---
name: cli-hub-matrix-game-development
description: >-
  Capability-based multi-tool matrix for game development: engine, 3D/2D/audio assets,
  AI-generated assets, agent playtesting, packaging, store publishing, and telemetry.
---

# Game Development Matrix (S4 — v2 capability-based)

Scenario **S4**. All asset-creation capabilities covered via the S3/S5 stacks; the structural gap is **distribution** (Steam/itch/console stores) and alternative engines (Unity/Unreal).

Schema: [`docs/cli-matrix/matrix_registry.schema.md`](../../docs/cli-matrix/matrix_registry.schema.md). Matrix plan: [`docs/cli-matrix/cli-matrix-plan.md`](../../docs/cli-matrix/cli-matrix-plan.md).

## Install

```bash
cli-hub matrix install game-development
cli-hub matrix info    game-development
cli-hub matrix preflight game-development --json
```

---

## Provider selection constraints

1. Use preflight as an availability report, not as a provider selector.
2. Treat provider order as documentation order only.
3. Choose from user requirements, output quality bar, offline needs, credential state, install cost, and provider notes.
4. Escalate to paid or metered APIs only when credentials are already present or the user explicitly consents.

---

## Preflight

Run `cli-hub matrix preflight game-development --json` first. Use the manual block below for extra probes or older `cli-hub` versions.

```bash
cli-hub list --json
python - <<'PY'
import importlib.util
for m in ("pygame","arcade","panda3d","ursina","trimesh","pygltflib","PIL",
          "pydub","librosa","music21","mido","abjad","diffusers","replicate",
          "posthog","gymnasium"):
    print(m, importlib.util.find_spec(m) is not None)
PY
for b in godot blender aseprite butler steamcmd ffmpeg pyinstaller; do
  command -v "$b" >/dev/null && echo "$b: yes" || echo "$b: no"
done
for e in STEAM_USERNAME STEAM_PASSWORD ITCH_API_KEY EPIC_DEV_TOKEN \
         PLAY_CONSOLE_KEY APP_STORE_CONNECT_KEY \
         REPLICATE_API_TOKEN OPENAI_API_KEY STABILITY_API_KEY IDEOGRAM_API_KEY \
         POSTHOG_API_KEY GAMEANALYTICS_KEY PLAYFAB_TITLE_KEY SENTRY_DSN; do
  [ -n "${!e}" ] && echo "$e: set" || echo "$e: unset"
done
```

---

## Suggest-to-user template

```
To enable <capability> via <provider>, please set <ENV_VAR>.
  Cost: <cost notes>
  Quality: <quality tier>
Reply 'skip' to fall back to <next provider>.
```

Example: *To publish to Steam, please install `steamcmd` and set `STEAM_USERNAME` + `STEAM_PASSWORD` (use a dedicated build account to limit credential risk). Cost: one-time $100 Steamworks fee. Reply 'skip' to fall back to itch.io via `butler` which only needs `ITCH_API_KEY`.*

---

## Capabilities

### `game.engine` — engine authoring / project manipulation

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-godot` | harness-cli | Godot installed | free | sota | yes |
| `pygame` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `arcade` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `panda3d` | python | pkg | free | high | yes |
| `ursina` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| Unity / Unreal | — | — | — | — | — |

### `asset.3d` — 3D game assets

See S3 matrix. Primary: `cli-anything-blender`, `cli-anything-freecad`, `trimesh`, `pygltflib`.

### `asset.2d` — sprites, tiles, UI art

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-krita` | harness-cli | Krita installed | free | sota | yes |
| `cli-anything-inkscape` | harness-cli | Inkscape installed | free | sota | yes |
| `Pillow` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `aseprite` | native | binary (commercial) | paid | sota | yes |
| `pyxel` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| OpenAI GPT-Image-1 | api | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | metered | sota | no |
| Scenario GG | api | `SCENARIO_API_KEY` | paid | sota | no |
| Leonardo AI | api | `LEONARDO_API_KEY` | paid | high | no |

### `asset.audio` — sfx and gameplay audio

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-audacity` | harness-cli | Audacity | free | high | yes |
| `pydub` / `librosa` / `soundfile` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `sfxr` / `jsfxr` | native | binary | free | good | yes |
| ElevenLabs SFX | api | `ELEVENLABS_API_KEY` | paid | sota | no |
| Mubert | api | `MUBERT_API_KEY` | metered | high | no |

### `asset.notation` — music notation / score export

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-musescore` | harness-cli | MuseScore installed | free | sota | yes |
| `music21` | python | pkg | free | high | yes |
| `mido` | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `abjad` | python | pkg | free | high | yes |

### `ai.gen-asset` — AI-generated art/audio for games

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-comfyui` | harness-cli | ComfyUI installed | free | high | yes |
| `jimeng` | public-cli | bin | metered | high | no |
| `diffusers` | python | pkg + weights | free | good | yes |
| `replicate` | python | `REPLICATE_API_TOKEN` | metered | high | no |
| Scenario GG | api | `SCENARIO_API_KEY` | paid | sota | no |
| Leonardo AI | api | `LEONARDO_API_KEY` | paid | high | no |
| OpenAI GPT-Image-1 | api | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | metered | sota | no |
| Stability | api | `STABILITY_API_KEY` | metered | high | no |

### `playtest.agent` — agent-driven play / testing

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-slay-the-spire-ii` | harness-cli | StS II + bridge mod | free | sota | yes |
| `gymnasium` envs | python | pkg | free | high | yes |
| Headless game + scripted input (e.g. Godot `--headless` with GUT) | harness-cli | Godot | free | good | yes |

Distinctive capability — very few agent stacks can drive a live GUI game loop.

### `build.package` — package a game binary / bundle

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `cli-anything-godot` (export presets) | harness-cli | Godot export templates | free | sota | yes |
| `pyinstaller` (pygame/arcade) | python | pkg | free | good | yes |
| `butler` (itch packager) | native | binary | free | high | yes |

### `publish.store` — upload a build to a store

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `steamcmd` | native | binary + Steam account + app ID | paid (fee) | sota | no |
| `butler` (itch.io) | native | binary + `ITCH_API_KEY` | free | high | no |
| Epic Games Services | api | `EPIC_DEV_TOKEN` | paid | high | no |
| Google Play Developer | api | `PLAY_CONSOLE_KEY` + service account | paid | high | no |
| App Store Connect | api | `APP_STORE_CONNECT_KEY` | paid | high | no |

**Known gap** — no harness-level abstraction; escalate via the suggest-to-user template with platform-specific preflight.

### `telemetry.ingest` — gameplay analytics / crash reports

| Provider | Kind | Requires | Cost | Quality | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| `sentry` | public-cli | bin + `SENTRY_DSN` | free-paid | high | no |
| `posthog` | python | pkg + `POSTHOG_API_KEY` | free-paid | high | no |
| GameAnalytics | api | `GAMEANALYTICS_KEY` | free | good | no |
| Unity Analytics | api | Unity project token | metered | high | no |
| PlayFab | api | `PLAYFAB_TITLE_KEY` | metered | high | no |

---

## Recipes

- **`godot-jam-game`** — minimal end-to-end for a game jam.
  Uses: `game.engine`, `asset.2d`, `asset.audio`, `build.package`, (optional `publish.store`).

- **`agent-bot`** — train / evaluate an agent against an existing game.
  Uses: `playtest.agent`, `telemetry.ingest`.

- **`ai-indie-short`** — AI-generated art + simple engine loop.
  Uses: `ai.gen-asset`, `asset.2d`, `game.engine`, `asset.audio`, `build.package`.

- **`steam-release`** — ship to Steam with crash reporting.
  Uses: `build.package`, `publish.store`, `telemetry.ingest`.

- **`music-driven-game`** — composed score integrated with gameplay.
  Uses: `asset.notation`, `asset.audio`, `game.engine`.

- **`reality-to-game`** — photogrammetry asset → import → ship.
  Uses: (S3 `photogrammetry.reconstruct`), `asset.3d`, `game.engine`, `build.package`.

---

## Known gaps

- **`publish.store`** — Steam/itch/console wrappers are native-only; escalate with explicit credentials.
- **`game.engine` for Unity/Unreal** — only Godot harness exists.
- **`telemetry.ingest`** — Sentry works; no first-party for GameAnalytics/PlayFab.
- **`asset.notation`** — uniquely strong (MuseScore) but rarely used in practice; keep as a differentiator.

---

## Agent guidance

- **Start in Godot** unless the user has explicitly asked for Unity/Unreal — it's the only engine we harness.
- **Keep asset pipelines deterministic** — re-runnable seeds for `ai.gen-asset`, versioned source `.aseprite`/`.krita` files, scriptable Blender bakes.
- **`playtest.agent` needs a bridge.** Most commercial games lack API access; agents should ask the user if modding is permitted before attempting.
- **Version builds immediately.** `build.package` output goes into `builds/<version>/` with a manifest so `publish.store` has deterministic uploads.
- **Don't auto-publish.** `publish.store` must always be gated behind explicit user confirmation — uploading a broken build is expensive to roll back.