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.github/copilot-instructions.md

Copilot instructions for Phaser

GitHub Copilot reads `.github/copilot-instructions.md` and applies it across the repository. It is the place for build commands, review rules, and stack conventions Copilot should not invent. This copy is written for a Phaser project. This repository is a Phaser game. Scenes own lifecycle, systems run in update only when they must, and assets are preloaded in the scene that needs them.

The example uses a balanced, readable style, pragmatic tests, and comments only where the intent is not obvious. Open the generator to make the agent stricter, switch to test-first, quiet the comments, or pick a different file.

The example assumes Phaser 3. It does not assume Arcade versus Matter, or a particular UI plugin. Use the physics and plugins the game config already registers.

Customize in the generatorBrowse the library

Example file

Balanced strictness, readable style, pragmatic tests. Download name: copilot-instructions.md

# GitHub Copilot instructions

These instructions apply to the whole Phaser repository. Copilot reads them from `.github/copilot-instructions.md`.
Prefer the commands and layout below over guesses.

## Stack

This repository is a Phaser game. Scenes own lifecycle, systems run in update only when they must, and assets are preloaded in the scene that needs them.

## Layout

- Scenes live one file per scene unless the project already groups them.
- Reusable systems sit beside scenes, not inside the boot scene.
- Asset keys are constants. Do not sprinkle string keys through update.

## Commands

- Dev: `npm run dev`
- Tests: `npm test`
- Build: `npm run build`

Use the script the repo already defines when it differs from the command above.

## Conventions

- Preload assets in `preload`. Create objects in `create`.
- Do not allocate textures, text objects, or closures every frame inside `update`.
- Use the physics system the scene already has. Do not mix Arcade and Matter on one sprite.
- Remove listeners and timers in `shutdown`.
- Keep game config in one place. Do not fork a second Phaser.Game.
- Match the language, TypeScript or JavaScript, of the neighboring scene.

## Testing

Add or update tests when behavior changes.

Test pure game rules outside Phaser. Boot a scene only when lifecycle is the bug.

## Style

- Optimize for the next reader over the shortest diff.
- Comment only when the why is non-obvious.
- Name things the way neighboring files already do.
- Do not reformat code you did not change.

## Errors

- Fail at the boundary. Do not swallow errors.
- Log a missing asset once and skip the spawn. Do not throw inside the game loop.

## Scope

- Do the requested task. Do not refactor unrelated code.
- Match the rigor already in the repo. Fix what you touch.
- Ask one clarifying question only when the task cannot be finished without it. Otherwise state the assumption and continue.

## Avoid

- Do not load assets from update.
- Do not leave a physics body alive after the sprite is destroyed.
- Do not use browser `alert` for game errors.
- Do not depend on frame time being 16ms. Scale by delta.

## Done when

- The requested behavior works.
- The scene boots in dev and the update path you touched does not allocate per frame.
- The diff stays inside the task.
- You list anything you could not run.

## Review checklist

- The change matches the commands and layout in this file.
- No new dependency was added without a reason already present in the repo.
- Do not trust score or inventory values sent from the client to a backend.
- Do not embed private API keys in the game bundle.
- Validate any replay or save file before applying it.

Add it to the project

  1. 01

    Copy a starting file

    Copy the example Copilot instructions on this page, or open the generator if you want different testing, strictness, or comment rules.

  2. 02

    Save it at .github/copilot-instructions.md

    Save it as `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in the Phaser repo. Create the `.github` folder if it is missing. Commit the file so Copilot sees it for every collaborator.

  3. 03

    Start a fresh agent session

    Rules files are read when a session starts. A chat that is already open may still be using the old instructions.

  4. 04

    Give it one small task

    Ask for one change a Phaser agent often gets wrong, such as a scene method that moves work out of update and into a one-shot event. If it ignores the file, confirm the path and start a new session.

Questions about this file

Where do I put Copilot instructions in a Phaser repo?

Save it as `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in the Phaser repo. Create the `.github` folder if it is missing. Commit the file so Copilot sees it for every collaborator.

Which tools read this Copilot instructions?

GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Visual Studio, and Copilot cloud agents read this file. Other agents will not load it automatically, so keep an AGENTS.md too if more than one tool edits the repo.

What does the Phaser example assume?

The example assumes Phaser 3. It does not assume Arcade versus Matter, or a particular UI plugin. Use the physics and plugins the game config already registers.

Does VibeSpell upload my repository?

No. Recipe pages are static, and the generator builds the file in your browser from the options you pick. Your source code never leaves the machine.

Other files for Phaser

Copilot instructions for other stacks