---
key: mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation
type: mechanic
id: dialogue--family-negotiation
lang: en
title: 'Bargaining, transactions and obligations'
summary: >-
  Participants negotiate an exchange, price or obligation, taking their own
  goals and limits into account.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Dialogue
  - Game rules
sourceIds:
  - source-478907b8b62d0628
sources:
  - id: source-478907b8b62d0628
    title: Potionomics
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: dialogue
    id: family-negotiation
    title: Dialogue
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/dialogue/#family-negotiation'
    categoryIds:
      - section-2
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: 'Bargaining, transactions and obligations'
    description: >-
      Participants negotiate an exchange, price or obligation, taking their own
      goals and limits into account.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/dialogue-potionomics-02.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: Potionomics
      sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1874490/ss_339bea90d419d56460d11343576be82b01a652c9.1920x1080.jpg?t=1750960791
      credit: 'Voracious Games / XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc.'
      rights: >-
        Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed
        Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: A potion price and the customer’s objection
      alt: A potion price and the customer’s objection
      markers:
        - x: 56
          'y': 44
          label: 'Potion price: 60 coins, with a 20% markup'
        - x: 53
          'y': 28
          label: The customer objects to the proposed price
    tips:
      - Give both sides clear interests and a limit on acceptable concessions.
    examples:
      - title: Potionomics
        url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on
  2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are
  preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire
  classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and
  editorial review.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/dialogue
---
# Bargaining, transactions and obligations

id: dialogue--family-negotiation
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/dialogue--family-negotiation/

Participants negotiate an exchange, price or obligation, taking their own goals and limits into account.

## At a glance

![A potion price and the customer’s objection](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/dialogue-potionomics-02.webp)

[Potionomics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. Potion price: 60 coins, with a 20% markup
2. The customer objects to the proposed price

- Give both sides clear interests and a limit on acceptable concessions.

- [Potionomics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/)

## How it works

Participants propose terms, exchange resources, and make commitments with consequences.

## Variants

### Variants and applications

<a id="family-negotiation-variants"></a>

- Offer and counteroffer. Rule: The parties successively change the terms in search of an acceptable deal. <a id="variant-negotiation-01"></a>
- Package deal. Rule: Multiple concessions, services and resources are negotiated as a single set of terms. <a id="variant-negotiation-02"></a>
- Mutual concessions. Rule: A player exchanges a concession on one issue for a concession on another. <a id="variant-negotiation-03"></a>
- Exchange of services. Rule: The NPC agrees in exchange for an action that the player must take now or later. <a id="variant-negotiation-04"></a>
- Bribe. Rule: Material benefits are offered for violating an NPC's duties or rules. <a id="variant-negotiation-05"></a>
- Blackmail. Rule: The player uses the threat of revealing incriminating information to obtain a concession. <a id="variant-negotiation-06"></a>
- Promise and guarantee. Rule: The transaction fixes a future obligation, term, security or sanctions for violation. <a id="variant-negotiation-07"></a>
- Ultimatum and exit. Rule: A party declares a limiting condition and may terminate negotiations without an agreement. <a id="variant-negotiation-08"></a>

## Context and limits

Author's working taxonomy compiled for this request. Titles are descriptive; sources confirm individual principles and examples, and not the entire list.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.

- [Potionomics](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1874490/) (id: source-478907b8b62d0628)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors