curiosity-engine

/curiosity-engine

A structured ping-pong Q&A game between the host orchestrating model (the agent running this skill — Claude in Claude Code, the OpenCode model in OpenCode) and a backend model. Both sides MUST produce an ANSWER: and a QUESTION: every round. The game is seeded with a topic and runs for N rounds (default 3, max 6).

Execution rules

• The host model running this skill is the orchestrator. It serves the opening question and answers each round directly. Do NOT call phone-a-friend --to claude (or any other backend) to generate the orchestrator's questions or answers — that would relay the orchestrator role to a different model.
• One backend per relay call. Never pass comma-separated values to --to (e.g. phone-a-friend --to codex,gemini).
• curiosity-engine is a host slash command / Agent Skill, not a PaF CLI subcommand. Never run phone-a-friend curiosity-engine.
• --backend is an argument to this skill, not a PaF CLI flag. Do not pass --backend to phone-a-friend.
• Inside OpenCode, prefix relay invocations with PHONE_A_FRIEND_HOST=opencode so PaF detects the host deterministically.
• Inside Codex, prefix relay invocations with PHONE_A_FRIEND_HOST=codex for the same reason. Do not select codex as the friend backend from Codex; PaF will refuse with a recursion-guard error.
• Suppress the working-tree diff on every binary-mode relay (see "Diff suppression" below). Curiosity rounds are seeded with self-contained prompts; the diff would be noise.
• Do NOT dump repo files or git output (git show, git diff, git status, etc.) into the relay prompt. Curiosity rounds are seeded with self-contained prompts; if the round needs file context, repo-aware backends (codex, gemini) can read the repo via --repo "$PWD". For ollama (no repo file access), pick a repo-aware backend instead, or ask before sending a minimal excerpt. Inlining repo content can leak uncommitted edits or committed secrets and is not needed for a Q&A rally. The opening question and round transcripts are narrative context that the orchestrator generates and inlines into the relay prompt; that is the intended use, not file dumping.

Inputs

• Arguments: $ARGUMENTS

Step 0 — Relay mode

command -v phone-a-friend

• If found: set RELAY_MODE = binary
• If not found: set RELAY_MODE = direct

No hard abort. The skill continues either way.

Direct call reference

When RELAY_MODE = direct, call backend CLIs directly instead of using the phone-a-friend binary:

Backend	Direct command
Codex	codex exec -C "$PWD" --skip-git-repo-check --sandbox read-only "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")" < /dev/null
Gemini	gemini --sandbox --yolo --include-directories "$PWD" --output-format text -m <model> --prompt "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")"
Ollama	PROMPT_JSON="$(jq -Rs . < "$PROMPT_FILE")"; curl -s http://localhost:11434/api/chat -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "{\"model\":\"<model>\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":${PROMPT_JSON}}],\"stream\":false}" | jq -r '.message.content'

In direct mode, build PROMPT_FILE from the relay prompt using this template and the quoted-heredoc rule:

You are helping another coding agent by reviewing or advising on work in a local repository.
Repository path: <repo-path>
Use the repository files for context when needed.
Respond with concise, actionable feedback.

Request:
<relay-prompt>

No "Additional Context" section is needed for curiosity-engine (prompts are self-contained).

Note: do NOT pass PaF flags like --no-include-diff, --fast, or --session in direct mode. They are CLI flags on the phone-a-friend binary; the underlying backend CLIs do not accept them.

Diff suppression

/curiosity-engine rounds use self-contained prompts; the working-tree diff would be irrelevant noise. PaF reads defaults.include_diff from user config, so without explicit suppression a user with include_diff = true would silently leak the diff into every relay round.

The cleanest flag is --no-include-diff, added in phone-a-friend v2.2.0. Older binaries reject the flag with unknown option '--no-include-diff'. Probe once before Round 1, then reuse the gate across every binary-mode relay (initial round, follow-up rounds, and the schema re-prompt):

if phone-a-friend relay --help 2>/dev/null | grep -q -- '--no-include-diff'; then
  PAF_NO_DIFF="--no-include-diff"
else
  export PHONE_A_FRIEND_INCLUDE_DIFF=false
  PAF_NO_DIFF=""
fi

Append $PAF_NO_DIFF to every binary-mode phone-a-friend invocation in the steps below. The env var fallback works in v1.7.2 and later; the explicit flag is preferred when available.

Step 1 — Parse Arguments

Extract --topic, --rounds, and --backend from $ARGUMENTS.

• --topic <string> — required. Everything after --topic up to the next flag. If missing, ask the user: "What topic should the Curiosity Engine explore?" Do not proceed until provided.
• --rounds N — optional, default 3, clamp to [1, 6].
• --backend codex|gemini|ollama — optional, default codex.

If --backend value is not codex, gemini, or ollama: report error and stop.

Set:

• TOPIC = parsed topic string
• TOPIC_SAFE = TOPIC (untrusted text; never splice it into an inline shell command)
• MAX_ROUNDS = parsed rounds (default 3, clamped [1, 6])
• BACKEND = parsed backend (default codex)
• ROUND = 1

Step 2 — Preflight Check

CLI backends

command -v codex   # if BACKEND=codex
command -v gemini  # if BACKEND=gemini

Ollama backend

curl -sf http://localhost:11434/api/tags

If reachable and RELAY_MODE = direct: parse the JSON response to extract model names from models[].name. Set OLLAMA_SELECTED_MODEL to the first model in the list. If the list is empty, abort: "Ollama server is running but has no models pulled. Install one with: ollama pull <model-name>". Report the selected model to the user: "Ollama: using model <name>".

If RELAY_MODE = binary, the binary handles model selection internally.

BACKEND	Available	Action
codex	yes	proceed
codex	no	abort: "codex CLI not found. Install: npm install -g @openai/codex"
gemini	yes	proceed
gemini	no	abort: "gemini CLI not found. Install: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli"
ollama	reachable	proceed (discover model if direct mode)
ollama	not reachable	abort: "Ollama not reachable at localhost:11434. Is Ollama running?"

Step 3 — Serve Round 1

The orchestrating agent (the host model running this skill) serves first. It produces the opening move directly, without relaying to any backend:

ANSWER: N/A — I'm serving first.
QUESTION: <orchestrator's opening question on TOPIC — make it genuinely curious and specific>

Display to user:

--- Round 1 of <MAX_ROUNDS> | Topic: <TOPIC> ---
🤖 <orchestrator>  QUESTION: <question>

<orchestrator> is the host model's display label (e.g., "Claude" in Claude Code, the OpenCode model name in OpenCode). Pick one that the user will recognize.

Then relay to backend. First build PROMPT_FILE so untrusted text such as TOPIC and QUESTION is passed as data, not spliced into an inline shell command:

PROMPT_FILE="$(mktemp)"
trap 'rm -f "$PROMPT_FILE" "${REPROMPT_FILE:-}"' EXIT
{
  printf '%s\n' 'You are playing The Curiosity Engine — a structured Q&A rally with another agent.'
  printf 'Topic: %s\n' "$TOPIC_SAFE"
  printf 'Round: 1 of %s\n\n' "$MAX_ROUNDS"
  printf '%s\n' "The orchestrating agent's question for you:"
  printf '%s\n\n' "$QUESTION"
  cat <<'PAF_CURIOSITY_PROMPT_EOF'
You MUST respond in EXACTLY this format — no exceptions, no extra text:

ANSWER: <your answer to the orchestrator's question, 2-4 sentences>
QUESTION: <a new question for the orchestrator on the same topic, that you are genuinely curious about>

Do not add any text before ANSWER: or after the QUESTION line.
PAF_CURIOSITY_PROMPT_EOF
} > "$PROMPT_FILE"

Binary mode (RELAY_MODE = binary):

phone-a-friend --to <BACKEND> --repo "$PWD" --sandbox read-only --fast $PAF_NO_DIFF [--model <model>] --prompt "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")"

Direct mode (RELAY_MODE = direct):

# Codex:
codex exec -C "$PWD" --skip-git-repo-check --sandbox read-only "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")" < /dev/null
# Gemini (always include -m):
gemini --sandbox --yolo --include-directories "$PWD" --output-format text -m <model> --prompt "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")"
# Ollama (use OLLAMA_SELECTED_MODEL from Step 2):
PROMPT_JSON="$(jq -Rs . < "$PROMPT_FILE")"
curl -s http://localhost:11434/api/chat -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"model\":\"<OLLAMA_SELECTED_MODEL>\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":${PROMPT_JSON}}],\"stream\":false}" \
  | jq -r '.message.content'

Step 4 — Parse Backend Response

If the relay call (binary or direct) produces no output, empty stdout, or a non-zero exit code: Display: ⚠️ Relay call failed for round <ROUND>. Ending game early. Jump to Step 6 (Synthesis).

After each relay call, parse the response for ANSWER: and QUESTION: fields.

Parse algorithm

1. Look for a line starting with ANSWER: — extract everything after it (may be multiline until QUESTION: appears).
2. Look for a line starting with QUESTION: — extract everything after it to end of response.
3. If both fields found → valid response. Proceed to Step 5.
4. If QUESTION: is missing → schema violation. Execute re-prompt (see Step 4a).
5. If ANSWER: is missing → schema violation. Treat the same as missing QUESTION: — execute re-prompt (Step 4a).

Step 4a — Re-prompt on schema violation

Send one correction relay if ANSWER: or QUESTION: is missing:

First create REPROMPT_FILE with a quoted heredoc:

REPROMPT_FILE="$(mktemp)"
cat > "$REPROMPT_FILE" <<'PAF_CURIOSITY_REPROMPT_EOF'
Your previous response did not follow the required format.
You MUST respond with EXACTLY this structure:

ANSWER: <your answer>
QUESTION: <your question for the orchestrator>

No other text. Try again.
PAF_CURIOSITY_REPROMPT_EOF

Binary mode (RELAY_MODE = binary):

phone-a-friend --to <BACKEND> --repo "$PWD" --sandbox read-only --fast $PAF_NO_DIFF [--model <model>] --prompt "$(cat "$REPROMPT_FILE")"

Direct mode (RELAY_MODE = direct):

# Codex:
codex exec -C "$PWD" --skip-git-repo-check --sandbox read-only "$(cat "$REPROMPT_FILE")" < /dev/null
# Gemini:
gemini --sandbox --yolo --include-directories "$PWD" --output-format text -m <model> --prompt "$(cat "$REPROMPT_FILE")"
# Ollama:
REPROMPT_JSON="$(jq -Rs . < "$REPROMPT_FILE")"
curl -s http://localhost:11434/api/chat -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"model\":\"<OLLAMA_SELECTED_MODEL>\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":${REPROMPT_JSON}}],\"stream\":false}" \
  | jq -r '.message.content'

Parse again. If still missing QUESTION: → end game early. Display:

⚠️  <BACKEND> broke the chain on round <N> (missing QUESTION: after re-prompt).
Ending game early. Running synthesis on completed rounds.

Jump to Step 6 (Synthesis).

Step 5 — Display Round and Continue

Display backend's response:

🔵 <BACKEND>  ANSWER: <answer>
              QUESTION: <question>

If this was the final round (ROUND == MAX_ROUNDS) → jump to Step 6 (Synthesis).

Otherwise, increment ROUND. The orchestrating agent (the host model) now responds directly — no relay:

🤖 <orchestrator>  ANSWER: <orchestrator's genuine answer to backend's question, 2-4 sentences>
                   QUESTION: <orchestrator's new question for backend on TOPIC>

Relay the orchestrator's question to backend using this template (same structure as Step 3, substituting current values):

You are playing The Curiosity Engine — a structured Q&A rally with another agent.
Topic: <TOPIC>
Round: <ROUND> of <MAX_ROUNDS>

The orchestrating agent's question for you:
<QUESTION>

You MUST respond in EXACTLY this format — no exceptions, no extra text:

ANSWER: <your answer to the orchestrator's question, 2-4 sentences>
QUESTION: <a new question for the orchestrator on the same topic, that you are genuinely curious about>

Do not add any text before ANSWER: or after the QUESTION line.

Repeat Step 4 and Step 5 until MAX_ROUNDS reached or early termination.

Orchestrator discipline: the host model ALWAYS provides both ANSWER: and QUESTION: — never skips either field, never breaks the schema itself.

Step 6 — Final Synthesis

If ROUND == 1 and no backend response was ever successfully parsed (zero completed rounds): Display: No rounds completed — cannot synthesize. Check backend availability and try again. Stop.

Present the full session summary:

## Curiosity Engine — Session Complete

**Topic:** <TOPIC>
**Backend:** <BACKEND>
**Rounds completed:** <N> of <MAX_ROUNDS>
**Status:** <Converged naturally | Early termination — <BACKEND> broke chain on round N>

---

### Full Rally Transcript

<all rounds, formatted as displayed during play>

---

### Most Interesting Exchange

<orchestrator picks the sharpest Q&A pair from the transcript and explains in 2-3 sentences why it was the most interesting — what tension, insight, or surprise it revealed>

---

### Open Threads

<2-3 questions raised during the rally that weren't followed up on, worth exploring in a future session>

Gemini model selection

By default, omit --model for --to gemini and let Gemini CLI's auto-routing pick. Set --model only when reproducibility, specific capability, or debugging requires a pin.

Binary mode (preferred — when an explicitly pinned model returns a strong 404 / ModelNotFoundError, PaF caches it as unavailable for 24h at ~/.config/phone-a-friend/gemini-models.json and fails fast on subsequent calls; no auto-substitution):

phone-a-friend --to gemini --repo "$PWD" --sandbox read-only --fast $PAF_NO_DIFF --prompt "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")"

To bypass the cache: PHONE_A_FRIEND_GEMINI_DEAD_CACHE=false. Or delete the cache file to clear it.

Direct mode (no PaF wrapper — orchestrator handles retry):

gemini --sandbox --yolo --include-directories "$PWD" --output-format text --prompt "$(cat "$PROMPT_FILE")"

In direct mode, on capacity/transient errors (429, 500, 503), retry with a different model before treating as round failure. On ModelNotFoundError, surface immediately. Do NOT use aliases like auto, pro, or flash — either omit --model entirely or pass a concrete model name.

Constraints

• MAX_ROUNDS clamped to [1, 6]. Never exceed.
• Both sides must always produce ANSWER: and QUESTION:. The orchestrator never breaks the schema.
• One re-prompt allowed per round on schema violation. Two strikes = early termination.
• No nested curiosity-engine sessions.
• phone-a-friend is used as a black box — do not modify its internals.