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Grotto skills

Repeatable workflows for making games. Bring your current build, run a focused development pass, and carry what you learn into the next one.

Open Studio Get the library

Build. Play. Learn. Repeat.

Use these skills throughout a game’s life. Each workflow gives you a starting point, a development cycle and a record to bring back next time.

Explore the production workflow

Start with context
Current build, intent and the last pass’s findings.
Run a focused pass
Choose one question, develop it and test it in play.
Carry it forward
Keep decisions, evidence and the next open question.

Choose a development focus

Return to any stage as the game evolves.

Game development workflows

18 skills to explore

Shape the idea

4 skills

Core game designDevelop and revisit a game’s player fantasy, core loop, meaningful choices and learning rhythm through repeated playtest-led design passes.After testing the core loop, or when verbs, goals, challenge or progression change.5 references

Start each pass with: The intended player experience, current rules and observations from recent play.
Work toward: A clear player fantasy, meaningful choices and a complete playable loop.
Carry into the next pass: A concise loop description, design hypotheses, observed player choices and the next experiment.

game design

challenge

core loop

difficulty

game feel

playtesting

brainstorm

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.3.1

Game production and iterationRun a recurring Studio production cycle: review the current build, choose the next risk or milestone, develop a playable slice and carry playtest evidence forward.At each milestone, after a playtest, or when scope and priorities change.3 references

Start each pass with: The creator brief, current playable build, remaining budget and findings from the previous pass.
Work toward: A scoped playable slice, clear risks and an evidence-backed iteration plan.
Carry into the next pass: The scope decision, tested build revision, findings and one next learning question.

vertical slice

first playable

production workflow

scope

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Level design and pacingIterate authored levels through layout, mechanic teaching, pacing and observed traversal or puzzle playtests.For each new level, or after changes to movement, encounters, checkpoints or teaching.3 references

Start each pass with: The level’s purpose, current controller and camera, layout and prior player observations.
Work toward: Readable spaces, purposeful encounters and reachable recovery paths.
Carry into the next pass: A route and teaching plan, pacing notes, observed failure points and replay scenarios.

level design

encounter pacing

tutorial

puzzle design

Workflow and references

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Version 1.0.1

Progression and balanceTune progression through recurring scenario-based passes on resource flows, unlocks, player choices and saved-state compatibility.When rewards, costs, unlocks, difficulty or saved progression change.3 references

Start each pass with: Resource sources and sinks, representative player states, current parameters and prior tuning notes.
Work toward: Useful unlocks and resource rules tuned against representative play.
Carry into the next pass: A parameter snapshot, scenario results, reward invariants and the next balance hypothesis.

progression balance

economy balance

unlock

resource sink

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Build the core

6 skills

Combat and enemy behaviorDevelop combat and enemy behavior in repeated encounter passes covering attack rules, telegraphs, decisions, navigation and player readability.For each enemy or encounter, and after attack, camera, movement or damage changes.3 references

Start each pass with: Attack rules, enemy roles, the current encounter and the previous readability findings.
Work toward: Predictable hit rules and enemies with readable, purposeful behavior.
Carry into the next pass: Attack phase contracts, enemy-role decisions and reproducible encounter cases.

enemy ai

combat design

hitbox

telegraph

pathfinding

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Cross-device controlsMaintain desktop and touch controls through recurring action-map, layout, multitouch and input-recovery passes as mechanics evolve.Whenever player actions, camera framing, HUD layout or device support changes.4 references

Start each pass with: The semantic action map, target devices, current controls and previous recovery cases.
Work toward: Keyboard, pointer and touch actions that recover cleanly after interruptions.
Carry into the next pass: Action bindings, device coverage, layout constraints and interruption replay cases.

controls

input

mobile

touch

joystick

keyboard

pointer

responsive

accessibility

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.3.1

Game architectureEvolve game state, simulation timing and lifecycle ownership through planned system passes, with repeatable pause, restart and loading checks.When a system, state transition, asynchronous task or restart path changes.3 references

Start each pass with: The installed foundation, state owners, resource lifetimes and the last recovery checks.
Work toward: One owner for game state, consistent timing and clean restart lifecycles.
Carry into the next pass: An ownership map, transition decisions and reproducible lifecycle scenarios.

state machine

simulation

lifecycle

game architecture

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Phaser 2D gamesBuild and evolve a Studio Phaser game through repeated scene, physics, input and asset integration passes using the installed foundation.For each new 2D capability, scene or asset batch, and after changes to physics or input.3 references

Start each pass with: The current Phaser foundation, scene ownership, requested mechanic and prior playable scenarios.
Work toward: A working 2D game with deliberate scenes, physics and state ownership.
Carry into the next pass: Scene and physics decisions, asset bindings and a small playable regression route.

phaser

2d

scene

arcade

physics

platformer

tilemap

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.1.2

Procedural worldsEvolve seeded worlds through recurring generator, validity and fairness passes with retained seeds and explicit generator revisions.When generation rules, movement assumptions, content pools or difficulty change.3 references

Start each pass with: The generator revision, RNG streams, movement rules and a retained seed corpus.
Work toward: Reproducible worlds validated against the actual movement rules.
Carry into the next pass: Generator/version decisions, seed coverage, validity constraints and failing seed cases.

procedural

roguelike

dungeon

maze

seed

endless

generation

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.1.2

Three.js worldsDevelop Three.js game scenes through recurring spatial, controller, model and rendering-cost passes using the installed Studio foundation.For each scene or model batch, and when camera, controller, collision or rendering changes.3 references

Start each pass with: The installed 3D foundation, current camera/controller, representative scene and cost measurements.
Work toward: A readable 3D world with coherent cameras, collision and model placement.
Carry into the next pass: Spatial and collision conventions, model bindings and measured representative scene baselines.

3d

threejs

three

glb

rapier

mesh

low poly

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.1.2

Give it character

4 skills

Art direction and asset planningMaintain a game’s visual direction through recurring representative asset reviews, budget planning and integration at gameplay scale.At each asset batch or milestone, and when camera, palette or visual scope changes.3 references

Start each pass with: The visual brief, representative gameplay view, approved assets and available asset budget.
Work toward: A consistent visual direction and a verified, budgeted asset set.
Carry into the next pass: A visual-system decision sheet, asset provenance and an updated asset plan.

art direction

visual system

asset plan

silhouette

provenance

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Character animationIterate character animation through recurring asset, state-transition, timing and interruption passes at gameplay scale.When clips, sprite sheets, movement states, facing or interruption rules change.3 references

Start each pass with: Current assets, state transitions, anchor/scale conventions and prior timing observations.
Work toward: Stable pivots, responsive transitions and frame-rate-independent clips.
Carry into the next pass: An animation-state map, timing decisions, asset bindings and interruption scenarios.

animation

animate

animated

spritesheet

walk cycle

idle

frames

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.1.2

Game audioIterate a game’s cue map, mix and browser playback lifecycle through recurring audio passes that respect creator intent and run budget.When game events, audio assets, mix priorities or playback lifecycle change.3 references

Start each pass with: The intended sound or silence, event-to-cue map, current mix and available asset budget.
Work toward: Intentional sound with working mute, startup, mixing and teardown.
Carry into the next pass: The cue map, mix priorities, mute behavior and browser playback test cases.

audio

sound

music

soundtrack

autoplay

mixing

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Pixel art and raster assetsProduce and integrate pixel art through repeatable asset batches with consistent palette, scale, anchors and actual gameplay inspection.For each sprite or tile batch, and when palette, camera scale or asset technique changes.4 references

Start each pass with: The visual rules, approved representative assets, asset roles and available budget.
Work toward: Consistent, readable sprites and textures connected to real asset files.
Carry into the next pass: Palette and scale conventions, reproducible asset recipes and integration/provenance notes.

pixel art

sprite

texture

asset

art

image

canvas

palette

retro

procedural

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.3.1

Play and refine

3 skills

Game feel and feedbackRefine game responsiveness and feedback through repeated hypothesis-driven tuning passes on movement, combat and rewards.After movement, combat, reward or feedback changes, and when playtests reveal weak response.3 references

Start each pass with: The intended feel, current parameters, a representative action and prior player observations.
Work toward: Responsive actions and readable effects that fit the intended style.
Carry into the next pass: Parameter snapshots, feedback priorities and comparable action/recovery test cases.

feel

juice

polish

hitstop

screenshake

feedback

responsive

satisfying

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.2

Game UI and accessibilityEvolve HUDs, menus and accessible interactions through recurring task, device, focus and assist-setting reviews.After adding a player task, changing the HUD or menus, or introducing new input and assist settings.3 references

Start each pass with: Player tasks, the current UI, target input modes and previously observed access barriers.
Work toward: Menus and game information usable across input, motion and audio preferences.
Carry into the next pass: A task/input matrix, focus rules, assist-setting decisions and reproducible access checks.

hud

game menu

screen reader

contrast

accessibility settings

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.1

Playtesting and performanceRun repeatable browser playtest and performance passes, preserving scenarios and findings across milestones, devices and revisions.Before a milestone or release, and after changes to the playable loop or recovery paths.4 references

Start each pass with: A playable revision, the creator’s intended experience, target devices and prior failing scenarios.
Work toward: Reproducible findings from actual play, recovery and measured performance.
Carry into the next pass: A scenario suite, evidence-linked findings, measured baselines and the next review scope.

playtest

qa

softlock

performance

framerate

stutter

fps

freeze

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.0.2

Keep it growing

1 skill

Safe game updatesRun a repeatable Studio update cycle that preserves game identity, save compatibility, review evidence and publication history.For each requested game update, save-schema change or rollback decision.3 references

Start each pass with: The current game revision, creator request, prior release evidence and representative saves.
Work toward: A verified update that preserves game identity and existing progress.
Carry into the next pass: The change decision, save migration checks, accepted revision and verified publication state.

update

iterate

publish

version

live

studio

save migration

rollback

Workflow and references

View complete skill folder

Version 1.3.1

Use a workflow in Studio

B.O.B. reads the relevant guide as needed. Tell it which part of the game you want to develop, and bring the findings from your last pass.

Use it with another agent

Keep each skill’s complete folder and references. The agent prompt asks for a focused cycle, verification and a record you can use again.

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