Question 1

How do I submit my first game for analysis?

Accepted Answer

After creating a free account, navigate to the Submit page from your dashboard. Upload your ruleset and game assets in PDF, DOCX, or text format, select a report level and submit.

Question 2

What file formats are supported for rulesets?

Accepted Answer

We support PDF, DOCX, CSV, Excel, and plain text files. For best results, a well-structured PDF with clear section headings for rules, setup, gameplay phases, win conditions, and any special abilities or exceptions tends to yield the best results. Bullet lists and numbered steps help our AI understand the sequence of play. A spreadsheet of assets and components will also deliver better results.

Question 3

How long does an analysis take?

Accepted Answer

Analysis time depends on the complexity of your game, and our overall system load. Premium subscribers receive priority processing. Complex games with many mechanics, large player counts, or many AI personas selected will consume more time.

Question 4

What kind of issues can the AI detect?

Accepted Answer

Our AI analyzes for balance issues (first-player advantage, runaway leader, king-making), pacing problems (downtime, analysis paralysis, game length), strategic depth (dominant strategies, viable paths to victory), rule clarity (ambiguities, edge cases, contradictions), and player experience (onboarding friction, complexity curve).

Question 5

How accurate are the AI simulations?

Accepted Answer

Our simulators run thousands of play sessions with statistically significant sample sizes. While AI personas model human behavior patterns, real playtest results may vary. Turn Zero is best used as a first-pass filter before conducting live playtesting. Perhaps not unexpected, but statistical analysis can't detect some things: like is your game fun?

Question 6

What is Parallel Development comparison?

Accepted Answer

Parallel Development comparison runs your game mechanics, pacing, and player experience against a catalog of published board games. This helps identify uniqueness, potential market positioning, and mechanic overlaps. It is available on Studio and Publisher reports. Note: just because your game might be similar, doesn't mean you shouldn't publish.

Question 7

Which AI personas are included in each tier?

Accepted Answer

Sanity Check (free) includes 2 personas: Min-Maxer and AP Sufferer. Creator ($49 per game) adds Alpha Gamer and Rules Lawyer for a total of 4 standard behavioral personas. Studio ($119 per game) and Publisher (custom) include all 10 personas, which cover a broad range of play styles and strategic tendencies.

Question 8

What plans are available?

Accepted Answer

Turn Zero offers four tiers: Sanity Check ($0, free tier with basic analysis), Creator ($49 per game, expanded analysis and features), Studio ($119 per game, full premium reports with parallel development comparison), and Publisher (custom pricing for enterprise needs with dedicated infrastructure and support).

Question 9

How do revisions and add-ons work?

Accepted Answer

The Sanity Check free tier includes a baseline analysis. Creator ($49 per game) includes 1 revision with delta comparison, Studio ($119 per game) includes 4 revisions with delta, and Publisher plans include revisions as part of the custom package. If you need additional revisions beyond your plan, you can purchase them as transactional add-ons: Basic Revision ($49) or Pro Revision ($149) for deeper analysis with expanded persona coverage and heatmap detail.

Question 10

Is the Sanity Check free tier a trial that expires?

Accepted Answer

No. Sanity Check is a permanent free tier, not a time-limited trial. You get a baseline analysis of your game at no cost, and it stays available indefinitely. When you are ready for deeper analysis, interactive reports, or additional revisions, you can upgrade to Creator ($49 per game), Studio ($119 per game), or Publisher (custom) at any time. Your baseline data stays intact so you never lose progress.

Question 11

Can I purchase additional revisions beyond my plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you exhaust the revisions included in your Creator, Studio, or Publisher plan, you can buy additional revisions as transactional add-ons: Basic Revision ($49) for a standard follow-up analysis, or Pro Revision ($149) for a deeper analysis with expanded persona coverage and heatmap detail.

Question 12

Is there an enterprise or team plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Publisher tier (custom pricing) is designed for studios and publishers with higher-volume needs. It includes dedicated infrastructure, SLA guarantees, and a dedicated compute pool. Features such as version branching, parallel rule diff forks, and Git-style automated rule commits are on our roadmap for the Publisher tier. Custom AI persona training is also on the roadmap — contact us if you have specific needs. Contact enterprise@turnzerolabs.com for pricing.

Question 13

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Since each report is a one-time purchase (not a subscription), refunds are handled case-by-case. If your analysis fails or you are unsatisfied with the results, contact support@turnzerolabs.com and we will work with you to make it right.

Question 14

Is my game design kept confidential?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Your game designs are encrypted at rest and in transit. We never share your rulesets or analysis results with third parties. All team members sign NDAs, and we offer additional NDA compliance for publishers upon request. Your intellectual property remains yours.

Question 15

How long do you store my uploaded files?

Accepted Answer

Uploaded rulesets and analysis reports are stored for the duration of your account. You can request deletion of your data at any time.

Question 16

Do you use my game data to train AI models?

Accepted Answer

No. We never use customer game designs, rulesets, or analysis data to train our AI models. Your intellectual property is treated as confidential and is only used to generate your specific analysis report.

Question 17

What languages are supported?

Accepted Answer

Currently, we support rulesets written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Our AI is trained on English-language game terminology and conventions. Other languages will be added as situations demand.

Question 18

What game complexity levels are supported?

Accepted Answer

We support games ranging from light family games to heavy strategy titles. Very complex games (100+ page rulebooks, extensive legacy elements, or live DM components) may require additional processing time. Contact support if you have questions about your specific game.

Question 19

Why doesn't Turn Zero offer suggestions with their analysis?

Accepted Answer

At Turn Zero we strongly believe that the creativity of designing board games belongs with the game creators, not an AI. We feel like technical analysis is where AI can help, but once an issue is identified, the fix belongs with creators. For example, there are dozens of different ways to fix a broken element to your game, if we allow AI suggestions, all games start to look alike.

Question 20

What kinds of games do not analyze well on Turn Zero?

Accepted Answer

Turn Zero works best with games built around structured rules, probabilities, resource economies, and measurable decisions. Social, dexterity, and real-time games can still be analyzed for mechanical and structural balance, but Turn Zero cannot fully simulate human psychology, table talk, physical skill, or other subjective dynamics.

Question 21

Why doesn't Turn Zero analyze adult content?

Accepted Answer

Our platform is engineered for quantitative game balance, deep mechanical analytics, and complex rule systems. Most adult-themed or novelty games rely on social dynamics, humor, or novelty engagement rather than strategic depth or multi-turn decision engines. It's usually about titillation, not strategy.

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