Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Studio Help: What Next? agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The help skill is an agent skill for Claude Code that answers one question on a game project: what should I do next? It reads your project's current phase and the workflow catalog, then reports which steps are complete, incomplete or unknown. This guide explains what agent skills are, how to install this one, how to trigger it with plain requests, and what it needs to run.
Studio Help: What Next?Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Get the skill files. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it so you have a folder containing SKILL.md.
- 2Place the folder. Move the help folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into the project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Confirm the project structure. Check that the project contains .claude/docs/workflow-catalog.yaml and the helper scripts under .claude/scripts and .claude/hooks.
- 4Open the project in Claude Code. Start Claude Code from the project root so relative paths resolve correctly.
- 5Ask what to do next. Type a request such as "What should I do next?" or run /help, optionally adding what you just finished.
- 6Read the status report. Review the complete, incomplete and unknown steps, then follow the suggested next action.
What the help skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that Claude follows when a matching request comes up. The help skill is meant for moments when you are stuck or unsure what to do next on a game project built with the Claude Code Game Studios framework.
It works in steps: it reads the workflow catalog (.claude/docs/workflow-catalog.yaml), determines your current phase such as concept, design or production, reads session notes, and checks project artifacts with a helper script. It then lists completed, incomplete and unknown steps and suggests what to do next. The skill is read-only and does not write any files.
- Reads your project's config and session notes to find the current phase
- Lists which pipeline steps are complete, incomplete, or unknown
- Suggests the next step and shows other installed skills not part of the workflow
- It is a lightweight checkpoint, not a full audit
Install the help skill with a ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. To make the skill available to all your projects, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only inside one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Trigger the help skill with natural requests
The skill's description says to use it when you are stuck or do not know what to do. You can ask in ordinary language, such as asking what to do next or saying you are stuck on something. You can also call it directly as /help.
You may add a short note about what you just finished, which the skill accepts as an optional argument. The argument-hint in its frontmatter gives examples such as 'finished design-review' or 'stuck on ADRs'.
- "What should I do next?"
- "I'm stuck on ADRs."
- "I just finished design-review, what's left?"
- /help finished design-review
What the skill needs to run
The skill requires Claude Code and the Claude Code Game Studios repository structure. It looks for .claude/docs/workflow-catalog.yaml, .claude/scripts/artifact-check.sh and .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh, and it needs a bash shell for the helper scripts. Without those files it has little to report.
- Claude Code
- Claude Code Game Studios repository structure
- Bash shell for the helper scripts
Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs scripts. Its helper scripts are invoked through bash, including artifact-check.sh and yaml-helper.sh, and it can run git log. It is listed as not using the network. Because it runs scripts, read the SKILL.md and the scripts in your project before you approve them, as you would for any tool that executes commands.
The skill is read-only: it reports findings and writes no files.
- Runs scripts: yes, through bash
- Uses network: no
- Writes files: no
Tips for getting useful output
Run the skill from your project root so the relative paths in the catalog and scripts resolve. Give it a short note about what you just finished, since the skill uses session context to personalise its answer.
For a complete gap analysis instead of a quick checkpoint, use /project-stage-detect, which the skill itself recommends.
- Start from the project root
- Mention what you just finished or where you are stuck
- Use /project-stage-detect for a full gap analysis
What people use it for
- Recovering your place after a break from a game project that follows the studio pipeline
- Checking whether design review or ADR steps are done before moving to the next phase
- Getting a quick checkpoint before a solo creator starts a new phase
- Spotting which installed skills sit outside the phase-gated workflow
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the help agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ to use it everywhere, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to use it in one project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What does the help skill require?
It requires Claude Code, the Claude Code Game Studios repository structure, and a bash shell for its helper scripts. It specifically looks for .claude/docs/workflow-catalog.yaml, .claude/scripts/artifact-check.sh and .claude/hooks/yaml-helper.sh.
Is the help skill free and what is its licence?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not list pricing, so check the source repository for any cost information.
Does the help skill change my project files?
No. The skill is read-only and reports findings without writing any files. It does run helper scripts, so review them before approving.
Why does the help skill say it finds nothing useful?
It depends on specific files like workflow-catalog.yaml. If your project does not use the Claude Code Game Studios workflow catalog, it will find little to report.
What should I use instead for a full project gap analysis?
The skill itself says a full gap analysis is better done with /project-stage-detect. The help skill is intended as a lightweight checkpoint.
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Our verdict
Use the help skill if you build games with the Claude Code Game Studios framework and often lose track of which pipeline step comes next. Pick something else if your project does not use that workflow catalog, or if you need a full gap analysis, where /project-stage-detect is the better fit.
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