Game Backend Selector

Choose or compare backend profiles based on required capabilities, project state, and quality target. Stay stack-neutral at the top level while still giving sharp recommendations and tradeoffs.

Goal

Select the backend profile that best serves the requested outcome. Use ./shared/reference/backend-profiles.md.

Deliverable

Write docs/game-studio/backend-decision.md.

Rules

• Prefer capabilities over brand or fandom.
• If the project already has a workable backend, bias toward it unless it is the blocker.
• Optimize for the chosen quality target, not just the fastest toy result.
• Respect project state: live iteration and greenfield do not deserve the same backend decision policy.

Compare mode

Use compare mode only when:

• the backend choice is genuinely uncertain,
• or the user explicitly requests comparison.

When compare mode is used:

• warn that it will usually cost more tokens and time,
• keep the comparison narrow,
• define the winner criteria before exploring.

Specialist follow-through

After choosing a backend profile, route to a concrete specialist when needed:

• game-web-2d-specialist for web-2d-ui-first or web-2d-world-first
• game-web-3d-specialist for web-3d-preview

Top-level planning remains stack-neutral. Implementation guidance should still become concrete once a backend family is chosen.