Scale Game

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 6d51b9a892b5 · 29 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisherobra GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderobra/superpowers-skills/skills/problem-solving/scale-gameThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict6d51b9a892b5A new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusArchivedLast push 379 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths hidden at normal scales

---
name: Scale Game
description: Test at extremes (1000x bigger/smaller, instant/year-long) to expose fundamental truths hidden at normal scales
when_to_use: when uncertain about scalability, edge cases unclear, or validating architecture for production volumes
version: 1.1.0
---

# Scale Game

## Overview

Test your approach at extreme scales to find what breaks and what surprisingly survives.

**Core principle:** Extremes expose fundamental truths hidden at normal scales.

## Quick Reference

| Scale Dimension | Test At Extremes | What It Reveals |
|-----------------|------------------|-----------------|
| Volume | 1 item vs 1B items | Algorithmic complexity limits |
| Speed | Instant vs 1 year | Async requirements, caching needs |
| Users | 1 user vs 1B users | Concurrency issues, resource limits |
| Duration | Milliseconds vs years | Memory leaks, state growth |
| Failure rate | Never fails vs always fails | Error handling adequacy |

## Process

1. **Pick dimension** - What could vary extremely?
2. **Test minimum** - What if this was 1000x smaller/faster/fewer?
3. **Test maximum** - What if this was 1000x bigger/slower/more?
4. **Note what breaks** - Where do limits appear?
5. **Note what survives** - What's fundamentally sound?

## Examples

### Example 1: Error Handling
**Normal scale:** "Handle errors when they occur" works fine
**At 1B scale:** Error volume overwhelms logging, crashes system
**Reveals:** Need to make errors impossible (type systems) or expect them (chaos engineering)

### Example 2: Synchronous APIs
**Normal scale:** Direct function calls work
**At global scale:** Network latency makes synchronous calls unusable
**Reveals:** Async/messaging becomes survival requirement, not optimization

### Example 3: In-Memory State
**Normal duration:** Works for hours/days
**At years:** Memory grows unbounded, eventual crash
**Reveals:** Need persistence or periodic cleanup, can't rely on memory

## Red Flags You Need This

- "It works in dev" (but will it work in production?)
- No idea where limits are
- "Should scale fine" (without testing)
- Surprised by production behavior

## Remember

- Extremes reveal fundamentals
- What works at one scale fails at another
- Test both directions (bigger AND smaller)
- Use insights to validate architecture early

Excerpt, first 2,304 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/obra/superpowers-skills
git -C superpowers-skills checkout 6d51b9a892b5

Works in

1. 2026-10-29
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 6d51b9a892b5

Questions about Scale Game

• github.com/obra/superpowers-skills/tree/main/skills/problem-solv — the audited source at commit 6d51b9a892b5 and every finding aboveObserved · 29 Oct 2026

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