For games in production, the sessions Marie holds vary depending on how close they are to release. Early on, time it spent looking at the core gameplay – how to increase it’s depth, tighten mechanics and add features that makes it stand out from its competitors. The feature set and roadmap is constantly re-evaluated as the game builds out its identity, and new cool opportunities and functionalities arise. The sessions Establish Experience Goals, Design Structure & Scope, Depth & Mastery Layering are most common in this phase and can help with the above. 3-6 months before release is usually focused targeting development efforts to maximize the player experience and game appeal on release. This is when a lot of cuts typically happen, and the game hones in on its core experience. The team also starts looking at social features, retention mechanics and final touches on their progression. They might still add new features that provide great value or help round out the experience. Sessions The Steam Page, Target Audience Widening and Social Mechanics Review are the most useful for this phase. Close to release, the focus is often on player onboarding, the timing of the beats (hype moments) and how to make the game more accessible and intuitive. Sharpen Beats and Intensity and FTUE & Onboarding are valuable sessions to improve both.