> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.summerengine.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Skills > The Summer Engine skill library: 60+ best-practice guides across 20 categories that make AI agents better at building games, from FPS controllers to asset generation to multiplayer. ## What Are Skills? Skills are best-practice guides that make AI agents better at game development. Each skill is a Markdown file (a `SKILL.md`) that teaches the agent a specific discipline: how to compose a scene, build an FPS controller, generate a character model, set up multiplayer, or debug a crash. When the situation matches, the agent loads the skill and follows it. The library ships with the Summer CLI and covers 20 categories spanning the whole game-dev workflow. Skills follow the [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io/) open standard, so they work with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, and other compatible agents. ## Quick Start The recommended skill set installs automatically when you onboard an agent: ```bash theme={null} npx -y summer-engine@latest setup claude-code --yes ``` Or manage skills directly: ```bash theme={null} # List available skills summer skills list # Install the recommended set for an agent summer skills install --recommended --agent claude-code # Install one skill summer skills install fps-controller --agent cursor # Install every skill summer skills install --all --agent claude-code # Preview a skill summer skills info debug ``` ## Categories The library is organized into 20 categories. Recommended skills install by default; the rest are available on demand. ### Workflow Process disciplines that shape how the agent approaches a task before it touches code. | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **brainstorming** | Starting a new game, mechanic, or feature; exploring intent and scope first | | **investigating-bugs** | A first fix did not stick and you need root-cause analysis | | **verification-before-completion** | About to claim a feature is done; forces a real check first | | **playtesting-a-feature** | A gameplay feature is finished and needs a golden-path and edge-case playthrough | | **writing-plans** | A multi-step spec needs a written plan with checkpoints | | **dispatching-parallel-agents** | Two or more independent tasks can run in parallel | | **writing-skills** | Authoring a new Summer skill | | **debugging-game-feel** | Tuning feel ("the jump feels floaty") one variable at a time | | **diagnosing-perf-regressions** | FPS dropped after a change and you need to bisect the cause | ### Scene and Project | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **make-game** | Building a narrow playable prototype from requirements end to end | | **brainstorm-game** | Turning "I want to make a game" into a one-page brief at `.summer/GameSoul.md` | | **new-project** | Starting a blank project (picks empty vs 3d-basic, opens the engine) | | **browse-templates** | Choosing a community template to start from | | **scene-composition** | Building scenes, organizing nodes, creating reusable prefabs | | **play** | Running the game from a clean state and reporting whether it runs cleanly | ### Scripting Patterns | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **gdscript-patterns** | Writing GDScript: type hints, signals, exports, lifecycle methods | ### Character Controllers | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **fps-controller** | Building a first-person CharacterBody3D with movement, camera, and input | ### Gameplay Mechanics | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **design-mechanic** | Designing a mechanic end to end: input, response, feedback, depth | ### Level Design | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **design-level** | Designing a level as a paced encounter, then producing a node-tree skeleton | ### Rendering and Lighting | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **3d-lighting** | Setting up sun, fill, WorldEnvironment, sky, and shadows | | **art-direction** | Defining art direction and writing the art bible to `.summer/art-bible.md` | ### UI and UX | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **ui-basics** | Building menus, HUDs, health bars, and responsive layout | ### Asset Pipeline | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **asset-strategy** | Choosing between library, generated, or primitive assets for a level | ### 2D Assets | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **concept-art** | Producing variant concept-art prompts on a locked style anchor | | **character-portrait** | A final character bust for dialogue UI | | **pixel-art** | Pixel-art icons and sprites with nearest-neighbor filtering | | **ui-graphics** | Flat-design UI icon sets and atlases | | **tileable-texture** | Seamless textures for materials | | **sprite-sheet** | Multi-frame sprite animations and SpriteFrames resources | | **skybox-panorama** | Equirectangular skybox panoramas | ### 3D Assets | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **prop-model** | A single prop via the image-to-3D pipeline | | **character-model** | A character: T-pose reference, gated rig pass, CharacterBody3D wiring | | **environment-kit** | A modular kit of consistent environment pieces | | **vehicle-model** | Hard-surface vehicles | | **organic-model** | Organic shapes with emission and instancing | ### Animation | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **generate-motion** | Adding a curated mocap clip to a rigged character | | **retarget** | Retargeting an existing clip onto a different skeleton | | **animation-tree** | Building an AnimationTree with blend spaces driven by speed | | **procedural-animation** | Foot IK and other procedural skeleton modifications | | **facial-and-lipsync** | Lip-sync and blend-shape facial animation from a voice line | ### Audio | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **audio-direction** | Defining audio direction and the bus layout in `.summer/audio-bible.md` | | **sound-effect** | A single SFX wired to an AudioStreamPlayer3D | | **music-track** | A looping music track on the Music bus | | **ambient-bed** | Loop-clean ambience on the Ambient bus | | **voice-line** | Character dialogue via TTS with a matching voice | | **adaptive-music** | Layered music that responds to combat state | ### Video | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **cinematic-cutscene** | A short cutscene wired to a VideoStreamPlayer | | **trailer-shot** | A premium hero shot for a trailer | | **animated-loop** | A loop-clean backdrop clip for a title screen | ### Visual Effects | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **game-feel** | Adding visible juice to flat combat: hit flash, screen shake, particles | | **fire** | A torch flame via GPUParticles3D and a custom shader | | **muzzle-flash** | A one-shot muzzle flash on a weapon | | **water-ripple** | Interactive water ripples | | **lightning** | A lightning strike effect with camera shake | | **dissolve** | A dissolve-on-death shader effect | | **smoke** | Smoke particles with wind | | **hit-spark** | Sparks oriented to a surface normal on impact | | **magic-glow** | A pulsing magical glow with light and motes | ### AI and NPCs | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **design-npc** | A patrol-and-chase enemy with perception, decision logic, and tells | ### Multiplayer and Networking | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **setup-multiplayer** | Co-op LAN multiplayer with MultiplayerAPI, Spawner, Synchronizer, and ENet | | **peer-to-peer-multiplayer** | A four-layer P2P architecture with prediction and interpolation | | **host-authoritative-state** | A state-ownership audit and the canonical Manager pattern | ### Performance | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **tune-performance** | Profiling a slow scene, finding the hotspot, and verifying the fix moved the metric | ### Debugging | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **debug** | Triaging a runtime crash end to end: read errors, locate code, fix, verify | ### Deployment | Skill | Use when | | - | - | | **export-and-ship** | Running the Steam pre-flight checklist across Windows, Mac, and Linux | ## For AI Agents Most agents discover skills automatically once `summer setup --yes` has installed them. The agent loads the relevant `SKILL.md` when the situation matches, then follows its scene structure, value formats, and tool calls. Skills reference the [MCP tools](/mcp/tools-reference) (`summer_add_node`, `summer_set_prop`, `summer_generate_3d`, etc.) and engine value formats (`Vector3(0, 10, 0)`, `Color(1, 0.5, 0, 1)`). ## Next Steps All CLI commands including skills Step-by-step MCP workflow for AI agents *** Need help or have questions? Reach out to our founders at [founders@summerengine.com](mailto:founders@summerengine.com) or join our community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/yUpgtxnZky) for fast responses. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.