Why This Exists

This repository is based on Donchitos' original project: https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios#

This fork is maintained for personal use with Copilot CLI.

The goal of this repository is to store AI instructions and workflows for agentic game development while keeping a structured multi-agent studio setup.

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Table of Contents

• What's Included
• Studio Hierarchy
• Slash Commands
• Getting Started
• Upgrading
• Project Structure
• How It Works
• Design Philosophy
• Customization
• Platform Support

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What's Included

Category	Count	Description
Agents	48	Specialized subagents across design, programming, art, audio, narrative, QA, and production
Skills	37	Slash commands for common workflows (/start, /sprint-plan, /code-review, /brainstorm, etc.)
Hooks	8	Automated validation on commits, pushes, asset changes, session lifecycle, agent audit, and gap detection
Rules	11	Path-scoped coding standards enforced when editing gameplay, engine, AI, UI, network code, and more
Templates	29	Document templates for GDDs, ADRs, sprint plans, economy models, faction design, and more

Studio Hierarchy

Agents are organized into three tiers, matching how real studios operate:

Tier 1 - Directors (Opus)
  creative-director    technical-director    producer

Tier 2 - Department Leads (Sonnet)
  game-designer        lead-programmer       art-director
  audio-director       narrative-director    qa-lead
  release-manager      localization-lead

Tier 3 - Specialists (Sonnet/Haiku)
  gameplay-programmer  engine-programmer     ai-programmer
  network-programmer   tools-programmer      ui-programmer
  systems-designer     level-designer        economy-designer
  technical-artist     sound-designer        writer
  world-builder        ux-designer           prototyper
  performance-analyst  devops-engineer       analytics-engineer
  security-engineer    qa-tester             accessibility-specialist
  live-ops-designer    community-manager

Engine Specialists

The template includes agent sets for all three major engines. Use the set that matches your project:

Engine	Lead Agent	Sub-Specialists
Godot 4	godot-specialist	GDScript, Shaders, GDExtension
Unity	unity-specialist	DOTS/ECS, Shaders/VFX, Addressables, UI Toolkit
Unreal Engine 5	unreal-specialist	GAS, Blueprints, Replication, UMG/CommonUI

Slash Commands

Type / in Copilot Code to access all 37 skills:

Reviews & Analysis /design-review /code-review /balance-check /asset-audit /scope-check /perf-profile /tech-debt

Production /sprint-plan /milestone-review /estimate /retrospective /bug-report

Project Management /start /project-stage-detect /reverse-document /gate-check /map-systems /design-system

Release /release-checklist /launch-checklist /changelog /patch-notes /hotfix

Creative /brainstorm /playtest-report /prototype /onboard /localize

Team Orchestration (coordinate multiple agents on a single feature) /team-combat /team-narrative /team-ui /team-release /team-polish /team-audio /team-level

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Git
• Agentic CLI
• Git Bash (recommended on Windows)
• Recommended: jq (for hook validation) and Python 3 (for JSON validation)

All hooks fail gracefully if optional tools are missing - nothing breaks, you just lose validation.

For Copilot CLI in terminal, install git hooks locally to enforce commit/push checks:

bash scripts/setup-git-hooks.sh

On PowerShell:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/setup-git-hooks.ps1

Setup

1. Clone or use as template:

   git clone https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios.git my-game
   cd my-game

2. Open Copilot and start a session:

   copilot

3. Run /start - the system asks where you are (no idea, vague concept, clear design, existing work) and guides you to the right workflow. No assumptions.

   Or jump directly to a specific skill if you already know what you need:

   • /brainstorm - explore game ideas from scratch
   • /setup-engine godot 4.6 - configure your engine if you already know
   • /project-stage-detect - analyze an existing project

Upgrading

Already using an older version of this template? See UPGRADING.md for step-by-step migration instructions, a breakdown of what changed between versions, and which files are safe to overwrite vs. which need a manual merge.

Project Structure

AGENTS.md                           # Master configuration
.agents/
  settings.json                     # Legacy runtime hooks/permissions (Claude-compatible)
  agents/                           # 48 agent definitions (markdown + YAML frontmatter)
  skills/                           # 37 slash commands (subdirectory per skill)
  hooks/                            # 8 hook scripts (bash, cross-platform)
  rules/                            # 11 path-scoped coding standards
  docs/
    quick-start.md                  # Detailed usage guide
    agent-roster.md                 # Full agent table with domains
    agent-coordination-map.md       # Delegation and escalation paths
    setup-requirements.md           # Prerequisites and platform notes
    templates/                      # 28 document templates
src/                                # Game source code
assets/                             # Art, audio, VFX, shaders, data files
design/                             # GDDs, narrative docs, level designs
docs/                               # Technical documentation and ADRs
tests/                              # Test suites
tools/                              # Build and pipeline tools
prototypes/                         # Throwaway prototypes (isolated from src/)
production/                         # Sprint plans, milestones, release tracking

How It Works

Agent Coordination

Agents follow a structured delegation model:

1. Vertical delegation - directors delegate to leads, leads delegate to specialists
2. Horizontal consultation - same-tier agents can consult each other but cannot make binding cross-domain decisions
3. Conflict resolution - disagreements escalate up to the shared parent (creative-director for design, technical-director for technical)
4. Change propagation - cross-department changes are coordinated by producer
5. Domain boundaries - agents do not modify files outside their domain without explicit delegation

Collaborative, Not Autonomous

This is not an auto-pilot system. Every agent follows a strict collaboration protocol:

1. Ask - agents ask questions before proposing solutions
2. Present options - agents show 2-4 options with pros/cons
3. You decide - the user always makes the call
4. Draft - agents show work before finalizing
5. Approve - nothing gets written without your sign-off

You stay in control. The agents provide structure and expertise, not autonomy.

Automated Safety

Safety is provided in two layers:

1. Git hooks (Copilot CLI path) installed via scripts/setup-git-hooks.*
2. Runtime hooks in .agents/settings.json for Claude-compatible runtimes

Git hooks installed for Copilot CLI:

Hook	Trigger	What It Does
pre-commit	git commit	Runs validate-commit.sh (design/doc checks, JSON validity, code warnings)
pre-push	git push	Runs validate-push.sh (protected branch warnings)
post-commit	Commit done	Runs validate-assets.sh in advisory mode

Runtime hooks defined in .agents/settings.json:

Hook	Trigger	What It Does
validate-commit.sh	git commit	Checks for hardcoded values, TODO format, JSON validity, design doc sections
validate-push.sh	git push	Warns on pushes to protected branches
validate-assets.sh	File writes in assets/	Validates naming conventions and JSON structure
session-start.sh	Session open	Loads sprint context and recent git activity
detect-gaps.sh	Session open	Detects fresh projects (suggests /start) and missing documentation when code/prototypes exist
pre-compact.sh	Context compression	Preserves session progress notes
session-stop.sh	Session close	Logs accomplishments
log-agent.sh	Agent spawned	Audit trail of all subagent invocations

settings.json permission rules apply only in runtimes that implement that schema. In Copilot CLI terminal mode, rely on git hooks plus repository policy/CI for enforcement.

Path-Scoped Rules

Coding standards are automatically enforced based on file location:

Path	Enforces
src/gameplay/**	Data-driven values, delta time usage, no UI references
src/core/**	Zero allocations in hot paths, thread safety, API stability
src/ai/**	Performance budgets, debuggability, data-driven parameters
src/networking/**	Server-authoritative, versioned messages, security
src/ui/**	No game state ownership, localization-ready, accessibility
design/gdd/**	Required 8 sections, formula format, edge cases
tests/**	Test naming, coverage requirements, fixture patterns
prototypes/**	Relaxed standards, README required, hypothesis documented

Design Philosophy

This template is grounded in professional game development practices:

• MDA Framework - Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics analysis for game design
• Self-Determination Theory - Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness for player motivation
• Flow State Design - Challenge-skill balance for player engagement
• Bartle Player Types - Audience targeting and validation
• Verification-Driven Development - Tests first, then implementation

Customization

This is a template, not a locked framework. Everything is meant to be customized:

• Add/remove agents - delete agent files you do not need, add new ones for your domains
• Edit agent prompts - tune agent behavior, add project-specific knowledge
• Modify skills - adjust workflows to match your team's process
• Add rules - create new path-scoped rules for your project's directory structure
• Tune hooks - adjust validation strictness, add new checks
• Pick your engine - use the Godot, Unity, or Unreal agent set (or none)