---
key: practice/three-workshop-shifts
type: practice
id: three-workshop-shifts
lang: en
title: Three workshop shifts
summary: >-
  Check progression pacing through action costs and changes to available
  decisions.
updatedAt: '2026-10-20'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/practice/three-workshop-shifts/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/practice/three-workshop-shifts.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/practice/three-workshop-shifts.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Chance and balance
sourceIds:
  - source-3e6c21889ae768e0
  - source-6f794a271cd60b9c
sources:
  - id: source-3e6c21889ae768e0
    title: 'Challenges for Game Designers: author website'
    url: 'https://designgames.wordpress.com/'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-6f794a271cd60b9c
    title: 'Challenges for Game Designers: table of contents'
    url: 'https://designgames.wordpress.com/toc/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations:
  - type: practices
    direction: incoming
    label: What this helps you learn
    key: lesson/progression-pacing
    title: 'Progression: capabilities and pacing'
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/progression-pacing/'
    jsonUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/progression-pacing.json
    markdownUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/progression-pacing.md
  - type: practices
    direction: incoming
    label: What this helps you learn
    key: lesson/controlled-randomness
    title: Randomness and unlucky streaks
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/controlled-randomness/'
    jsonUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/controlled-randomness.json
    markdownUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/controlled-randomness.md
  - type: practices
    direction: incoming
    label: What this helps you learn
    key: path/balance
    title: Balance and progression
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/learn/balance/'
    jsonUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/path/balance.json'
    markdownUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/path/balance.md'
  - type: uses
    direction: outgoing
    label: Sources in the selection
    key: resource/challenges-for-game-designers
    title: Challenges for Game Designers
    url: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-challenges-for-game-designers
    jsonUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.json
    markdownUrl: >-
      https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/resource/challenges-for-game-designers.md
placements:
  - title: In the original collection
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/practice/#three-workshop-shifts'
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  topic: chance
  level: intermediate
  minutes: 60
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Thematic inspiration: Challenges for Game Designers by Brenda Brathwaite and
  Ian Schreiber. These scenarios, constraints and checks are independently
  written around broad game-design learning topics. This is not a translation or
  a sequential retelling of the book exercises.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
---
# Three workshop shifts

id: three-workshop-shifts
type: practice
key: practice/three-workshop-shifts
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/practice/three-workshop-shifts/

Check progression pacing through action costs and changes to available decisions.

## Goal

Check progression pacing through action costs and changes to available decisions.

## Scenario and materials

The player repairs devices, earns parts and upgrades two tools. Design three stages: the start, a first upgrade and specialization. The numbers are experiment parameters rather than a ready-made balance.

A spreadsheet, calculator and paper prototype

## Constraints

- Use two tools, one resource and three stages. Specify the cost of one repair at each stage.
- At least one upgrade changes an action rule rather than only a reward multiplier.
- Record action time separately from resource cost.

## Steps

1. Tabulate upgrade prices, repair times and income; calculate the action count before each purchase.
2. Compare two purchase orders on the same task sequence. Record where each tool is preferable.
3. Add a random reward and compare independent rolls with a predefined sequence; retain attempt-level results.
4. Change one price threshold and repeat the check: which decisions become available earlier or later?

## Deliverable

A three-stage table, two comparable purchase logs and an explanation of the pacing change after one edit.

## Check your work

- Action counts account for rounding up to a whole repair.
- Each tool has at least one situation in which it is useful.
- The rule-changing upgrade changes a player decision alongside the displayed number.
- An average reward expectation is not presented as a guarantee for a short sequence.

## Reflect

Where does the player repeat a solved task without a new choice? How can you shorten that section while keeping the next goal understandable?

## Connected materials

- What this helps you learn: [Progression: capabilities and pacing](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/progression-pacing/) (key: lesson/progression-pacing)
- What this helps you learn: [Randomness and unlucky streaks](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/controlled-randomness/) (key: lesson/controlled-randomness)
- What this helps you learn: [Balance and progression](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/learn/balance/) (key: path/balance)
- Sources in the selection: [Challenges for Game Designers](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-challenges-for-game-designers) (key: resource/challenges-for-game-designers)

## Sources and provenance

Thematic inspiration: Challenges for Game Designers by Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber. These scenarios, constraints and checks are independently written around broad game-design learning topics. This is not a translation or a sequential retelling of the book exercises.

- [Challenges for Game Designers: author website](https://designgames.wordpress.com/) (id: source-3e6c21889ae768e0)
- [Challenges for Game Designers: table of contents](https://designgames.wordpress.com/toc/) (id: source-6f794a271cd60b9c)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors