punkfuncgames/clone-game

Clone Game — Screenshot to GDD Pipeline

Prerequisites

• One or more reference screenshots provided by the user (file paths or pasted images)
• Name for the game (ask if not provided)
• GitHub template repo: punkfuncgames/3d-project-base

Process

Step 0: Create Project from GitHub Template

Create a new repo from the template and clone it locally.

Naming convention: If cloning an existing game, append -clone to the name (e.g., pixel-flow-clone). For original games, use the game name directly.

# Create repo from GitHub template
gh repo create punkfuncgames/{game-name}-clone --template punkfuncgames/3d-project-base --private
git clone [email protected]:punkfuncgames/{game-name}-clone.git "C:/Users/mylls/Documents/punkfuncgames/games/{game-name}-clone"
cd "C:/Users/mylls/Documents/punkfuncgames/games/{game-name}-clone"

The new project starts with 6 base UPM packages (math, log, core, formula, gamestate, save), all skills, the MCP bridge, and clean git history. Additional packages are installed in /architect-game via the package registry after we know what the game needs.

All subsequent steps operate in the new project directory: C:\Users\mylls\Documents\punkfuncgames\games\{game-name}\

Step 0a: Update MCP Bridge to Latest

Check the MCP bridge package version and update to the latest tag:

# Get latest tag from remote
git ls-remote --tags https://github.com/melenglobal/com.studiobrain.mcp-bridge.git | sort -t/ -k3 -V | tail -1
# Compare with version in Packages/manifest.json
# If outdated, update the version tag in manifest.json

Also check if the base template (punkfuncgames/3d-project-base) needs the same update — if so, update it there too and commit.

Step 0b: Configure MCP Bridge

The template includes .mcp.json.example. Configure it for this project so all subsequent pipeline steps (implement-game, polish-game, record-golden-test) can use MCP tools.

1. Detect Unity editor version from ProjectSettings/ProjectVersion.txt
2. Find MCP server at C:/Users/mylls/Documents/mcp-servers/dist/index.js
3. Create .mcp.json from the example with resolved paths:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unity-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:/Users/mylls/Documents/mcp-servers/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "UNITY_EDITOR_PATH": "C:/Program Files/Unity/Hub/Editor/{detected-version}",
        "UNITY_PROJECT_PATH": "C:/Users/mylls/Documents/punkfuncgames/games/{game-name}",
        "DEEPL_API_KEY": ""
      }
    },
    "figma-desktop": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp"
    }
  }
}

4. Verify .mcp.json is in .gitignore (contains local paths — should not be committed)
5. Commit the example if not already tracked:

git add .mcp.json.example
git commit -m "build: add MCP bridge configuration example"

After this step, tell the user: "Project created and MCP configured. Restart Claude Code in the new directory so the MCP server connects: cd C:/Users/mylls/Documents/punkfuncgames/games/{game-name} && claude"

IMPORTANT: The user MUST restart Claude Code after this step. MCP servers only connect on startup. All subsequent pipeline skills (architect-game, implement-game, polish-game) require the MCP bridge to be running.

Step 1: Visual Analysis

Read each reference screenshot and extract:

• UI elements — HUD layout, menus, buttons, score displays, health bars, currency indicators
• Entities — player character, enemies, obstacles, collectibles, projectiles, NPCs
• Mechanics visible — movement patterns, combat, building, matching, physics, spawning
• Color palette — dominant colors, accent colors, background tones (extract 5-8 hex values)
• Art style — pixel art, low-poly, flat 2D, realistic 3D, cartoon, minimalist
• Camera — perspective (ortho/perspective), angle (top-down, side-scroll, isometric, third-person)

Record findings in a structured analysis before proceeding.

Step 2: Web Research

Use web search to find:

• The original game's name (if not already known)
• Core gameplay mechanics and rules
• Scoring system and progression
• Input scheme (touch, keyboard, mouse, gamepad)
• Known design patterns the game uses (e.g., wave spawner, match-3, endless runner)

Step 3: Decompose into Systems

Break the game down into these categories:

| Category | What to Define | |----------|---------------| | Core Loop | The 30-second repeating gameplay cycle | | Entities | Every distinct game object with its properties and behaviors | | Systems | Each runtime system (spawning, collision, scoring, physics, AI) | | Input | Control scheme mapped to actions | | Scoring | How points are earned, multipliers, combos | | Progression | Levels, difficulty curves, unlocks, upgrades | | UI Screens | Each screen (main menu, gameplay HUD, pause, game over, settings) | | Art Direction | Color palette (hex values), style guide, reference mood |

Step 4: Write GDD

Write the Game Design Document to:

docs/plans/{game-name}-gdd.md

Use this structure:

# {Game Name} — Game Design Document

## Overview
One-paragraph description of the game.

## Reference
- Screenshots analyzed: (list file names)
- Original game: {name} by {developer}
- Platform: {target platform}

## Core Loop
Describe the 30-second gameplay cycle.

## Entities
| Entity | Properties | Behaviors |
|--------|-----------|-----------|

## Systems
### {System Name}
- Purpose:
- Inputs:
- Outputs:
- Update frequency:

## Input Scheme
| Action | Keyboard | Gamepad | Touch |
|--------|----------|---------|-------|

## Scoring
- Points:
- Multipliers:
- High score:

## Progression
- Difficulty curve:
- Unlocks:
- Levels/waves:

## UI Screens
### {Screen Name}
- Elements:
- Transitions:

## Art Direction
- Style:
- Color palette: (hex values)
- Camera: {type}, {angle}
- Reference mood:

## Audio Direction
- Music style:
- Key SFX:

## Scope Estimate
- Estimated new modules:
- Packages to install from registry:
- Complexity: {low/medium/high}

Step 5: Commit

git add docs/plans/{game-name}-gdd.md
git commit -m "docs: add {game-name} game design document"

Output

The GDD file path, plus a brief summary of the game's core loop and estimated scope.