Compensation Alignment turns a salary negotiation into a constraint puzzle. The base salary, signing bonus, and a small benefits appendix all affect the package. The visible optics budget is stricter than the advertised range, so the naive maximum is rejected even when the company claims the range is guaranteed.
A discoverable detail in the benefits text changes which part of the package counts against the optics limit. Finding it is the puzzle; using it is the joke. The game never presents the resulting number as a real salary benchmark or a real minimum wage.
This mechanic is part of the free core game. It contains no live payment, offer, or employment relationship.
What it tests
- Reading the appendix that the job description de-emphasizes
- Separating the advertised package from the measured package
- Checking a visible budget instead of assuming the maximum is acceptable
Where to play it
This mechanic can appear in free job applications, campaign chapters, and deterministic daily challenges.