game-development

SKILL.md

Game Development

Orchestrator skill that provides core principles and routes to specialized sub-skills.

When to Use This Skill

You are working on a game development project. This skill teaches the PRINCIPLES of game development and directs you to the right sub-skill based on context.

Sub-Skill Routing

Platform Selection

If the game targets...
Use Sub-Skill

Web browsers (HTML5, WebGL)
game-development/web-games

Mobile (iOS, Android)
game-development/mobile-games

PC (Steam, Desktop)
game-development/pc-games

VR/AR headsets
game-development/vr-ar

Dimension Selection

If the game is...
Use Sub-Skill

2D (sprites, tilemaps)
game-development/2d-games

3D (meshes, shaders)
game-development/3d-games

Specialty Areas

If you need...
Use Sub-Skill

GDD, balancing, player psychology
game-development/game-design

Multiplayer, networking
game-development/multiplayer

Visual style, asset pipeline, animation
game-development/game-art

Sound design, music, adaptive audio
game-development/game-audio

Core Principles (All Platforms)

1. The Game Loop

Every game, regardless of platform, follows this pattern:

INPUT  → Read player actions
UPDATE → Process game logic (fixed timestep)
RENDER → Draw the frame (interpolated)

Fixed Timestep Rule:

Physics/logic: Fixed rate (e.g., 50Hz)

Rendering: As fast as possible

Interpolate between states for smooth visuals

2. Pattern Selection Matrix

Pattern
Use When
Example

State Machine
3-5 discrete states
Player: Idle→Walk→Jump

Object Pooling
Frequent spawn/destroy
Bullets, particles

Observer/Events
Cross-system communication
Health→UI updates

ECS
Thousands of similar entities
RTS units, particles

Command
Undo, replay, networking
Input recording

Behavior Tree
Complex AI decisions
Enemy AI

Decision Rule: Start with State Machine. Add ECS only when performance demands.

3. Input Abstraction

Abstract input into ACTIONS, not raw keys:

"jump"  → Space, Gamepad A, Touch tap
"move"  → WASD, Left stick, Virtual joystick

Why: Enables multi-platform, rebindable controls.

4. Performance Budget (60 FPS = 16.67ms)

System
Budget

Input
1ms

Physics
3ms

AI
2ms

Game Logic
4ms

Rendering
5ms

Buffer
1.67ms

Optimization Priority:

Algorithm (O(n²) → O(n log n))

Batching (reduce draw calls)

Pooling (avoid GC spikes)

LOD (detail by distance)

Culling (skip invisible)

5. AI Selection by Complexity

AI Type
Complexity
Use When

FSM
Simple
3-5 states, predictable behavior

Behavior Tree
Medium
Modular, designer-friendly

GOAP
High
Emergent, planning-based

Utility AI
High
Scoring-based decisions

6. Collision Strategy

Type
Best For

AABB
Rectangles, fast checks

Circle
Round objects, cheap

Spatial Hash
Many similar-sized objects

Quadtree
Large worlds, varying sizes

Anti-Patterns (Universal)

Don't
Do

Update everything every frame
Use events, dirty flags

Create objects in hot loops
Object pooling

Cache nothing
Cache references

Optimize without profiling
Profile first

Mix input with logic
Abstract input layer

Routing Examples

Example 1: "I want to make a browser-based 2D platformer"

→ Start with game-development/web-games for framework selection
→ Then game-development/2d-games for sprite/tilemap patterns
→ Reference game-development/game-design for level design

Example 2: "Mobile puzzle game for iOS and Android"

→ Start with game-development/mobile-games for touch input and stores
→ Use game-development/game-design for puzzle balancing

Example 3: "Multiplayer VR shooter"

→ game-development/vr-ar for comfort and immersion
→ game-development/3d-games for rendering
→ game-development/multiplayer for networking

Remember: Great games come from iteration, not perfection. Prototype fast, then polish.

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.

Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.

Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.