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 # Game design (vision)
 
+**Master index:** [`overview.md`](overview.md) — summary, artifact table, and links to related docs.
+
 Non-implementation notes: skills, professions, zones, mechanics, items, abilities, and other design artifacts before they are tied to concrete systems or tickets.
 
 Implementation-facing breakdowns stay under [`docs/decomposition/`](../decomposition/README.md) and plans under [`docs/plans/`](../plans/).
diff --git a/docs/game-design/overview.md b/docs/game-design/overview.md
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+# Game design overview
+
+This folder holds **vision-level** design: what we want players to feel, do, and discover before we lock schemas, APIs, or content pipelines. Use it for brainstorming and alignment; when something is ready to drive implementation, it should gain a path in [`docs/decomposition/`](../decomposition/README.md) or [`docs/plans/`](../plans/).
+
+## Summary
+
+Neon Sprawl’s design work here starts from **concrete visions** of mechanics, items, abilities, skills, professions, zones, and related systems. Documents below are added as we write them; each should stay opinionated and specific enough to argue with, without pretending to be a full GDD.
+
+## Artifact index
+
+| Document | Focus | Notes |
+|----------|--------|--------|
+| *(add rows as files land)* | | |
+
+### Planned topics (stubs)
+
+Link new files here when they exist; remove or rewrite this subsection once the table is populated.
+
+- **Skills** — progression feel, caps, synergies, failure modes.
+- **Professions** — identity, fantasy, how they differ from pure skill bundles.
+- **Zones** — tone, danger, travel, faction or economic role.
+- **Mechanics** — loops, constraints, what the server vs. client must honor.
+- **Items** — categories, rarity philosophy, crafting vs. drops.
+- **Abilities** — inputs, timing, combo with items and skills.
+
+## Related repo docs
+
+| Area | Location |
+|------|----------|
+| Module / epic breakdown | [`docs/decomposition/`](../decomposition/README.md) |
+| Implementation plans | [`docs/plans/`](../plans/) |
+| Architecture | [`docs/architecture/`](../architecture/tech_stack.md) |