Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Patch Notes Writer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Patch Notes Writer is an agent skill, a packaged set of instructions that an AI coding agent loads when it needs to do a specific job. This one, named patch-notes, takes a game's version history and rewrites developer language as release notes a player can read. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it, what it needs, and where to be careful before publishing.
Patch Notes WriterDonchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the patch-notes ZIP from the download link on this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Check the inputs. Confirm the repo has git history for the game, and ideally a changelog at production/releases/[version]/changelog.md or docs/CHANGELOG.md.
- 4Run the skill. Ask for patch notes for a version, or use /patch-notes [version] with an optional --style flag.
- 5Let it filter the history. The agent classifies each commit as game, framework or unclear and writes copy only from game commits.
- 6Review before publishing. Read the draft for accuracy against what the game actually changed, then publish.
What the patch-notes skill makes the agent do
When a game developer asks for patch notes for a version, the agent reads the project's git history, changelogs, balance docs and sprint notes. It then rewrites developer jargon as plain language a player would understand.
Before writing anything, the agent checks that the git history belongs to the game. It sorts each commit into game changes, framework or tooling work, or unclear, and uses only the game changes. Framework and tooling commits are kept out of the player-facing notes. If a team has a tone guide or patch-notes template, the skill can pick it up and follow it.
- Reads git history, changelogs, balance documents and sprint retrospectives for a version
- Filters out commits about skills, hooks, agents, CI and the framework's own docs
- Translates internal wording into player wording, for example 'Fixed null reference in inventory manager' becomes 'Fixed a crash when opening inventory'
- Keeps specific numbers for balance changes, such as damage 50 to 45
- Uses a project's own template if one exists, otherwise a built-in Brief, Detailed or Full style
Install the patch-notes skill
Download the ZIP for the patch-notes skill from the download link on this page. The skill's files include SKILL.md, the instruction file the agent reads. You can install it in one of two ways.
For a personal install that works across your projects, unzip the download into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Trigger the skill with a request or a command
The skill is user-invocable and takes a version number plus an optional style flag. The documented form is shown below. You can also ask in plain words, such as asking the agent to write patch notes for a version. Give the version explicitly, because the skill asks you for one if it is missing.
The --style flag accepts brief, detailed or full. Brief gives bullet points, detailed adds context, and full includes developer commentary. If you do not pass a style, the default is detailed.
- brief: bullet points under New, Changes, Fixes and Known Issues
- detailed: highlights, sections per feature, and a balance table with before, after and reason
- full: detailed output with developer commentary
/patch-notes [version] [--style brief|detailed|full]What the skill needs before it runs
The skill needs a git repository with history for the game. It also works from changelog data. The source lists production/releases/[version]/changelog.md or docs/CHANGELOG.md as optional inputs. The bash helper script at .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh is referenced by the skill, so it should be present in the project.
If there is no changelog data for the version and git history is empty or unavailable, the skill stops and asks you to generate the internal changelog first. It also stops when no commit in the range belongs to the game, and reports the count so you can see the filter ran.
- Git repository with history for the game (required)
- production/releases/[version]/changelog.md or docs/CHANGELOG.md (optional)
- .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh (optional, referenced by the skill)
Safety notes: scripts and network access
The skill runs scripts. Its allowed tools include a bash call to the helper script, resolve_config, and git log. It can read, search and write files. The source states that it does not use the network.
Read the output before you publish. The skill's own guidance says a human should review the result before it goes to players, and that a repo dominated by framework work can produce thin or wrong notes.
- Runs scripts: yes, via the bash helper and git log
- Uses network: no
- Can write files, so check where output lands in your project
- Always review generated notes before publishing
Tips for better patch notes
Keep your changelog entries specific. The skill can only translate what it can see in commits, changelogs, balance docs and sprint notes. Clear commit subjects about game changes give better player copy.
If your studio has a voice or style rule, put it in a documented location the skill checks, such as docs/PATCH-NOTES-STYLE.md or design/community/tone-guide.md. If you have a template, place it at docs/patch-notes-template.md or .claude/docs/templates/patch-notes-template.md so the skill uses your structure.
- Tag releases so the git range between versions is easy to read
- Store balance changes in design/balance/ so numbers reach the notes
- Check Known Issues for honesty about unresolved problems
What people use it for
- Writing player-facing release notes for an indie game after each version
- Turning balance spreadsheet changes into a before, after and reason table for players
- Producing consistent patch notes across releases for a small studio using the Claude Code Game Studios framework
- Converting QA bug fix records into grouped Fixes entries by system
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the patch-notes skill?
Download the ZIP from the download link on this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What does the patch-notes skill need to work?
It needs a git repository with history for the game. Changelog files such as production/releases/[version]/changelog.md or docs/CHANGELOG.md are optional but useful, and the bash helper at .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh is referenced by the skill.
Is the patch-notes skill free?
The source material for this page does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the listed licence, MIT. Check the repository's licence file for the details of what you may do with it.
Does the skill need an internet connection?
The skill is listed as not using the network. It reads local git history and changelog files and writes its output locally.
Why did the skill stop and say the history does not belong to my game?
The skill checks each commit before writing. If none of the commits in the range are game changes, it stops and reports the count, since framework-only history would produce false player copy. Point it at the right history or supply the change list directly.
Can I use my own patch notes template or tone guide?
Yes. The skill looks for docs/patch-notes-template.md or .claude/docs/templates/patch-notes-template.md, and for tone guidance in docs/PATCH-NOTES-STYLE.md or design/community/tone-guide.md. If a template is found, it replaces the built-in style templates.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are an indie developer or small studio, especially one using the Claude Code Game Studios framework, and you want release notes written for players with consistent structure per version. Pick something else if your project has no git history or changelog data, or if most of its history is framework or tooling work, since the output may be thin or wrong. In every case, a person should review the notes before they are published.
Download the skill