Phaser Best Practices

Building Phaser Games

Scope

Target Phaser 3 JavaScript or TypeScript projects. New-project scaffolding assumes Node.js/npm, Vite, Vue, Nuxt, or an existing browser bundler.

Do not use this skill for non-Phaser engines unless the user explicitly wants Phaser-style patterns adapted elsewhere. If the request is about engine selection before Phaser is chosen, first use broader game-planning guidance, then return here once Phaser is the implementation path.

How to operate

1. Triage the request

Classify the task before writing code:

• New project: scaffolding, folder layout, game config, first scenes
• Feature work: add gameplay, UI, audio, transitions, tilemaps, enemies, pickups
• Bug fix: isolate scene lifecycle, asset, physics, input, camera, or rendering failure
• Optimization: profile bottlenecks, pooling, culling, throttling, asset strategy
• Art / asset pipeline: spritesheet measurements, animation setup, nine-slice / three-slice UI, tilemap integration
• Integration work: Vue / Nuxt wrappers, client-only mounting, fake-runtime tests, bridge events, DOM HUD coordination

2. Inspect first, then decide

When a repository already exists, inspect before proposing structure changes:

• package.json, bundler config, tsconfig/jsconfig
• Phaser version and whether the codebase is JS or TS
• game bootstrap, scene list, physics config, scale config
• asset folders and naming conventions
• current state-sharing approach (scene data, registry, services, globals)
• whether Phaser is mounted directly, through Vue components, or through @onmax/nuxt-phaser
• whether the project is pixel art, HD art, desktop-first, mobile-first, or mixed input

Prefer adapting to the existing codebase over replacing it with boilerplate.

3. Default technical choices

Use these defaults unless the task clearly calls for something else:

• Prefer the official Vite + TypeScript style setup for new projects
• Prefer Arcade Physics for platformers, shooters, top-down action, simple pickups, and lightweight collision logic
• Use Matter Physics only when the game needs rotation-driven collisions, compound bodies, constraints, stacking stability, or more realistic simulation
• Keep gameplay state outside renderer objects when the game has real rules, progression, saves, or turn order
• Keep Phaser scenes thin: boot assets, adapt simulation state into sprites / effects / camera, and emit input actions back through a bridge
• Keep input mapping explicit; scenes or Vue composables can own physical bindings, but entities and simulation systems should consume actions
• Use DOM or Vue overlays for dense HUDs, command menus, settings, narrative panels, and accessibility-sensitive controls
• Use global animations when multiple sprites share the same animation data
• Preload startup-critical assets up front; load level-specific assets later when it improves startup time
• Route runtime assets through stable manifest keys instead of spreading file paths through gameplay code
• Use built-in NineSlice / ThreeSlice for scalable UI art when the texture layout supports it; only fall back to custom compositing when transparent padding or discontinuous art breaks built-in slicing
• Use FIT scaling for most games, RESIZE for editor-like or UI-heavy layouts, and NONE only when manually controlling canvas sizing
• For pixel art, enable pixelArt mode, favor integer scaling where possible, and avoid sub-pixel camera movement

4. Output expectations

For new games, provide:

• the recommended folder structure
• a game config
• scene list and responsibilities
• starter code that runs
• notes on why each architectural choice fits the requested genre

For feature work or bug fixes, provide:

• minimal targeted edits
• root cause explanation
• the patch
• validation steps the user can run immediately

For architecture advice, provide:

• the smallest structure that solves the current problem
• one recommended path, not a menu of equally-weighted options
• explicit tradeoffs when the choice is important (for example Arcade vs Matter)

Non-negotiable implementation rules

• Respect the project's existing JS vs TS choice unless the user asks to migrate
• Centralize scene keys, asset keys, collision categories, and balance constants
• Treat serializable simulation state as the source of truth; sprites, containers, tweens, emitters, and cameras are disposable view state
• Use a narrow integration boundary where scenes read simulation state and emit input / UI actions back
• Keep update() orchestration-focused; push detailed logic into entities or systems
• Keep camera behavior separate from movement, combat, turn order, and progression rules
• Register cleanup for scene shutdown / destroy when you attach listeners, timers, tweens, or long-lived references
• In Vue or Nuxt projects, keep Phaser mounted client-side and avoid mirroring per-frame Phaser state into Vue reactivity
• Avoid creating new objects inside hot update() loops unless profiling proves it is harmless
• Do not make every object interactive or physics-enabled by default
• Do not assume spritesheet frame dimensions; inspect and verify them
• Do not tell the user to use Matter when Arcade already solves the problem cleanly
• Do not preload the entire game into one Boot scene just because it is convenient

Recommended delivery workflow

New Phaser project

1. Pick the architecture size:
   • Small / jam game: 2-4 scenes, lightweight service modules
   • Mid-size game: simulation systems + scenes + entities + constants
   • Large content-heavy game: data-driven content, dedicated state layer, scene bridge, DOM / Vue UI shell
2. Define the base config: renderer, scale mode, physics, pixel-art settings
3. Lock the player verbs, core loop, failure / reset states, and target session length
4. Choose the camera model early: locked, follow, room-based, or tactical pan
5. Create startup scenes first: Boot, Menu, Game, UI; add Pause / GameOver only if required
6. Add one vertical slice that proves the core loop works
7. Add reference-driven systems next: audio, saveable state, enemy spawning, tilemaps, UI polish

Adding or refactoring a feature

1. Locate the owning scene and affected systems
2. Identify the smallest correct insertion point
3. Reuse existing helpers, constants, managers, and pools
4. Add cleanup and validation steps with the change
5. Preserve scene restart safety
6. Preserve the simulation / renderer boundary when one already exists

Debugging

1. Reproduce the issue from the code and config
2. Identify whether the fault is:
   • lifecycle / restart
   • asset dimensions or loader config
   • physics body setup or collider order
   • scale / camera / pixel rounding
   • stale listeners, timers, or pooled object state
3. Patch the root cause, not just the symptom
4. Provide a quick repro or verification checklist

Reference map

Read only the files relevant to the task:

• Setup / bootstrap / config: references/setup-and-build.md
• Scenes / shared state / simulation boundaries: references/scenes-state-architecture.md
• Physics / entities / pooling: references/physics-and-entities.md
• Assets / animations / UI panels: references/assets-animation-ui.md
• Tilemaps / camera / input / audio: references/tilemaps-camera-input-audio.md
• Performance / debugging / cleanup: references/performance-debugging.md
• Code review / architecture checklist: references/review-checklist.md

Concrete examples

Example: "Create a Phaser top-down shooter"

Use this skill. Default to:

• Vite + TypeScript structure
• Arcade Physics
• Boot, Menu, Game, UI scenes
• explicit input action mapping
• simulation state outside renderer-facing sprites
• DOM or Vue HUD if the UI is text-heavy
• pooled bullets
• global animations
• camera follow and world bounds
• asset keys / scene keys in constants

Then deliver runnable starter code plus the first playable loop.

Example: "My pixel art looks blurry on mobile"

Use this skill. Inspect:

• pixelArt and roundPixels settings
• camera follow rounding
• scale mode and zoom strategy
• CSS around the canvas container
• whether art is being scaled non-integer

Then patch the smallest set of config and camera settings required.

Example: "Paper UI panels show weird side bars"

Use this skill. Inspect the source texture first. Then:

• try built-in ThreeSlice / NineSlice if the art is a true 3-slice or 9-slice layout
• if frames contain large transparent padding or discontinuous art, use trimmed or composited fallback slices
• document the measured frame sizes, spacing, margins, and any overlap used

Common traps

Avoid these unless the user explicitly wants them:

• one giant GameScene that owns menus, HUD, gameplay, pause, and transitions
• state stored on window, random module globals, or ad hoc singleton soup
• renderer objects treated as saveable gameplay state
• entity-owned keyboard listeners
• mirroring frame-by-frame Phaser data into Vue reactivity
• scene restart bugs caused by forgotten shutdown cleanup
• loading every future asset in the first scene
• manual nine-slice composition when built-in NineSlice already fits the asset
• over-engineering with ECS for tiny games that only need a few entity classes

Final check before responding

Make sure the answer:

• matches the user's genre, platform, and art style
• uses Phaser 3 APIs, not Phaser 4 RC APIs
• chooses a physics system deliberately
• respects the boundary between simulation, Phaser view state, and Vue / DOM UI
• keeps SKILL.md-level advice concise and moves detail into references
• includes validation steps when code is produced