# Closer Question Writing Guide v7 ## Mission Closer is not a questionnaire. Closer is not therapy homework. Closer is not a personality quiz. Closer should feel like a conversation game couples voluntarily keep playing because they are having fun. Every question should move the couple toward at least one of these: * laughing * flirting * learning something new * remembering something * planning something together * feeling understood * feeling appreciated * creating a future memory If a question does none of those things, delete it. ## Consumer First Every question must pass this test: ```text Would a real couple willingly answer this on a Friday night? ``` If not, rewrite it. Never write for psychologists. Write for normal couples. ## Product Standard Closer should feel premium. Every category should feel handwritten by an experienced relationship coach and game designer, not generated by AI. If a user can predict the next question, the category fails. ## Standard Question Mix Standard 250 question packs should use this mix: | Type | Count | |---|---:| | multi_choice | 140 | | single_choice | 50 | | scale | 35 | | this_or_that | 15 | | written | 10 | At least 76 percent must be choice based. Typing should feel rare and meaningful. Special packs may override this mix only when the override is documented in the pack metadata and in `QUESTION_REWRITE_PLAN.md`. ## Emotional Mix Each standard category should roughly contain: * 35 percent playful * 25 percent everyday relationship * 20 percent meaningful * 10 percent future focused * 10 percent deeper vulnerability Never stack several heavy questions together. Daily packs should lean more playful, fun, sweet, and low pressure than standard category packs. ## Conversation Goals Every question should create at least one of these reactions: * "I did not know that." * "That is adorable." * "We should actually do that." * "I cannot believe you picked that." * "I never thought about that." * "That is a really good point." If none apply, rewrite it. ## Daily Single Choice Voice Standard Daily questions are different from normal category packs. They should feel like small couples game moments. They should sound like two people deciding what to do, eat, watch, laugh about, try, flirt with, or enjoy together today. Daily questions should be: * quick * warm * concrete * playful * fun before merely useful * game-like * easy to answer in under 10 seconds * relationship focused * doable in normal life Daily questions should not sound like: * therapy homework * self-help worksheets * HR wellness surveys * abstract emotional processing * generic AI relationship advice * household admin * bedtime logistics * chore planning If the question sounds like a couples counselor wrote it, rewrite it. If the question sounds like roommates managing a house, rewrite it. ## Daily Fun Gate A daily question passes only if it creates at least one of these: * a smile * a laugh * a flirt * a cute choice * a tiny date idea * a playful debate * a small memory * a small thing the couple might actually try tonight Warm is not enough. Concrete is not enough. Useful is not enough. Ask this before approving any daily question: ```text Would this feel fun, sweet, or playful inside the app tonight? ``` If the honest answer is "useful, but not fun", rewrite it. ## Research-Informed Fun Rules Recent relationship-question products and articles point to the same pattern: the strongest prompts feel like a game first, then create connection as a side effect. Paired markets quick, fun check-ins and says the relationship should not feel like work. Conversation-card coverage emphasizes that cards give people permission to skip small talk and reveal something interesting. Date-night and couples-question lists work best when they use preferences, memories, flirty choices, funny hypotheticals, tiny adventures, and low-pressure honesty. Use this as the daily pack standard: * Game first, insight second. * A question should create a choice, mini-mission, playful debate, flirt, memory, or laugh. * Avoid questions that only ask users to manage the relationship better. * Avoid questions that sound like advice, coaching, therapy, or household planning. * Ask about wants, favorites, memories, tiny plans, silly preferences, and sweet attention. * For flirty or spicy prompts, start light, keep it consent-based, and never make the user feel cornered. * For deeper prompts, make them feel like a game card, not a therapy intake form. A daily question should answer at least one of these: * What would be fun to choose right now? * What would be cute to try tonight? * What would make us laugh? * What would make us flirt a little? * What would help us learn a tiny new thing about each other? * What would create a small shared memory? If the answer is only "this would be responsible", reject it. Adults already have bills. The app does not need to become another one. ## Daily Game Mechanics Every daily question should use at least one clear game mechanic. Preferred mechanics: * Would-you-rather style choice * Fake award * Tiny mission * Mini date pick * Snack draft * Silly bet * Guilty-pleasure pick * Memory pick * Flirty pick * Compliment choice * Photo challenge * One-song challenge * Mystery treat * Cute dare, kept low pressure * "Choose our vibe" for the next hour Do not overuse one mechanic. A full weekday should not feel like 70 versions of the same snack question wearing different socks. ### Option Quality Standard Daily options should be: * vivid enough to picture * short enough to tap quickly * similar in effort * similar in emotional weight * tied to the prompt * fun, sweet, flirty, silly, or date-like Avoid vague options like: * Something sweet * A cute moment * More connection * Better communication * Quality time Avoid weird domestic options like: * The good blanket saved * A clean counter * A bedtime plan * Dishes handled * The laundry moved Better option style: * A two-song kitchen dance * A dessert walk * A ridiculous fake award * A flirty text from across the room * A corner-store snack hunt * A couch movie trailer voice ## Daily Option Direction Prefer daily options like: * snacks * tiny dates * silly bets * inside jokes * couch games * music picks * mini adventures * playful compliments * low-pressure flirting * cozy but fun moments * small surprises * dramatic fake awards * guilty-pleasure shows * cute photos * dessert runs * short walks with a purpose Avoid daily options centered on: * bills * laundry * dishes * clean counters * errands * appointments * calendars * bedtime planning * household maintenance * saved blankets * clinical reassurance phrasing These can exist in real relationships. They should not dominate the daily fun pack. ## Banned Daily Tone Words Avoid these in daily questions: * reset * process * mental load * emotional load * autopilot * pressure * soft landing * relationship dynamic * name the mood * emotional processing * communication style * conflict framework These are not banned from every serious category forever, but they should almost never appear in daily questions. ## Daily Good vs Bad Good daily question: ```text What tiny date move sounds best tonight? ``` Good options: * Dessert on the couch * A two-song kitchen dance * A short walk with snacks * A ridiculous movie pick Bad daily question: ```text Before phones win, what would make the night nicer? ``` Bad options: * A clean counter * A quick shoulder rub * A simple bedtime plan * The good blanket saved Why it fails: * too much household admin * not playful enough * one option is weirdly phrased * it does not feel like a couples game ## Daily Single Choice Weekday Lineup This is a special daily pack, not a standard 250 question category pack. Target counts: * 500 total * 75 free * 425 premium * 500 single_choice Weekday themes: * Monday: Mood Check Monday * Tuesday: Tiny Win Tuesday * Wednesday: Real One Wednesday * Thursday: Laugh It Off Thursday * Friday: Flirty Friday * Saturday: Side Quest Saturday * Sunday: Slow Burn Sunday See `DAILY_SINGLE_CHOICE_WEEKDAY_SYSTEM.md` for full theme rules. ## Daily Voice Enforcement The daily weekday pack must use a review loop, not a one-pass bulk rewrite. Daily questions must be written in small batches, reviewed, marked, fixed, and reviewed again before scaling. A daily question is not approved until: * the prompt sounds natural out loud * the options cleanly answer the prompt * the wording is concrete, not abstract * the question feels like a game moment * the question feels fun, sweet, playful, flirty, or date-like * the theme is clear without sounding forced If the question passes JSON validation but sounds weird when read out loud, it fails. If the question is useful but not fun, it fails. ## General Tone Rules Avoid robotic openings: * Describe * Reflect on * Discuss * Evaluate * In what ways * How satisfied are you * Explore your feelings * Identify the ways Use normal human wording. Better: ```text What tiny date move sounds best tonight? ``` Worse: ```text In what ways could we improve our relational connection this evening? ``` ## Option Rules For choice questions: * options must answer the exact prompt * options must be similar in weight * options must not overlap too much * options must not shame either partner * options must sound like real choices * options should be short Reject answer sets where one option is obviously the "correct" healthy answer and the rest are fake. ## Written Question Rules Written questions must earn the keyboard. Use written questions only for: * memories * appreciation * future plans * short stories * meaningful personal answers Do not use written questions for basic preferences. ## Final Content Test Before shipping a pack, read random questions out loud. Reject anything that sounds like: * AI filler * therapy homework * a survey * a worksheet * household admin * a chore list * an app trying too hard to be deep Closer questions should make couples want to keep tapping.