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:

bash

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:

bash

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:

bash

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:

bash

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:

bash

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