Game Development
Orchestrator skill — principles plus routing to specialized sub-skills.
When to Use This Skill
You are working on a game development project. This skill teaches PRINCIPLES 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, WebGPU) |
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 |
Architecture / tooling
| If you need... |
Use Sub-Skill |
| Engine / framework choice, shell vs guest, fit tiers |
game-development/engine-selection |
| 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
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
Hybrid / UI-heavy games: the outer app may be DOM/event-driven; use a classic game loop only in canvas/WebGL viewports (or wherever simulation ticks).
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 |
| Content-as-data |
Designers ship levels/events without code |
JSON/YAML packs |
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
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 → Batching → Pooling → LOD → Culling.
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 |
| Pick an engine by hype |
Match engine to genre + team + delivery target |
Routing Examples
“Browser 2D platformer”
→ game-development/engine-selection → game-development/web-games → game-development/2d-games → game-development/game-design
“UI-heavy web game with small arcade challenges”
→ game-development/engine-selection (shell vs guest) → game-development/web-games → game-development/2d-games for guests only
“Mobile puzzle”
→ game-development/mobile-games → game-development/game-design
“Multiplayer VR shooter”
→ game-development/vr-ar → game-development/3d-games → game-development/multiplayer
“Branching narrative with light stats”
→ game-development/engine-selection (Ink/Twine) → host UI of your choice
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.
1---2name: game-development3description: Game development orchestrator. Routes by platform, dimension, and engine fit (web 2D/3D, hybrid DOM+canvas, narrative tools). Use when starting or structuring a game project, choosing frameworks, or picking among Phaser, PixiJS, Kaplay, Canvas/WebGL, Three.js, Babylon.js, Godot, Unity, or Ink/Twine.4---56# Game Development78> **Orchestrator skill** — principles plus routing to specialized sub-skills.910---1112## When to Use This Skill1314You are working on a game development project. This skill teaches PRINCIPLES and directs you to the right sub-skill based on context.1516---1718## Sub-Skill Routing1920### Platform Selection2122| If the game targets... | Use Sub-Skill |23|------------------------|---------------|24| Web browsers (HTML5, WebGL, WebGPU) | `game-development/web-games` |25| Mobile (iOS, Android) | `game-development/mobile-games` |26| PC (Steam, Desktop) | `game-development/pc-games` |27| VR/AR headsets | `game-development/vr-ar` |2829### Dimension Selection3031| If the game is... | Use Sub-Skill |32|-------------------|---------------|33| 2D (sprites, tilemaps) | `game-development/2d-games` |34| 3D (meshes, shaders) | `game-development/3d-games` |3536### Architecture / tooling3738| If you need... | Use Sub-Skill |39|----------------|---------------|40| Engine / framework choice, shell vs guest, fit tiers | `game-development/engine-selection` |41| GDD, balancing, player psychology | `game-development/game-design` |42| Multiplayer, networking | `game-development/multiplayer` |43| Visual style, asset pipeline, animation | `game-development/game-art` |44| Sound design, music, adaptive audio | `game-development/game-audio` |4546---4748## Core Principles (All Platforms)4950### 1. The Game Loop5152```53INPUT → Read player actions54UPDATE → Process game logic (fixed timestep)55RENDER → Draw the frame (interpolated)56```5758**Fixed Timestep Rule:**59- Physics/logic: Fixed rate (e.g., 50Hz)60- Rendering: As fast as possible61- Interpolate between states for smooth visuals6263**Hybrid / UI-heavy games:** the outer app may be DOM/event-driven; use a classic game loop only in canvas/WebGL viewports (or wherever simulation ticks).6465### 2. Pattern Selection Matrix6667| Pattern | Use When | Example |68|---------|----------|---------|69| **State Machine** | 3-5 discrete states | Player: Idle→Walk→Jump |70| **Object Pooling** | Frequent spawn/destroy | Bullets, particles |71| **Observer/Events** | Cross-system communication | Health→UI updates |72| **ECS** | Thousands of similar entities | RTS units, particles |73| **Command** | Undo, replay, networking | Input recording |74| **Behavior Tree** | Complex AI decisions | Enemy AI |75| **Content-as-data** | Designers ship levels/events without code | JSON/YAML packs |7677**Decision Rule:** Start with State Machine. Add ECS only when performance demands.7879### 3. Input Abstraction8081Abstract input into ACTIONS, not raw keys:8283```84"jump" → Space, Gamepad A, Touch tap85"move" → WASD, Left stick, Virtual joystick86```8788### 4. Performance Budget (60 FPS = 16.67ms)8990| System | Budget |91|--------|--------|92| Input | 1ms |93| Physics | 3ms |94| AI | 2ms |95| Game Logic | 4ms |96| Rendering | 5ms |97| Buffer | 1.67ms |9899**Optimization Priority:** Algorithm → Batching → Pooling → LOD → Culling.100101### 5. AI Selection by Complexity102103| AI Type | Complexity | Use When |104|---------|------------|----------|105| **FSM** | Simple | 3-5 states, predictable behavior |106| **Behavior Tree** | Medium | Modular, designer-friendly |107| **GOAP** | High | Emergent, planning-based |108| **Utility AI** | High | Scoring-based decisions |109110### 6. Collision Strategy111112| Type | Best For |113|------|----------|114| **AABB** | Rectangles, fast checks |115| **Circle** | Round objects, cheap |116| **Spatial Hash** | Many similar-sized objects |117| **Quadtree** | Large worlds, varying sizes |118119---120121## Anti-Patterns (Universal)122123| Don't | Do |124|-------|-----|125| Update everything every frame | Use events, dirty flags |126| Create objects in hot loops | Object pooling |127| Cache nothing | Cache references |128| Optimize without profiling | Profile first |129| Mix input with logic | Abstract input layer |130| Pick an engine by hype | Match engine to genre + team + delivery target |131132---133134## Routing Examples135136### “Browser 2D platformer”137→ `game-development/engine-selection` → `game-development/web-games` → `game-development/2d-games` → `game-development/game-design`138139### “UI-heavy web game with small arcade challenges”140→ `game-development/engine-selection` (shell vs guest) → `game-development/web-games` → `game-development/2d-games` for guests only141142### “Mobile puzzle”143→ `game-development/mobile-games` → `game-development/game-design`144145### “Multiplayer VR shooter”146→ `game-development/vr-ar` → `game-development/3d-games` → `game-development/multiplayer`147148### “Branching narrative with light stats”149→ `game-development/engine-selection` (Ink/Twine) → host UI of your choice150151---152153> **Remember:** Great games come from iteration, not perfection. Prototype fast, then polish.154155## Limitations156157- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.158- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.159- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
FrancoStino