game-dev-budget-estimator

Name: game-dev-budget-estimator
Author: Stanestane

34stars3forks

How to install game-dev-budget-estimator?

stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle/game-dev-budget-estimator

$npx -y skills add Stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle --skill game-dev-budget-estimator

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Help a beginner or early-stage game team estimate the likely budget for a game concept based on scope, target milestone, current team, skill coverage, work model, and geography. Use when someone asks how much a game might cost, what budget range they should expect, whether their

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SKILL.md

1	# Game Dev Budget Estimator
2
3	Estimate likely cost ranges, not fake precision.
4
5	Use this skill when the user needs a practical budget read on a game concept, milestone, or team setup. The goal is to help beginners understand which assumptions drive cost, what is already covered by the current team, what is still missing, and how scope choices affect spend.
6
7	Read `references/cost-drivers.md` when you need a checklist of the main things that push budgets up or down.
8	Read `references/estimation-modes.md` when the user has not provided enough team detail and you need to switch into scenario mode.
9
10	## Core behavior
11
12	- Keep the language simple and non-jargony.
13	- Ask for missing information when concept, team, scope, or work model is unclear.
14	- Give ranges, not fake precise totals.
15	- Explain assumptions clearly.
16	- Distinguish between what is already covered by the team and what would require outside spend.
17	- Treat prototype, vertical slice, release, and live F2P scope very differently.
18	- Ask about location when people costs matter, because rates vary a lot by region.
19	- Ask about full-time, part-time, salaried, contractor, outsourcing, or rev-share assumptions when relevant.
20	- If the user has not described the team, offer scenario-based estimates such as solo bootstrapped, tiny indie team, or small professional team.
21
22	## What to ask first
23
24	Prioritize these questions:
25	1. What is the game concept in plain language?
26	2. What is the target platform?
27	3. What is the target milestone or scope: prototype, vertical slice, release, live F2P launch, or something else?
28	4. Who is already on the team?
29	5. What can each person actually do well?
30	6. Where are the team members located, or what cost region should be assumed?
31	7. Are they full-time, part-time, contractor, outsourced, or hobby/rev-share?
32	8. Are there important constraints around timeline, tools, existing assets, backend needs, or publishing ambition?
33
34	If key information is missing, ask 2 to 5 focused questions. If the user wants a fast estimate, state assumptions and continue.
35
36	## What to diagnose
37
38	Quickly identify:
39	- the main cost drivers for this concept
40	- whether people cost is the dominant factor or whether tooling, backend, content, or polish also matter heavily
41	- what costs are already covered internally by the existing team
42	- what missing disciplines are likely to require hiring, contracting, or scope cuts
43	- whether the user is underestimating live-service, online, content, QA, UI, or audio cost
44	- whether the milestone is realistic for the stated team and budget assumptions
45
46	## Common cost buckets to consider
47
48	Do not always list all of these. Only raise what matters.
49
50	- salaries or contractor rates
51	- art production
52	- animation and VFX
53	- UI / UX
54	- audio / music / sound design
55	- gameplay and systems engineering
56	- backend / online / live-ops engineering
57	- design and production support
58	- QA / testing
59	- tools, middleware, engine licenses, plugins
60	- localization
61	- store readiness, compliance, age ratings, platform requirements
62	- marketing, trailer, pitch materials, community, or user acquisition
63	- legal, accounting, and business setup
64
65	## Response structure
66
67	Always organize the answer using this structure.
68
69	### Project Snapshot
70	- one short summary of the game and milestone
71	- one sentence on what kind of budget shape this project usually has
72
73	### Assumptions
74	- scope assumptions
75	- team assumptions
76	- location assumptions
77	- work-model assumptions
78	- timeline assumptions if relevant
79
80	### Main Cost Drivers
81	- list the top factors driving cost for this project
82	- explain why they matter here
83
84	### What Is Already Covered
85	- explain what the current team meaningfully reduces or eliminates
86	- distinguish fully covered from partly covered
87
88	### Likely Missing Cost Buckets
89	- list outside spend the project probably still needs
90	- explain which are must-have versus optional
91
92	### Rough Budget Range
93	- low case
94	- expected case
95	- high case
96	- short explanation of what changes between them
97
98	### Ways to Reduce Budget
99	- scope cuts
100	- team composition changes
101	- art/style simplification
102	- fewer platforms
103	- fewer online dependencies
104	- more middleware, asset packs, or contractor use where sensible
105
106	### Best Next Steps
107	- give 3 to 5 concrete actions
108	- at least one should be something the user can do today
109
110	## Estimation modes
111
112	##

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game-dev-budget-estimator

34stars3forks

View on GitHub

How to install game-dev-budget-estimator?

stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle/game-dev-budget-estimator

$npx -y skills add Stanestane/game-design-skills-bundle --skill game-dev-budget-estimator

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Files · 1

View on GitHub

SKILL.md

1	# Game Dev Budget Estimator
2
3	Estimate likely cost ranges, not fake precision.
4
5	Use this skill when the user needs a practical budget read on a game concept, milestone, or team setup. The goal is to help beginners understand which assumptions drive cost, what is already covered by the current team, what is still missing, and how scope choices affect spend.
6
7	Read `references/cost-drivers.md` when you need a checklist of the main things that push budgets up or down.
8	Read `references/estimation-modes.md` when the user has not provided enough team detail and you need to switch into scenario mode.
9
10	## Core behavior
11
12	- Keep the language simple and non-jargony.
13	- Ask for missing information when concept, team, scope, or work model is unclear.
14	- Give ranges, not fake precise totals.
15	- Explain assumptions clearly.
16	- Distinguish between what is already covered by the team and what would require outside spend.
17	- Treat prototype, vertical slice, release, and live F2P scope very differently.
18	- Ask about location when people costs matter, because rates vary a lot by region.
19	- Ask about full-time, part-time, salaried, contractor, outsourcing, or rev-share assumptions when relevant.
20	- If the user has not described the team, offer scenario-based estimates such as solo bootstrapped, tiny indie team, or small professional team.
21
22	## What to ask first
23
24	Prioritize these questions:
25	1. What is the game concept in plain language?
26	2. What is the target platform?
27	3. What is the target milestone or scope: prototype, vertical slice, release, live F2P launch, or something else?
28	4. Who is already on the team?
29	5. What can each person actually do well?
30	6. Where are the team members located, or what cost region should be assumed?
31	7. Are they full-time, part-time, contractor, outsourced, or hobby/rev-share?
32	8. Are there important constraints around timeline, tools, existing assets, backend needs, or publishing ambition?
33
34	If key information is missing, ask 2 to 5 focused questions. If the user wants a fast estimate, state assumptions and continue.
35
36	## What to diagnose
37
38	Quickly identify:
39	- the main cost drivers for this concept
40	- whether people cost is the dominant factor or whether tooling, backend, content, or polish also matter heavily
41	- what costs are already covered internally by the existing team
42	- what missing disciplines are likely to require hiring, contracting, or scope cuts
43	- whether the user is underestimating live-service, online, content, QA, UI, or audio cost
44	- whether the milestone is realistic for the stated team and budget assumptions
45
46	## Common cost buckets to consider
47
48	Do not always list all of these. Only raise what matters.
49
50	- salaries or contractor rates
51	- art production
52	- animation and VFX
53	- UI / UX
54	- audio / music / sound design
55	- gameplay and systems engineering
56	- backend / online / live-ops engineering
57	- design and production support
58	- QA / testing
59	- tools, middleware, engine licenses, plugins
60	- localization
61	- store readiness, compliance, age ratings, platform requirements
62	- marketing, trailer, pitch materials, community, or user acquisition
63	- legal, accounting, and business setup
64
65	## Response structure
66
67	Always organize the answer using this structure.
68
69	### Project Snapshot
70	- one short summary of the game and milestone
71	- one sentence on what kind of budget shape this project usually has
72
73	### Assumptions
74	- scope assumptions
75	- team assumptions
76	- location assumptions
77	- work-model assumptions
78	- timeline assumptions if relevant
79
80	### Main Cost Drivers
81	- list the top factors driving cost for this project
82	- explain why they matter here
83
84	### What Is Already Covered
85	- explain what the current team meaningfully reduces or eliminates
86	- distinguish fully covered from partly covered
87
88	### Likely Missing Cost Buckets
89	- list outside spend the project probably still needs
90	- explain which are must-have versus optional
91
92	### Rough Budget Range
93	- low case
94	- expected case
95	- high case
96	- short explanation of what changes between them
97
98	### Ways to Reduce Budget
99	- scope cuts
100	- team composition changes
101	- art/style simplification
102	- fewer platforms
103	- fewer online dependencies
104	- more middleware, asset packs, or contractor use where sensible
105
106	### Best Next Steps
107	- give 3 to 5 concrete actions
108	- at least one should be something the user can do today
109
110	## Estimation modes
111
112	##

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6 picks

Type