version: "1.0.1" name: technical-design-document description: Turn feature intent into a Technical Design Document that is implementable, reviewable, and testable. origin: everything-game-dev-code category: workflow

Technical Design Document

Purpose

Turn feature intent into a Technical Design Document that is implementable, reviewable, and testable.

Use When

• a feature has non-trivial architecture or integration risk
• multiple systems need stable interfaces
• save/load, networking, tooling, or migration impact exists

Inputs

• approved design intent
• project constraints
• engine constraints
• testing and performance expectations

Process

1. define goals, non-goals, constraints, and assumptions
2. map runtime architecture, state ownership, and interfaces
3. document failure modes, migration concerns, and rollout strategy
4. capture testing, telemetry, and performance impact
5. highlight decisions that should become ADRs

Outputs

• technical design document
• interface and ownership notes
• risk list
• test and rollout considerations

Quality Bar

• every system boundary names its owner module, public interface, and the data it persists
• risks are stated with a concrete mitigation or an explicit accepted-risk note
• decided items are separated from deferred items, and each deferral has a revisit trigger
• a developer new to the project could implement a section without re-deriving the architecture

Common Failure Modes

• architecture described as diagrams with no interface or data contracts
• decisions recorded without the constraint or trade-off that motivated them
• a TDD written once and never updated after implementation diverges
• deferred decisions with no trigger for when they must be made

Related Agents

• technical-design-lead
• architect
• gameplay-programmer

Related Commands

• tech-design
• plan
• verify

Notes

• Keep this skill aligned with the relevant rules layer and current project documentation.
• If engine-specific constraints materially change the workflow, hand off to the matching engine skill or engine-specific reviewer.