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 p4---567# Game Development89> **Orchestrator skill** — principles plus routing to specialized sub-skills.1011---1213## When to Use This Skill1415You are working on a game development project. This skill teaches PRINCIPLES and directs you to the right sub-skill based on context.1617---1819## Sub-Skill Routing2021### Platform Selection2223| If the game targets... | Use Sub-Skill |24|------------------------|---------------|25| Web browsers (HTML5, WebGL, WebGPU) | `game-development/web-games` |26| Mobile (iOS, Android) | `game-development/mobile-games` |27| PC (Steam, Desktop) | `game-development/pc-games` |28| VR/AR headsets | `game-development/vr-ar` |2930### Dimension Selection3132| If the game is... | Use Sub-Skill |33|-------------------|---------------|34| 2D (sprites, tilemaps) | `game-development/2d-games` |35| 3D (meshes, shaders) | `game-development/3d-games` |3637### Architecture / tooling3839| If you need... | Use Sub-Skill |40|----------------|---------------|41| Engine / framework choice, shell vs guest, fit tiers | `game-development/engine-selection` |42| GDD, balancing, player psychology | `game-development/game-design` |43| Multiplayer, networking | `game-development/multiplayer` |44| Visual style, asset pipeline, animation | `game-development/game-art` |45| Sound design, music, adaptive audio | `game-development/game-audio` |4647---4849## Core Principles (All Platforms)5051### 1. The Game Loop5253```54INPUT → Read player actions55UPDATE → Process game logic (fixed timestep)56RENDER → Draw the frame (interpolated)57```5859**Fixed Timestep Rule:**60- Physics/logic: Fixed rate (e.g., 50Hz)61- Rendering: As fast as possible62- Interpolate between states for smooth visuals6364**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).6566### 2. Pattern Selection Matrix6768| Pattern | Use When | Example |69|---------|----------|---------|70| **State Machine** | 3-5 discrete states | Player: Idle→Walk→Jump |71| **Object Pooling** | Frequent spawn/destroy | Bullets, particles |72| **Observer/Events** | Cross-system communication | Health→UI updates |73| **ECS** | Thousands of similar entities | RTS units, particles |74| **Command** | Undo, replay, networking | Input recording |75| **Behavior Tree** | Complex AI decisions | Enemy AI |76| **Content-as-data** | Designers ship levels/events without code | JSON/YAML packs |7778**Decision Rule:** Start with State Machine. Add ECS only when performance demands.7980### 3. Input Abstraction8182Abstract input into ACTIONS, not raw keys:8384```85"jump" → Space, Gamepad A, Touch tap86"move" → WASD, Left stick, Virtual joystick87```8889### 4. Performance Budget (60 FPS = 16.67ms)9091| System | Budget |92|--------|--------|93| Input | 1ms |94| Physics | 3ms |95| AI | 2ms |96| Game Logic | 4ms |97| Rendering | 5ms |98| Buffer | 1.67ms |99100**Optimization Priority:** Algorithm → Batching → Pooling → LOD → Culling.101102### 5. AI Selection by Complexity103104| AI Type | Complexity | Use When |105|---------|------------|----------|106| **FSM** | Simple | 3-5 states, predictable behavior |107| **Behavior Tree** | Medium | Modular, designer-friendly |108| **GOAP** | High | Emergent, planning-based |109| **Utility AI** | High | Scoring-based decisions |110111### 6. Collision Strategy112113| Type | Best For |114|------|----------|115| **AABB** | Rectangles, fast checks |116| **Circle** | Round objects, cheap |117| **Spatial Hash** | Many similar-sized objects |118| **Quadtree** | Large worlds, varying sizes |119120---121122## Anti-Patterns (Universal)123124| Don't | Do |125|-------|-----|126| Update everything every frame | Use events, dirty flags |127| Create objects in hot loops | Object pooling |128| Cache nothing | Cache references |129| Optimize without profiling | Profile first |130| Mix input with logic | Abstract input layer |131| Pick an engine by hype | Match engine to genre + team + delivery target |132133---134135## Routing Examples136137### “Browser 2D platformer”138→ `game-development/engine-selection` → `game-development/web-games` → `game-development/2d-games` → `game-development/game-design`139140### “UI-heavy web game with small arcade challenges”141→ `game-development/engine-selection` (shell vs guest) → `game-development/web-games` → `game-development/2d-games` for guests only142143### “Mobile puzzle”144→ `game-development/mobile-games` → `game-development/game-design`145146### “Multiplayer VR shooter”147→ `game-development/vr-ar` → `game-development/3d-games` → `game-development/multiplayer`148149### “Branching narrative with light stats”150→ `game-development/engine-selection` (Ink/Twine) → host UI of your choice151152---153154> **Remember:** Great games come from iteration, not perfection. Prototype fast, then polish.155156## Limitations157158- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.159- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.160- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.
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