This is the game development expansion of BMad-Method (Breakthrough Method of Agile AI-driven Development), specializing in creating 2D games using Unity and C#. The v4 system introduces a modular architecture with improved dependency management, bundle optimization, and support for both web and IDE environments, specifically optimized for game development workflows.
### Key Features for Game Development
- **Game-Specialized Agent System**: AI agents for each game development role (Designer, Developer, Scrum Master)
- **Unity-Optimized Build System**: Automated dependency resolution for game assets and scripts
- **Dual Environment Support**: Optimized for both web UIs and game development IDEs
- **Game Development Resources**: Specialized templates, tasks, and checklists for 2D Unity games
- **Performance-First Approach**: Built-in optimization patterns for cross-platform game deployment
- **Game Documentation**: Professional Game Design Documents, technical architecture, user stories
## How BMad Works for Game Development
### The Core Method
BMad transforms you into a "Player Experience CEO" - directing a team of specialized game development AI agents through structured workflows. Here's how:
1.**You Direct, AI Executes**: You provide game vision and creative decisions; agents handle implementation details
2.**Specialized Game Agents**: Each agent masters one game development role (Designer, Developer, Scrum Master)
3.**Game-Focused Workflows**: Proven patterns guide you from game concept to deployed 2D Unity game
4.**Clean Handoffs**: Fresh context windows ensure agents stay focused and effective for game development
- Use large context windows for comprehensive game design
- Generate complete Game Design Documents and technical architecture
- Leverage multiple agents for creative brainstorming and mechanics refinement
- Create once, use throughout game development
#### Phase 2: Game Development (IDE - Implementation)
- Shard game design documents into manageable pieces
- Execute focused SM → Dev cycles for game features
- One game story at a time, sequential progress
- Real-time Unity operations, C# coding, and game testing
### The Game Development Loop
```text
1. Game SM Agent (New Chat) → Creates next game story from sharded docs
2. You → Review and approve game story
3. Game Dev Agent (New Chat) → Implements approved game feature in Unity
4. QA Agent (New Chat) → Reviews code and tests gameplay
5. You → Verify game feature completion
6. Repeat until game epic complete
```
### Why This Works for Games
- **Context Optimization**: Clean chats = better AI performance for complex game logic
- **Role Clarity**: Agents don't context-switch = higher quality game features
- **Incremental Progress**: Small game stories = manageable complexity
- **Player-Focused Oversight**: You validate each game feature = quality control
- **Design-Driven**: Game specs guide everything = consistent player experience
### Core Game Development Philosophy
#### Player-First Development
You are developing games as a "Player Experience CEO" - thinking like a game director with unlimited creative resources and a singular vision for player enjoyment.
#### Game Development Principles
1.**MAXIMIZE_PLAYER_ENGAGEMENT**: Push the AI to create compelling gameplay. Challenge mechanics and iterate.
2.**GAMEPLAY_QUALITY_CONTROL**: You are the ultimate arbiter of fun. Review all game features.
3.**CREATIVE_OVERSIGHT**: Maintain the high-level game vision and ensure design alignment.
4.**ITERATIVE_REFINEMENT**: Expect to revisit game mechanics. Game development is not linear.
5.**CLEAR_GAME_INSTRUCTIONS**: Precise game requirements lead to better implementations.
6.**DOCUMENTATION_IS_KEY**: Good game design docs lead to good game features.
7.**START_SMALL_SCALE_FAST**: Test core mechanics, then expand and polish.
8.**EMBRACE_CREATIVE_CHAOS**: Adapt and overcome game development challenges.
## Getting Started with Game Development
### Quick Start Options for Game Development
#### Option 1: Web UI for Game Design
**Best for**: Game designers who want to start with comprehensive planning
1. Navigate to `dist/teams/` (after building)
2. Copy `unity-2d-game-team.txt` content
3. Create new Gemini Gem or CustomGPT
4. Upload file with instructions: "Your critical operating instructions are attached, do not break character as directed"
5. Type `/help` to see available game development commands
#### Option 2: IDE Integration for Game Development
**Best for**: Unity developers using Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Trae, Cline, Roo Code, Github Copilot
```bash
# Interactive installation (recommended)
npx bmad-method install
# Select the bmad-2d-unity-game-dev expansion pack when prompted
```
**Installation Steps for Game Development**:
- Choose "Install expansion pack" when prompted
- Select "bmad-2d-unity-game-dev" from the list
- Select your IDE from supported options:
- **Cursor**: Native AI integration with Unity support
- **Claude Code**: Anthropic's official IDE
- **Windsurf**: Built-in AI capabilities
- **Trae**: Built-in AI capabilities
- **Cline**: VS Code extension with AI features
- **Roo Code**: Web-based IDE with agent support
- **GitHub Copilot**: VS Code extension with AI peer programming assistant
**Verify Game Development Installation**:
-`.bmad-core/` folder created with all core agents
-`.bmad-2d-unity-game-dev/` folder with game development agents
- IDE-specific integration files created
- Game development agents available with `/bmad2du` prefix (per config.yaml)
### Environment Selection Guide for Game Development
**Use Web UI for**:
- Game design document creation and brainstorming
- Cost-effective comprehensive game planning (especially with Gemini)
- Multi-agent game design consultation
- Creative ideation and mechanics refinement
**Use IDE for**:
- Unity project development and C# coding
- Game asset operations and project integration
- Game story management and implementation workflow
- Unity testing, profiling, and debugging
**Cost-Saving Tip for Game Development**: Create large game design documents in web UI, then copy to `docs/game-design-doc.md` and `docs/game-architecture.md` in your Unity project before switching to IDE for development.
### IDE-Only Game Development Workflow Considerations
**Can you do everything in IDE?** Yes, but understand the game development tradeoffs:
**Pros of IDE-Only Game Development**:
- Single environment workflow from design to Unity deployment
- Direct Unity project operations from start
- No copy/paste between environments
- Immediate Unity project integration
**Cons of IDE-Only Game Development**:
- Higher token costs for large game design document creation
- Smaller context windows for comprehensive game planning
- May hit limits during creative brainstorming phases
- Less cost-effective for extensive game design iteration
**CRITICAL RULE for Game Development**:
- **ALWAYS use Game SM agent for story creation** - Never use bmad-master or bmad-orchestrator
- **ALWAYS use Game Dev agent for Unity implementation** - Never use bmad-master or bmad-orchestrator
- **Why this matters**: Game SM and Game Dev agents are specifically optimized for Unity workflows
- **No exceptions**: Even if using bmad-master for design, switch to Game SM → Game Dev for implementation
## Core Configuration for Game Development (core-config.yaml)
**New in V4**: The `expansion-packs/bmad-2d-unity-game-dev/core-config.yaml` file enables BMad to work seamlessly with any Unity project structure, providing maximum flexibility for game development.
### Game Development Configuration
The expansion pack follows the standard BMad configuration patterns. Copy your core-config.yaml file to expansion-packs/bmad-2d-unity-game-dev/ and add Game-specific configurations to your project's `core-config.yaml`:
### Planning Phase (Web UI Recommended - Especially Gemini for Game Design!)
**Ideal for cost efficiency with Gemini's massive context for game brainstorming:**
**For All Game Projects**:
1.**Game Concept Brainstorming**: `/bmad2du/game-designer` - Use `*game-design-brainstorming` task
2.**Game Brief**: Create foundation game document using `game-brief-tmpl`
3.**Game Design Document Creation**: `/bmad2du/game-designer` - Use `game-design-doc-tmpl` for comprehensive game requirements
4.**Game Architecture Design**: `/bmad2du/game-architect` - Use `game-architecture-tmpl` for Unity technical foundation
5.**Level Design Framework**: `/bmad2du/game-designer` - Use `level-design-doc-tmpl` for level structure planning
6.**Document Preparation**: Copy final documents to Unity project as `docs/game-design-doc.md`, `docs/game-brief.md`, `docs/level-design.md` and `docs/game-architecture.md`
#### Example Game Planning Prompts
**For Game Design Document Creation**:
```text
"I want to build a [genre] 2D game that [core gameplay].
Help me brainstorm mechanics and create a comprehensive Game Design Document."
```
**For Game Architecture Design**:
```text
"Based on this Game Design Document, design a scalable Unity architecture
that can handle [specific game requirements] with stable performance."
```
### Critical Transition: Web UI to Unity IDE
**Once game planning is complete, you MUST switch to IDE for Unity development:**
- **Why**: Unity development workflow requires C# operations, asset management, and real-time Unity testing
- **Cost Benefit**: Web UI is more cost-effective for large game design creation; IDE is optimized for Unity development
- **Required Files**: Ensure `docs/game-design-doc.md` and `docs/game-architecture.md` exist in your Unity project
### Unity IDE Development Workflow
**Prerequisites**: Game planning documents must exist in `docs/` folder of Unity project
1.**Document Sharding** (CRITICAL STEP for Game Development):
- Documents created by Game Designer/Architect (in Web or IDE) MUST be sharded for development
- Use core BMad agents or tools to shard:
a) **Manual**: Use core BMad `shard-doc` task if available
b) **Agent**: Ask core `@bmad-master` agent to shard documents
**Key Concept**: Brownfield game development requires comprehensive documentation of your existing Unity project for AI agents to understand game mechanics, Unity patterns, and technical constraints.
- **Use Gemini for game design planning** - The team-game-dev bundle provides collaborative game expertise
- **Use bmad-master for game document organization** - Sharding creates manageable game feature chunks
- **Follow the Game SM → Game Dev cycle religiously** - This ensures systematic game progress
- **Keep conversations focused** - One game agent, one Unity task per conversation
- **Review everything** - Always review and approve before marking game features complete
## Contributing to BMad-Method Game Development
### Game Development Contribution Guidelines
For full details, see `CONTRIBUTING.md`. Key points for game development:
**Fork Workflow for Game Development**:
1. Fork the repository
2. Create game development feature branches
3. Submit PRs to `next` branch (default) or `main` for critical game development fixes only
4. Keep PRs small: 200-400 lines ideal, 800 lines maximum
5. One game feature/fix per PR
**Game Development PR Requirements**:
- Clear descriptions (max 200 words) with What/Why/How/Testing for game features
- Use conventional commits (feat:, fix:, docs:) with game context
- Atomic commits - one logical game change per commit
- Must align with game development guiding principles
**Game Development Core Principles**:
- **Game Dev Agents Must Be Lean**: Minimize dependencies, save context for Unity code
- **Natural Language First**: Everything in markdown, no code in game development core
- **Core vs Game Expansion Packs**: Core for universal needs, game packs for Unity specialization
- **Game Design Philosophy**: "Game dev agents code Unity, game planning agents plan gameplay"
## Game Development Expansion Pack System
### This Game Development Expansion Pack
This 2D Unity Game Development expansion pack extends BMad-Method beyond traditional software development into professional game development. It provides specialized game agent teams, Unity templates, and game workflows while keeping the core framework lean and focused on general development.
### Why Use This Game Development Expansion Pack?
1.**Keep Core Lean**: Game dev agents maintain maximum context for Unity coding
2.**Game Domain Expertise**: Deep, specialized Unity and game development knowledge
3.**Community Game Innovation**: Game developers can contribute and share Unity patterns
4.**Modular Game Design**: Install only game development capabilities you need
### Using This Game Development Expansion Pack
1.**Install via CLI**:
```bash
npx bmad-method install
# Select "Install game development expansion pack" option
```
2.**Use in Your Game Workflow**: Installed game agents integrate seamlessly with existing BMad agents
### Creating Custom Game Development Extensions
Use the **expansion-creator** pack to build your own game development extensions:
1.**Define Game Domain**: What game development expertise are you capturing?
2.**Design Game Agents**: Create specialized game roles with clear Unity boundaries
3.**Build Game Resources**: Tasks, templates, checklists for your game domain
4.**Test & Share**: Validate with real Unity use cases, share with game development community
**Key Principle**: Game development expansion packs democratize game development expertise by making specialized Unity and game design knowledge accessible through AI agents.
## Getting Help with Game Development
- **Commands**: Use `*/*help` in any environment to see available game development commands
- **Game Agent Switching**: Use `*/*switch game-agent-name` with orchestrator for role changes
- **Game Documentation**: Check `docs/` folder for Unity project-specific context
- **Game Community**: Discord and GitHub resources available for game development support
- **Game Contributing**: See `CONTRIBUTING.md` for full game development guidelines
This knowledge base provides the foundation for effective game development using the BMad-Method framework with specialized focus on 2D game creation using Unity and C#.