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.