/cut

name: cut
description: "Proposes cuts and a polish list to finish the game from its brief and what is built; the person picks each cut. A game to sell also gets a release date and a feature freeze. Use when asked what to cut, how to finish or ship it, or for a polish list."
argument-hint: "[no arguments]"
user-invocable: true
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion, Bash(bash "*/.claude/skills/cut/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config *), Bash(bash .claude/scripts/cut-read.sh*), Bash(bash .claude/scripts/cut-apply.sh *), Bash(bash .claude/scripts/config-set.sh project.goal *), Bash(bash .claude/scripts/one-shot-check.sh *), Bash(bash .claude/scripts/one-shot-run.sh *), Bash(find prototypes/*), Bash(timeout 900 npm run smoke), Bash(timeout 900 godot --headless *), Bash(git rev-parse *), Bash(git add design/*), Bash(git commit -m *)
model: sonnet

!`bash "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config --keys automation`

Resolved above — use as-is. No block → defaults in `.claude/docs/config-resolution.md`.

Cut

Finishing a game is choosing what not to build. /cut reads what exists, proposes cuts with a reason taken from it, and keeps a polish list; the person picks every cut. For `sell`, `early_access` and `publisher` it asks a target date and proposes a freeze date. It writes the brief, the polish list and any cut story's Status line, and makes one commit.

It runs only when asked: `/cut`, or "what should I cut?", "how do I finish this?". It works on the game `design/game-brief.md` describes. A project with GDDs and no brief is `/scope-check`'s.

Ask with the question tool. Without one, list the options numbered and end your turn to wait. The question is the last thing in the reply. A skipped or dismissed question is not an answer: ask again in plain text. Every ask follows `.claude/docs/automation-modes.md`: in `collaborative` and `guided` the cuts and the dates are asked, as scope changes are major decisions; in `autonomous` /cut writes the polish list only and leaves the proposals in its report: cuts and dates wait for the person, and nothing is committed.

Phase 1: Read what exists

Run `bash .claude/scripts/cut-read.sh` and keep its rows:

| Rows | Use | |---|---| | `brief`, `title` | The briefs written, both copies while they are the same text. `brief none`: say "/cut works from the brief's Features list, and there is no `design/game-brief.md`", name `/scope-check` when `design/gdd/` has files, and stop. `brief_differs`: the game's folder copy differs; only `design/game-brief.md` is written, said in one line | | `goal`, `dates` | `dates asked` or `not_asked` follows the goal. `goal - unset` (or `unknown`): guess it with `/start`'s goal table (`.claude/skills/start/SKILL.md`, Phase 4) from the brief's In your words, `hobby` when nothing fits, and show it *guessed* | | `feature`, `keep`, `avoid`, `out`, `cut` | The Features list by number, with its marks; the lists the proposals check | | `recorded`, `passed` | Dates already on the brief's Dates line, and any date already past | | `game`, `record`, `open` | A one-shot's last check record and its fails not marked deliberate | | `smoke` | A project's smoke command, from the engine table, or `none` with why | | `feel` | The feel log | | `polish`, `polish_row` | The polish list's rows and ticks. `polish other_game`: it is another game's; say so and write no polish rows | | `story`, `stories_other` | Stories traced to a Features item by number (`cut`: one already cut); a count of stories traced elsewhere, which /cut leaves alone (say so) |

Read the brief itself too: its Question, Hooks, First minute, Challenge, Goal & fail state and Build order give the reasons.

• **Fresh first:** a `record ... stale` row means the game changed after its check record. A

changed game gets the light check, never the small check again: the small check is the build's, and `one-shot-check.sh --record` records only that, so never run it here. First see whether a light check is newer than every game file. For each marker on disk, `evidence/changes.tsv` (a change's light check) and `evidence/cut-end.png` (an earlier /cut's), run `find prototypes/<name> -type f -newer prototypes/<name>/evidence/<marker> ! -path '*/evidence/*' ! -path '*/dist/*' ! -name brief.md ! -name feel-log.md ! -name polish-list.md`.

• **One prints nothing:** that light check is fresh, so run nothing. Errors and a bot stop on

`changes.tsv`'s last line that the polish list lacks become rows.

• **Otherwise,** run the light check once, as `.claude/skills/prototype/references/one-shot-4-change.md` section 7 does before accept: its step 1 (keep) and step 2 (play it once), the shot

`prototypes/<name>/evidence/cut-end.png`. A `not_assessed` row: say "not checked: <why>" in one line. Fix nothing: each error, bot stop and `changed` or `gone` keep row becomes a polish row.

These rows end `· from: light check of <date>`. The stale `record` row stays; its `open` rows still count.

• **A project:** `smoke <command>`: run `timeout 900 <command>` once, as it is: no pipe, redirect

or second command (the permission is for that command alone). A failure is a polish row (`from: smoke run of <date>`); a pass adds none. `record none` with no smoke command to run: say in one line that the polish rows come from the feel log and the person.

Phase 2: Propose

**Cuts,** in this order, each with a reason from what exists:

1. A `not_yet` item that Out of scope or Avoid already rules out. 2. A `built` item whose check fails (`open`), offered as cut it or polish it. 3. A `not_yet` item that no Question, Hook, First minute, Challenge, Goal & fail state or Keep line names.

For a selling goal, every `not_yet` item left also shows "build it before <freeze date>, or cut it". **Never propose an item a Keep line names.** The person can still name any item.

**Marks brought up to date:** a `not_yet` item whose `story` row is Complete is