game-development

Game Development

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

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.

Sub-Skill Routing

Platform Selection

Dimension Selection

Specialty Areas

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

2. Pattern Selection Matrix

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

Why: Enables multi-platform, rebindable controls.

4. Performance Budget (60 FPS = 16.67ms)

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)

5. AI Selection by Complexity

6. Collision Strategy

Anti-Patterns (Universal)

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

Remember: Great games come from iteration, not perfection. Prototype fast, then polish.