--- name: pc-games description: "PC and console game development principles. Engine selection, platform features, optimization strategies." risk: safe source: community date_added: "2026-02-27" --- # PC/Console Game Development > Engine selection and platform-specific principles. --- ## 1. Engine Selection ### Decision Tree ``` What are you building? │ ├── 2D Game │ ├── Open source important? → Godot │ └── Large team/assets? → Unity │ ├── 3D Game │ ├── AAA visual quality? → Unreal │ ├── Cross-platform priority? → Unity │ └── Indie/open source? → Godot 4 │ └── Specific Needs ├── DOTS performance? → Unity ├── Nanite/Lumen? → Unreal └── Lightweight? → Godot ``` ### Comparison | Factor | Unity 6 | Godot 4 | Unreal 5 | |--------|---------|---------|----------| | 2D | Good | Excellent | Limited | | 3D | Good | Good | Excellent | | Learning | Medium | Easy | Hard | | License | Tiered subscription/eligibility; verify current Unity terms | MIT engine; console middleware may cost extra | Royalties or seat terms depend on use; verify current EULA | | Team | Any | Solo-Medium | Medium-Large | --- ## 2. Platform Features ### Steam Integration | Feature | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Achievements | Player goals | | Cloud Saves | Cross-device progress | | Leaderboards | Competition | | Workshop | User mods | | Rich Presence | Show in-game status | ### Console Requirements | Platform | Certification | |----------|--------------| | PlayStation | TRC compliance | | Xbox | XR compliance | | Nintendo | Lotcheck | --- ## 3. Controller Support ### Input Abstraction ``` Map ACTIONS, not buttons: - "confirm" → A (Xbox), Cross (PS), B (Nintendo) - "cancel" → B (Xbox), Circle (PS), A (Nintendo) ``` ### Haptic Feedback | Intensity | Use | |-----------|-----| | Light | UI feedback | | Medium | Impacts | | Heavy | Major events | --- ## 4. Performance Optimization ### Profiling First | Engine | Tool | |--------|------| | Unity | Profiler Window | | Godot | Debugger → Profiler | | Unreal | Unreal Insights | ### Common Bottlenecks | Bottleneck | Solution | |------------|----------| | Draw calls | Batching, atlases | | GC spikes | Object pooling | | Physics | Simpler colliders | | Shaders | LOD shaders | --- ## 5. Engine-Specific Principles ### Unity 6 - DOTS for performance-critical systems - Burst compiler for hot paths - Addressables for asset streaming ### Godot 4 - GDScript for rapid iteration - C# for complex logic - Signals for decoupling ### Unreal 5 - Blueprint for designers - C++ for performance - Nanite for high-poly environments - Lumen for dynamic lighting --- ## 6. Anti-Patterns | ❌ Don't | ✅ Do | |----------|-------| | Choose engine by hype | Choose by project needs | | Ignore platform guidelines | Study certification requirements | | Hardcode input buttons | Abstract to actions | | Skip profiling | Profile early and often | --- > **Remember:** Engine is a tool. Master the principles, then adapt to any engine. ## When to Use Use when choosing a PC or console engine, integrating platform features, mapping controller actions, or profiling target hardware. ## Limitations - Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above. - Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review. - Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing. ## Verification Treat tables as design starting points, not guarantees. Prototype the selected mechanic, test accessibility and recovery paths, and measure frame timing, memory and behavior on target hardware before claiming completion. Store submission and licensing requirements must be checked against current official platform documentation. --- Source attribution: vudovn Original project: https://github.com/vudovn/antigravity-kit License: MIT + CC-BY-4.0 License information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Antigravity User Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) This file clarifies the license for original non-code repository content. - Original code and tooling remain licensed under the MIT License in `LICENSE`. - Original documentation and other non-code written content are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license unless a more specific upstream notice says otherwise. - Third-party attributions, upstream licenses, and exceptions are tracked in `docs/sources/sources.md`. Canonical license URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Review the full license text at the canonical URL before reuse. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: vudovn Original project: https://github.com/vudovn/antigravity-kit Attribution basis: Original project explicitly identified in package addition commit Fields of work: Design, Development & Engineering, Product Management Roles: Game Developer, Product Manager, UX Designer Specialties: API, Design, Excel, Frontend, Testing Tools: Godot, Steam, Unity, Unreal Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: f10f4c83196042f6f41950e7fd4d2ebd552bc98e4ea8881687166cb68d16c2aa Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27 This metadata supersedes earlier Dave AI catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.