Sequential Thinking

Overview

This skill provides structured sequential thinking for complex problem-solving through a dynamic, reflective thought process. Each thought can build on, question, or revise previous insights as understanding deepens.

When to Use

• Breaking down complex problems into manageable steps
• Planning and design with room for revision
• Analysis that might need course correction
• Problems where full scope is unclear initially
• Multi-step solutions requiring maintained context
• Filtering irrelevant information from complex scenarios
• Debugging intricate issues requiring systematic exploration

Script Location

The script is located at: ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts

Use $SKILL_DIR or the full path when invoking from any directory.

Core Workflow

1. Initialize Thinking

Start a thinking sequence by estimating total thoughts needed:

bun ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts sequentialthinking \
  --thought "Initial analysis of the problem..." \
  --thought-number 1 \
  --total-thoughts 5 \
  --next-thought-needed true

2. Continue Sequence

Build on previous thoughts, adjusting estimates as needed:

bun ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts sequentialthinking \
  --thought "Building on insight from step 1..." \
  --thought-number 2 \
  --total-thoughts 5 \
  --next-thought-needed true

3. Revise Previous Thinking

When reconsidering earlier conclusions:

bun ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts sequentialthinking \
  --thought "Reconsidering step 2, I realize..." \
  --thought-number 4 \
  --total-thoughts 6 \
  --is-revision true \
  --revises-thought 2 \
  --next-thought-needed true

4. Branch Exploration

Explore alternative approaches:

bun ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts sequentialthinking \
  --thought "Alternative approach from step 3..." \
  --thought-number 5 \
  --total-thoughts 7 \
  --branch-from-thought 3 \
  --branch-id "alternative-approach" \
  --next-thought-needed true

5. Complete Thinking

Conclude when solution is verified:

bun ~/.config/opencode/skills/sequential-thinking/scripts/sequential-thinking.ts sequentialthinking \
  --thought "Final verified conclusion..." \
  --thought-number 6 \
  --total-thoughts 6 \
  --next-thought-needed false

Key Features

• Adjustable estimates: Modify totalThoughts up/down as understanding evolves
• Thought revision: Mark thoughts as revisions with --is-revision and --revises-thought
• Branching: Explore alternatives with --branch-from-thought and --branch-id
• Non-linear thinking: Branch or backtrack as needed
• Hypothesis verification: Generate and verify solution hypotheses iteratively

Parameters Reference

Parameter	Required	Description
--thought	Yes	Current thinking step content
--thought-number	Yes	Current position in sequence (1-based)
--total-thoughts	Yes	Estimated total thoughts (adjustable)
--next-thought-needed	Yes	true to continue, false to conclude
--is-revision	No	true if revising previous thinking
--revises-thought	No	Which thought number being revised
--branch-from-thought	No	Branching point thought number
--branch-id	No	Identifier for the branch
--needs-more-thoughts	No	Signal more thoughts needed

Output Formats

Control output with --output flag:

• text (default): Human-readable text
• json: Structured JSON
• markdown: Markdown formatted
• raw: Raw response data

Resources

scripts/

• sequential-thinking.ts - MCP server wrapper for sequential thinking (requires Bun runtime)

references/

• thinking-patterns.md - Common thinking patterns and examples for various problem types