router

Master Router — Game-Development Skill Dispatcher

The entry point for game-development work. It fingerprints the project to pick one engine, classifies the task from the request, names the minimal set of specialized skills, and tells you to read them before acting. It dispatches and composes — it does not re-teach engine APIs.

When to use

• Use at the start of any game-development request — building or debugging a game, level,

player, enemy, shader, UI, save system, multiplayer, input, audio, AI, dialogue, procedural content, or visual asset set — to decide which skill(s) to load.

• Use when the user names an engine or genre, says "make a game", or asks "which skill should I

use?".

When not to use: once the right skill is loaded and the task is squarely inside it, work from that skill — don't re-run the router every turn. Re-route only when the task pivots* to a new engine or concern (router step 6).

Routing algorithm

1. Detect engine and version — project fingerprint → at most one engine skill set (or

"unknown"), then read the project's version source. §1.

1. Classify task — phrasing → discipline(s) + at most one genre + workflow(s). §2.
2. Resolve — the minimal set: engine skill(s) + discipline(s) + genre + workflow(s). §3.
3. Read (disclosure) — open only the chosen SKILL.md bodies; references/ only on demand. §4.
4. Compose — order: engine fundamentals → discipline concept → genre glue → workflow. §5.
5. Fallback — preserve existing engines, including custom/proprietary ones; bind missing APIs

from project evidence and state any gap. For a new project with no engine preference, see §6.

1. Engine detection (project fingerprint)

Scan for the highest-confidence signal; choose exactly one engine for the target project. An explicitly identified custom/proprietary engine is a valid result even without a catalog skill. Check the target's build and runtime entry point before treating a bundled library/tool as its engine.

| # | Engine | Primary signal | Skill set root | |:-:|--------|----------------|----------------| | 1 | Godot | project.godot | skills/godot/ | | 2 | Unreal | *.uproject | skills/unreal/ | | 3 | Unity | Assets/ and ProjectSettings/ProjectVersion.txt | skills/unity/ | | 4 | Ebitengine | go.mod requiring github.com/hajimehoshi/ebiten/v2 | skills/ebitengine/ | | 5 | Bevy | Cargo.toml with a bevy dependency | skills/other-engines/bevy-ecs/ | | 6 | Phaser | package.json dep phaser | skills/web-engines/phaser-* | | 7 | PixiJS | package.json dep pixi.js | skills/web-engines/pixijs-rendering/ | | 8 | three.js | package.json dep three | skills/web-engines/threejs-* | | 9 | Defold | game.project | skills/other-engines/defold-core/ | | 10 | LÖVE | conf.lua / main.lua calling love.* | skills/other-engines/love2d-core/ | | 11 | pygame | *.py with import pygame | skills/other-engines/pygame-core/ | | 12 | Roblox | *.rbxl(x) / *.project.json (Rojo) | skills/other-engines/roblox-* |

For secondary signals, the Godot-C#/Unity/Bevy, Defold/LÖVE/Lua and multi-web disambiguation rules, monorepos, and plain-text engine mentions, read references/engine-detection.md.

After identifying the engine, read its version from project metadata or dependency locks before choosing APIs. Existing projects keep their pinned version unless migration is requested; the catalog baseline is only for new projects. The exact version sources are in the detection reference; each engine skill states its new-project baseline, and the catalog-wide table is docs/VERSION-SUPPORT.md in the source repository (it is not installed with the router).

2. Task classification (phrasing → category)

After the engine, read the request for task signals (three additive categories):

• disciplines (cross-engine concepts): create-game-assets, game-ai, ai-behavior-trees-utility-ai, procedural-gen, dialogue-systems,

save-systems, audio-design, shader-programming, physics-tuning, level-design, input-systems, game-feel, camera-systems, game-ui-ux, performance-optimization. Triggered by concept words ("sprite sheet", "art direction", "texture", "pathfinding", "save slots", "fragment shader", "screen shake", "camera follow", "HUD/menu", "optimize/low FPS").

• genres (whole-game templates): platformer, roguelike, rpg, fps-shooter,

tower-defense, card-game, visual-novel, survival-crafting, puzzle. Triggered by genre words ("make a roguelike", "deckbuilder").

• workflows (process/shipping): game-jam, prototype-fast, steam-publish,

itch-publish. Triggered by process words ("publish on Steam", "vertical slice").

File signals sharpen this: *.yarn/*.ink → dialogue-systems/visual-novel; steam_appid.txt → steam-publish; *.inputactions → unity-input-system.

3. Routing table (task → category → skill)

3a. Engine skills — read the one matching the detected engine + sub-task

• Godot (skills/godot/): language godot-gdscript / godot-csharp; structure

godot-nodes-scenes, godot-signals-groups; 2D godot-2d-movement, godot-tilemap; 3D godot-3d-essentials; physics godot-physics; UI godot-ui-control; animation godot-animation; shaders godot-shaders; data godot-resources; audio godot-audio; netcode godot-multiplayer; headless CLI tests godot-gdscript-headless-testing; ship godot-export.

• Unity (skills/unity/): scripting unity-csharp-scripting; input unity-input-system;

physics unity-physics; animation unity-animation; data unity-scriptableobjects; 2D unity-tilemap-2d; AI nav unity-navmesh; ship unity-build-pipeline.

• Unreal (skills/unreal/): visual scripting unreal-blueprints; C++ gameplay

unreal-cpp-gameplay; input unreal-enhanced-input; AI unreal-behavior-trees; VFX unreal-niagara; ship unreal-packaging.

• Ebitengine (skills/ebitengine/): ebitengine-game for Go 2D games and focused

input, rendering, text, audio, state/testing and build work. Select only its relevant references; generating the starter is optional for an existing project.

• Web (skills/web-engines/): phaser-core, phaser-arcade-physics; pixijs-rendering;

threejs-scene-setup, threejs-gltf-loading, threejs-materials-lighting.

• Other (skills/other-engines/): bevy-ecs, pygame-core, love2d-core; Defold

defold-core (collections, game objects, scripts, input, messages, factories, proxies, Bob builds); Roblox foundation roblox-luau, persistence roblox-datastores, UI roblox-ui, remotes/security roblox-networking, character lifecycle roblox-characters, simulation/queries roblox-physics, in-Studio operation roblox-studio-workflow, and simulator/tycoon/idle economy balancing roblox-simulator-economy.

3b. Disciplines — load with the engine skill (concept ↔ engine API)

For Roblox, compose cross-engine concepts with the focused engine skill: HUD/menu requests use roblox-ui + game-ui-ux (+ input-systems for gameplay bindings); remote exploit or replication requests use roblox-networking + roblox-luau; respawn/rig requests use roblox-characters; physical simulation/query requests use roblox-physics (+ physics-tuning for stability); simulator, tycoon, clicker or idle economy requests (upgrade costs, rebirths, offline earnings, big numbers, paid eggs/crates odds) use roblox-simulator-economy + roblox-networking (+ roblox-datastores for saving); direct place editing also uses roblox-studio-workflow.

For Ebitengine, bind engine-specific slots to ebitengine-game and its relevant reference (input, rendering, text/UI, audio, gameplay, tilemaps or state/testing). Add only the needed disciplines; do not load Godot or Unity APIs from a genre's example bindings. Native 3D and a ready-made network backend are not supplied by this 2D skill; state those gaps when relevant.

For Defold, bind engine-specific slots (movement, input, spawning, level loading, build) to defold-core and add only the needed disciplines, e.g. "add player movement to my Defold game" → defold-core + input-systems (+ platformer for a platformer). Defold has no dedicated GUI, tilemap or physics skill yet; use defold-core and its build reference's pointers, and state the gap.

3c. Genres — compose engine + disciplines (bind * to the detected engine)

3d. Workflows — engine-independent process & shipping

game-jam (jam, 48-hour, Ludum Dare/GMTK) · prototype-fast (vertical slice, MVP, greybox) · steam-publish (Steam, Steamworks, depot; steam_appid.txt) · itch-publish (itch.io, butler; .itch.toml).

For the exhaustive per-skill trigger list and every engine binding, read references/routing-table.md.

4. Read protocol (progressive disclosure)

1. Preloaded: only each skill's name + description are in context. Decide from those plus

the fingerprint — do not pre-read bodies.

1. On selection: read the body of each chosen skills/<category>/<name>/SKILL.md — and

only those. Never bulk-load a whole category.

1. On demand: read a skill's bundled references/ files only when the subtask needs that

depth (the skill body says when).

1. Re-route on pivot: if the task changes (movement → saving), select and read the newly

relevant skill instead of keeping everything loaded.

Announce what you load and why, e.g.: "Detected Godot (`project.godot`). Loading `godot-2d-movement` for the controller and `platformer` for jump feel; will open the platformer skill's `feel-tuning.md` reference if you want coyote-time/buffering."

5. Composition rules

• One engine, additive concepts. Use its engine skill set when available; for an unsupported

engine, use project evidence as the API binding instead. Add the disciplines the task needs and usually at most one genre. Workflows attach independently.

• Order: engine fundamentals → discipline concept → genre orchestration → workflow. For asset

production, approve the visual target before generating a family, then finish with the engine import settings and an in-context capture.

• Ownership on overlap: the engine skill owns API/syntax; the discipline skill owns

the portable concept/algorithm and defers to the engine skill for code; the genre skill owns structure/glue and links out instead of re-teaching a primitive.

• Hand-offs: when a genre's composes names a slot like *-2d-movement, bind it to the

detected engine. If that engine lacks the exact skill, see §6 and references/routing-table.md ("Binding gaps").

6. Unknown-engine & no-skill fallback

Engine unknown (no fingerprint, no engine named):

1. Check the request for a plain-text engine name ("in Unity", "using Phaser"). If found, adopt it.
2. If the task is a pure concept/genre/workflow question, route straight to the engine-agnostic

discipline/genre/workflow skill — no engine needed ("what's a good save format?" → save-systems).

1. Only if engine choice actually blocks the answer, ask one targeted question about the

engine or project entry point. For a new project with no existing engine and no user preference, default to Godot (the most fully covered engine here) and say so.

1. Never invent an engine or load an engine skill on a guess.

Custom, proprietary, in-house, or unsupported engine: keep that engine and its toolchain. Read references/custom-engines.md to map the relevant discipline/genre concepts onto verified project APIs, using local documentation, headers/source, examples, and build/test commands. No catalog engine skill is required. Do not switch engines or invent a compatible API.

Catalog engine known but no skill covers the subtask: load the closest skill for that same engine plus the relevant discipline and state the gap plainly (e.g. "no dedicated Unity 2D-movement skill; using unity-csharp-scripting + unity-physics"). Never fabricate a skill name.

Conflicting/multiple genres: pick the dominant genre from the phrasing; mention the secondary and offer to load it if the user confirms.

Worked examples

References

• Full engine fingerprints, secondary signals, and disambiguation: references/engine-detection.md.
• Exhaustive per-skill trigger words, engine bindings, and binding gaps: references/routing-table.md.
• Custom/proprietary or unsupported engine integration: references/custom-engines.md.