Open development tools

Make the constraint visible before it becomes expensive.

Three small tools turn common production conversations into numbers and explicit choices. They run locally in your browser, store nothing, and are starting points—not substitutes for profiling, representative playtests, or a production plan.

VERSION 1.0NO ACCOUNTNO DATA UPLOAD

01 / PERFORMANCE

Frame-time budget calculator

Convert a target frame rate into the maximum time available for an entire frame. Reserve headroom because the theoretical maximum is not a safe production target.

Target frames per second 60 FPS

16.67Total ms/frame

13.3380% working budget

3.33Suggested headroom

How to use the result

Split the working budget across game thread, rendering, GPU, presentation, and unavoidable overhead only after measuring representative scenes. A 60 FPS target allows 16.67 ms in theory; budgeting to about 13.33 ms leaves room for spikes. Engine scheduling and hardware vary, so profile on actual target devices.

02 / PRODUCTION

Prototype scope pressure check

Select only the conditions that are true for the next prototype. The output is a conversation prompt, not a forecast.

The prototype introduces more than one unproven core system. Success depends on bespoke content rather than repeatable rules. More than one target platform must be supported now. The test question cannot be answered in one session. Failure criteria have not been written down.

0Contained — write the question and build the smallest test.

Interpretation

A rising score does not mean “cancel.” It means the prototype mixes too many uncertainties to teach the team clearly. Remove content, platform work, or secondary systems until a failed test still produces a useful decision.

03 / PLAYTESTING

Issue triage matrix

Choose observed impact and frequency to produce a transparent first-pass priority.

Player impactObserved frequency

Priority score1Record and monitor

What this score cannot tell you

Severity and frequency are not the whole decision. Also record where the issue appeared, what the player was trying to do, recovery cost, confidence in the observation, and whether a proposed fix damages another audience or input mode.

Method note

These tools expose assumptions; they do not manufacture certainty.

Each calculator deliberately shows its rule, limits, and next verification step. No values are transmitted or saved. For the full reasoning behind the tools, use the linked field notes on frame-time budgets, prototype scope, and playtest observation.