/game-development

name: game-development
description: "Game development orchestrator. Routes to platform-specific skills based on project needs."
risk: unknown
source: community
date_added: "2026-02-27"

Game Development

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

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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.

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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` |

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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

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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.

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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.

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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:** 1. Algorithm (O(n²) → O(n log n)) 2. Batching (reduce draw calls) 3. Pooling (avoid GC spikes) 4. LOD (detail by distance) 5. Culling (skip invisible)

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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 |

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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 |

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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 |

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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

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> **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.