
- Repeat-action load
- Backtracking load
- Menu & idle dwell
Think · Mental model · 3 KPIs
Do they believe they understand it?
Cognitive state. Goal, control, and competence. Cognitive, not emotional.
moment-to-moment peak-end
- UncertaintyDo I know the goal and the rule?
- AgencyDo my actions decide what happens?
- ConfidenceAm I committing faster over time?
Play · UX and game loop · 18 KPIs
Is it worth continuing?
Hook, reward, mastery, friction, and momentum, minute by minute.
moment-to-moment peak-end
Hook & goals3
- First-session hook
- Core-system engagement
- Objective pursuit
Reward2
- Reward anticipation
- Payoff cadence
Friction2
- Friction level
- Friction hotspots(peak-end)
Mastery & choice5
- Mastery slope
- Strategy shape
- Recovery behaviour
- Decision density
- Loop variety
Momentum6
- Opening momentum
- Mid-session momentum
- Late-session momentum(peak-end)
- Session momentum
- Pace
- Continuation intent(peak-end)
Feel · Affect · 17 KPIs
How does the moment feel?
Webcam-inferred energy, mood, and tension. Always read with the on-screen frame, never alone.
Affect is never shown without the on-screen frame it was read against.
moment-to-moment peak-end
Drive6
- Emotion energy
- Valence
- Focus occupancy
- Delight(peak-end)
- Curiosity
- Engagement peaks(peak-end)
Tension & release4
- Productive tension
- Anticipatory rise
- Anxiety load
- Relief(peak-end)
Strain5
- Frustration load
- Frustration gradient
- Anger & tilt
- Overwhelm
- Boredom & flat affect
Drift & recovery2
- Emotional drift(peak-end)
- Affective rebound(peak-end)
Remember · Peak-end · 8 KPIs
What will they remember?
A session is judged by its peak and its end, not its average. Duration barely counts.
The same 8 diamonds from above, read again as the remembering self. They are already counted in the 52.
moment-to-moment peak-end
- Engagement peaksFeel
- DelightFeel
- Friction hotspotsPlay
- ReliefFeel
- Late-session momentumPlay
- Continuation intentPlay
- Emotional driftFeel
- Affective reboundFeel