Claude-Code-Game-Studios/.claude/skills/setup-engine/references/2-guided-mode.md

/setup-engine — Section 2: Guided Mode

Part of /setup-engine. SKILL.md names when to read this file; the settings it resolved and the rules under its later headings still apply here.

2. Guided Mode (No Arguments)

In this file:

• Check for existing game concept
• If the user wants to pick without a concept, ask in this order
• Produce a recommendation

If no engine is specified, run an interactive engine selection process:

Check for existing game concept

Read the design artifact for the resolved tier (see Tier awareness above):

• standard / full: read design/gdd/game-concept.md if it exists — extract genre, scope, platform targets, art style, team size, and any engine recommendation from /brainstorm.

• minimal: read design/game-brief.md if it exists — extract genre, scope, platform, and art direction from its fields. Its absence is expected at minimal (the brief is authored after engine setup in the minimal path), so do not treat a missing brief as a gap — proceed straight to guided selection.

• If no concept or brief exists, inform the user:

  "No game concept found. Consider running /brainstorm first to discover what you want to build — it will also recommend an engine. Or tell me about your game and I can help you pick."

  (At minimal this is optional, not a prerequisite — you can pick an engine now and write the brief next.)

If the user wants to pick without a concept, ask in this order:

Question 1 — Prior experience (ask this first, always, via AskUserQuestion):

• Prompt: "Have you worked in any of these engines before?"
• Options: Godot / Unity / Unreal Engine 5 / Multiple — I'll explain / None of them
• If they pick a specific engine → recommend that engine. Prior experience outweighs all other factors. Confirm with them and skip the matrix.
• If "None" or "Multiple" → continue to the questions below.

Questions 2-6 — Decision matrix inputs (only if no prior engine experience):

Question 2 — Target platform (ask this second, always, via AskUserQuestion — platform eliminates or heavily weights engines before any other factor):

• Prompt: "What platforms are you targeting for this game?"
• Options: PC (Steam / Epic) / Mobile (iOS / Android) / Console / Web / Browser / Multiple platforms
• Platform rules that feed directly into the recommendation:
  • Mobile → Unity strongly preferred; Unreal is a poor fit; Godot is viable for simple mobile
  • Console → Unity or Unreal; Godot console support requires third-party publishers or significant extra work
  • Web → Godot exports cleanly to web; Unity WebGL is functional; Unreal has poor web support
  • PC only → all engines viable; other factors decide
  • Multiple → Unity is the most portable across PC/mobile/console

1. What kind of game? (2D, 3D, or both?)
2. Primary input method? (keyboard/mouse, gamepad, touch, or mixed?)
3. Team size and experience? (solo beginner, solo experienced, small team?)
4. Any strong language preferences? (GDScript, C#, C++, visual scripting?)
5. Budget for engine licensing? (free only, or commercial licenses OK?)

Produce a recommendation

Do NOT use a simple scoring matrix that eliminates engines. Instead, reason through the user's profile against the honest tradeoffs below, then present 1-2 recommendations with full context. Always end with the user choosing — never force a verdict.

Engine honest tradeoffs:

Godot 4

• Genuine strengths: 2D (best in class), stylized/indie 3D, rapid iteration, free forever (MIT), open source, gentlest learning curve, best for solo devs who want full control
• Real limitations: 3D ecosystem is thin compared to Unity/Unreal (fewer tutorials, assets, community answers for 3D-specific problems); large open-world 3D is very hard and largely untested in Godot; console export requires third-party publishers or significant extra work; smaller professional job market
• Licensing reality: Truly free with no revenue thresholds ever. MIT license means you own everything.
• Best fit: 2D games of any scope; stylized/atmospheric 3D; contained 3D worlds (not open-world); first game projects where learning curve matters; projects where budget is a hard constraint at any scale

Unity

• Genuine strengths: Industry standard for mid-scope 3D and mobile; massive asset store and tutorial ecosystem; C# is a professional language; best console certification support for indie; strong community for almost every genre
• Real limitations: Licensing controversy in 2023 damaged trust (runtime fee was proposed then walked back — the risk of policy changes remains real); C# has a steeper initial curve than GDScript; heavier editor than Godot for simple projects
• Licensing reality: Free under $200K revenue AND 200K installs (Unity Personal/Plus). Only becomes costly if the game is genuinely successful — most indie games never hit this threshold. The 2023 controversy is worth knowing about but the actual current terms are reasonable for most indie developers.
• Best fit: Mobile games; mid-scope 3D; games targeting console; developers with C# background; projects needing large asset store; teams of 2-5

Unreal Engine 5

• Genuine strengths: Best-in-class 3D visuals (Lumen, Nanite, Chaos physics); industry standard for AAA and photorealistic 3D; large open-world support is mature and production-tested; Blueprint visual scripting lowers C++ barrier; strong for games targeting high-end PC or console
• Real limitations: Steepest learning curve; heaviest editor (slow compile times, large project sizes); overkill for stylized/2D/small-scope games; C++ is genuinely hard; not suitable for mobile or web; 5% royalty past $1M gross revenue
• Licensing reality: 5% royalty only applies AFTER $1M gross revenue per title. For a first game or any game that doesn't reach $1M, it costs nothing. This threshold is high enough that most indie developers will never pay it.
• Best fit: AAA-quality 3D; large open-world games; photorealistic visuals; developers with C++ experience or willing to use Blueprint; games targeting high-end PC/console where visual fidelity is a core selling point

Genre-specific guidance (factor this into the recommendation):

• 2D any style → Godot strongly preferred
• 3D stylized / atmospheric / contained world → Godot viable, Unity solid alternative
• 3D open world (large, seamless) → Unity or Unreal; Godot is not production-proven for this
• 3D photorealistic / AAA-quality → Unreal
• Mobile-first → Unity strongly preferred
• Console-first → Unity or Unreal; Godot console support requires extra work
• Horror / narrative / walking sim → any engine; match to art style and team experience
• Action RPG / Soulslike → Unity or Unreal for 3D; community support and assets matter here
• Platformer 2D → Godot
• Strategy / top-down / RTS → Godot or Unity depending on 2D vs 3D

Recommendation format:

1. Show a comparison table with the user's specific factors as rows
2. Give a primary recommendation with honest reasoning
3. Name the best alternative and when to choose it instead
4. Explicitly state: "This is a starting point, not a verdict — you can always migrate engines, and many developers switch between projects."
5. Use AskUserQuestion to confirm: "Does this recommendation feel right, or would you like to explore a different engine?"
   • Options: [Primary engine] (Recommended) / [Alternative engine] / [Third engine] / Explore further / Type something

If the user picks "Explore further": Use AskUserQuestion with concept-specific deep-dive topics. Always generate these options from the user's actual concept — do not use generic options. Always include at minimum:

• The primary engine's specific limitations for this concept (e.g., "How far can Godot 3D actually go for [genre]?")
• The alternative engine's specific tradeoffs for this concept
• Language choice impact on this concept's technical challenges
• Any concept-specific technical concern (e.g., adaptive audio, open-world streaming, multiplayer netcode)

The user can select multiple topics. Answer each selected topic in depth before returning to the engine confirmation question.

---