Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Release Checklist agent skill for game releases
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The release-checklist skill is an agent skill for Claude that writes a pre-release readiness checklist for a game project. It reads your project's config, milestone notes and bug records, scans source code for TODO, FIXME and HACK comments, and lists build, quality and certification items scoped to your project's stage and target store. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and where its limits are, so you can use the output as a review aid rather than a sign-off.
Release ChecklistDonchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it so the release-checklist folder containing SKILL.md is in ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Confirm the helper script exists. Check that .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh and project.yaml are present, since the skill cannot scope the checklist without them.
- 3Set cert_tier and stage. Set cert_tier to none, itch, steam or console, and set project.stage, so the checklist includes only the sections that apply to you.
- 4Add milestone and bug records. Place the current milestone in production/milestones/ and bug files in production/qa/bugs/ if you want those items assessed rather than marked not assessed.
- 5Ask for the checklist. Request the release checklist by name, optionally with a platform argument of pc, console, mobile or all.
- 6Review the NOT ASSESSED items. Read the output, note every item the skill could not assess, and resolve or verify each one before release.
What an agent skill is and what this one does
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that tells Claude how to carry out a specific task. When the skill is installed and you ask for a matching task, Claude follows the instructions in that file, using the tools the skill permits.
The release-checklist skill produces a release-readiness checklist for a game project. It is designed to flag what it could not assess rather than silently ticking items it cannot verify. Its output is a written checklist, not a build, a test run or a store submission.
- Reads CLAUDE.md for project context, version information and platform targets.
- Reads the current milestone from production/milestones/ to see which features and content belong in the release.
- Reads open bugs from production/qa/bugs/ and classifies them by severity and status.
- Counts TODO, FIXME and HACK comments in the code root, reporting how many files it scanned.
- Lists build verification, quality gate, content complete and certification items, scoped to the project.
Install the release-checklist skill
Download the ZIP from this page. Unzip it so that the release-checklist folder, containing SKILL.md, sits in one of two places: ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available to all of your projects, or the .claude/skills/ folder inside a single project to limit it to that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead of the command line, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP there.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/release-checklist/
- Project install: .claude/skills/release-checklist/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Check that your project meets the requirements
The skill expects a specific project layout. Without the config and helper script, it cannot scope the checklist, and it will mark most items as not assessed.
The skill runs a helper script, so it needs the script to be present. Bug and milestone folders are optional, but if they are missing the related items read NOT ASSESSED rather than passing.
- CLAUDE.md in the project root
- A project.yaml config file
- The .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh helper script
- Optional: production/milestones/ and production/qa/bugs/ with the expected formatting
- Optional: a test output folder or CI logs, if you want test results included
Set the project config that controls scope
The skill reads five settings from your config: rigor, workflow, project.stage, cert_tier and automation. These decide which items appear. If a setting is unset, the skill does not guess. It asks, or it marks the affected section as not assessed.
The cert_tier setting takes one of four values. none emits no certification section and says why. itch covers itch.io upload requirements only. steam covers Steamworks items only. console covers full platform certification, including TRC, XR and Lotcheck. An unset value is treated as a missing answer, not as none.
- cert_tier: none | itch | steam | console
- workflow: full changes the bug thresholds (open S2 and S3 bugs fail their items)
- rigor: minimal drops items whose only reason is process weight you have opted out of
- project.stage: items for phases the project has not reached are listed as out of scope
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You can invoke the skill with its name or simply describe what you need. The skill takes an optional platform argument: pc, console, mobile or all. If you give no platform, it uses all. The platform argument selects device requirements only. It does not choose the certification track, which comes from cert_tier.
Be specific about the release and the platform. Mention the version if you want it in the checklist header, though the skill reads version information from CLAUDE.md.
- Run the release checklist for pc
- Make a release readiness checklist for this game before we ship to Steam
- Check whether we are ready for an itch.io upload, scoped to our milestone
- Give me the release checklist for console, and tell me what is not assessed
Run the release-checklist skill for pcRead the output and what NOT ASSESSED means
The checklist opens with a codebase health section that states its denominator, for example the number of source files scanned and the TODO, FIXME and HACK counts. A zero count only means something when the scan actually ran, so the skill reports NOT ASSESSED when the code root is unresolved or holds no source files.
Quality gate items for bugs depend on the workflow setting. At full, an open S1, S2 or S3 bug fails its item. At standard or minimal, only an open S1 fails; open S2 or S3 bugs appear in the rationale as risks. Items the skill cannot verify are left unticked for a person to check.
- NOT ASSESSED — no bug records: production/qa/bugs/ is absent or empty
- NOT ASSESSED — cert tier unknown: cert_tier is unset and could not be determined
- NOT ASSESSED — platform/stage unknown: the config is absent, so items cannot be scoped
- Test results: NOT ASSESSED — no test output or CI logs found
Safety notes: scripts, network and file writes
The skill runs one script call: the yaml-helper.sh resolve_config command, to read your config keys. It does not use the network. Its tools are limited to reading files, searching with glob and grep, writing files and that single bash call.
The skill can write files, so review what it writes to your project. It only reads and writes files; it does not build your game, run tests against a store, or submit anything to a storefront. Checklist items still require a human to verify them.
- Runs scripts: yes, the resolve_config helper call only
- Uses network: no
- Can write files: yes, so check the output location before you accept changes
- Does not build, test or submit: verify every item yourself
What people use it for
- A solo developer preparing a Steam release who wants a scoped list of store page, depot build and achievement items.
- A small team shipping an itch.io game who needs the build size, page setup and age tag items without console certification clutter.
- A studio lead reviewing whether the open bug list meets the full workflow thresholds before a milestone gate.
- A developer checking for leftover FIXME and HACK comments in the source before a candidate build.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the release-checklist agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it so the release-checklist folder sits in ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
What does the release-checklist skill need to run?
It needs a project with CLAUDE.md, a project.yaml config file and the .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh helper script. production/milestones/ and production/qa/bugs/ are optional but needed for those items to be assessed.
Is the release checklist skill free?
The source material for this page does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the MIT licence shown for the repository, so check the repository's licence file for the exact terms before you rely on it.
Does the skill build my game or submit it to Steam or itch.io?
No. The skill reads files and writes a checklist. It does not run a build or submit to any store, and the checklist items still need a person to verify them.
Why does my checklist say NOT ASSESSED?
The skill reports NOT ASSESSED when it cannot verify something, such as an unset cert_tier, missing bug records, an unresolved code root or absent test results. Adding the missing config or records and running it again will usually resolve the message.
Can I use this skill for non-game software?
Not well. The checklist is written around game platforms and certification tracks such as TRC, XR and Lotcheck, so it will not fit most other projects.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are a game developer preparing a PC, Steam, itch.io or console release, and your project keeps milestone notes and bug records in the expected folders. Pick something else if you make non-game software, or if you expect an agent to build your game or submit it to a store, since this skill only reads files and writes a checklist that a person must still verify.
Download the skill