Guide · Agent skill
How to use the brainstorm agent skill for game concepts
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The brainstorm skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI coding agent, such as Claude Code, to help you find and choose a game concept. Instead of asking for a finished design, it walks you through short concept options, asks you to pick or combine them, and writes a one-page game brief. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what it needs, so you can get a scoped plan before you write any game code.
Game Concept BrainstormerDonchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or your project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Open your agent. Start Claude Code in your project, or upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Ask for a concept. Describe what you want, for example a game jam idea or a new direction, with an optional genre or theme hint.
- 4Pick or combine options. Choose one of the 2 or 3 one-line concepts, or ask the agent to combine them.
- 5Answer the brief questions. Work through the core loop, player goal, fail state, MVP, out of scope and build order with the agent.
- 6Approve the write. Review the filled brief and answer yes when asked to write design/game-brief.md.
What the brainstorm skill makes the agent do
The skill guides the agent through a structured brainstorm when you want game ideas, a new concept, a game jam idea, or want to drop the current idea and explore other directions. The agent proposes short concept options, asks you to pick or combine them, and then fills in a one-page brief.
The brief covers the core loop, player goal, fail state, MVP features, scope cuts, and build order. By default the skill uses this lighter brief. If the configured workflow level is set higher, it can also run a fuller concept process with director review gates and write a longer concept document.
- Proposes 2 or 3 one-line concepts in the default flow
- Asks you to pick or combine them
- Fills in core loop, player goal, fail state, MVP, out of scope and build order
- Writes design/game-brief.md after you approve the write
Install the brainstorm skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP for the skill from this page and unzip it. You can install it for yourself across all projects, or for a single project. Skills live in a .claude/skills/ folder, and the skill's folder is named brainstorm.
For a personal install, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project. If you use the Claude apps instead, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/brainstorm
- Project only: .claude/skills/brainstorm inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe what you want in plain language, and the agent matches the request to the skill's description. Requests about game ideas, a new concept, a game jam idea, or exploring other directions all fit.
You can also type a hint after the skill name, such as a genre or theme, or the word open to start from scratch. The hint is optional.
- "I need a game jam idea for a 48-hour jam with the theme 'signal'."
- "Help me find a new game concept. I like cozy farming with a bit of mystery."
- "I want to drop my current idea and explore other directions."
Requirements and safety notes
The skill is part of a larger game-studio agent setup. It needs Claude Code or a compatible agent that supports its allowed tools: Read, Glob, Grep, Write, WebSearch, Agent, AskUserQuestion, and a bash command to resolve configuration. Bash must be available.
The skill runs a script and uses the network. Its configuration step runs a bash command that reads from hooks/yaml-helper.sh. It can also use web search. Review the skill files before you install them, and be aware that the agent can write files, including design/game-brief.md, once you approve.
The skill references project files such as hooks, templates, and config that are not part of the skill's own files. If those are missing, the agent uses defaults and says that the settings were not read.
- Runs scripts: yes (a bash configuration command)
- Uses network: yes (WebSearch is an allowed tool)
- Writes files only after you say yes to the write question
- Without the surrounding repository files, defaults are used
Tips for a useful brainstorm
Give a hint. A genre, a theme or a constraint such as a jam length narrows the options quickly. Pick one or two concepts to combine rather than trying to keep all of them.
When the MVP list grows past seven items, the agent will push back. Accept the cuts that the core loop does not need, and move them to out of scope. Keeping the first build small is the main purpose of the brief.
- Start with a hint or the word open
- Combine concepts instead of keeping many
- Let the agent cut the MVP to seven items or fewer
- Use the build order to decide what to prototype first
What people use it for
- Choosing a concept for a game jam with a fixed theme and time limit
- Writing a one-page plan before a solo developer starts coding
- Cutting a long feature wish list down to a small MVP
- Exploring a new direction after dropping an earlier idea
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the brainstorm agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to run the brainstorm skill?
You need Claude Code or a compatible agent that supports the skill's allowed tools, and bash must be available to run the configuration command. The skill also references files from the surrounding Claude Code Game Studios repository, and without them defaults are used.
Is the brainstorm skill free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not state pricing for Claude Code or the Claude apps, so check those products for their own terms.
Does the brainstorm skill write a full game design document?
By default it writes a one-page brief to design/game-brief.md. A fuller concept process with director review gates can be enabled by the configured workflow level, and that path writes design/gdd/game-concept.md.
Does the skill need the network or run scripts?
Yes. The source says it runs scripts and uses the network, including a bash configuration command and the WebSearch tool. Review the files before installing.
Can I use this skill without the rest of the Claude Code Game Studios setup?
The source says it is not designed for that. It references hooks, templates and config files that are not part of the skill's own files, so projects outside that setup may not get the full behaviour.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are starting a new game, need a jam concept quickly, or want an agent to ask structured questions and keep the MVP small. Skip it if you only want a finished design document without discussion, or if you do not use the surrounding Claude Code Game Studios setup.
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