---
name: game-comparables
description: Use only for video game projects; research comparable titles, tags, prices, player signals, and positioning patterns
type: research
version: v0.1
---

# Game Comparables

Invoke as `$game-comparables`.

## Report-First Approval Gate

Default to report-only: present findings, evidence coverage, assumptions, recommended artifact path, and proposed file changes in a pre-approval alignment page plus a concise conversation summary for user approval before creating or updating canonical research, spec, or task files.

Do not write or overwrite synthesized deliverables until the user explicitly approves, unless the user invoked an explicit write/update/fix mode or clearly asked to write files upfront. Raw evidence capture may be persisted before analysis when reproducibility requires it; report those raw paths separately and still gate synthesized research/report writes.

When stopping for approval, build and attempt to open the alignment preview page first, then ask the user to review it and approve, question, or request adjustments. Do not include `Recommended next skill`, `Recommended next command`, or downstream routing language. The approval request itself is the next action. Only emit next-skill routing after the approved artifact has been written or updated.

Research comparable games as market teachers, not just competitors.

## Output

Write or update `research/game-comparables.md` with comparable titles, tags, price points, review signals, update cadence, creator traction, and the positioning frame `X meets Y, but Z`.

## Next-Skill Routing

After writing the artifact, recommend the next contextual game-pack skill in the final response as `Recommended next skill: <command>`.

Default recommendation: `$game-core-loop`.

If prototype, playtest, or market evidence invalidates an upstream assumption, route back to the earliest affected artifact (`$game-audience`, `$game-fantasy`, `$game-genre-map`, or `$game-comparables`) and explain the evidence. Otherwise, follow the default game sequence:

`$game-audience` -> `$game-fantasy` -> `$game-genre-map` -> `$game-comparables` -> `$game-core-loop` -> `$game-prototype-test` -> `$game-playtest-metrics` -> `$game-store-page-test` -> `$game-launch` -> `$game-roadmap`

If the next artifact already exists and is current, recommend `$game-workflow` to identify the first missing or stale game-pack artifact.

## Task Classification

When this skill produces follow-up work, file it by execution semantics:

- Immediately actionable implementation or documentation work goes in `tasks/todo.md`.
- Human-only external actions tied to automated steps go in `tasks/manual-todo.md` with `_(blocks: Step N.X)_` or `_(after: Step N.X)_`; repo edits, SDK wiring, generated assets, local commands, tests, audits, and authenticated CLI/API work stay in `tasks/todo.md`.
- One-time condition-gated records, baselines, or future measurements go in `tasks/record-todo.md` with source, condition, non-blocking reason, evidence, and promotion rule.
- Cadence-based reviews, playtests, adoption checks, investor updates, retros, or docs-health checks go in `tasks/recurring-todo.md` with cadence, owner/agent, next due, evidence path, and escalation conditions.
- Do not put non-blocking records or recurring obligations in `tasks/todo.md` unless they have been explicitly promoted into current execution work.

## Alignment Page

When this skill produces durable deliverables (research, specs, plans, reports, prototypes, or any document output), build a full-depth HTML alignment page following `ALIGNMENT-PAGE.md` in this skill's directory. Output: `alignment/game-comparables-{topic}.html`.
