> **Orchestrator skill** that provides core principles and routes to specialized sub-skills. * * * 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.
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
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
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
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.
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)
System
Budget
Input
1ms
Physics
3ms
AI
2ms
Game Logic
4ms
Rendering
5ms
Buffer
1.67ms
Optimization Priority:
Algorithm (O(n²) → O(n log n))
Batching (reduce draw calls)
Pooling (avoid GC spikes)
LOD (detail by distance)
Culling (skip invisible)
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
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.