98 added, 40 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: game-build-pipeline
group: Engineering
description: >-
Automate platform builds, asset cooking, console certification prep, and Steam or itch.io depot
publishing. Use when automating game builds, cooking, packaging, or Steam uploads.
---
- # Game Build Pipeline
- Automate platform builds, asset cooking, console certification prep, and Steam or itch.io depot publishing..
+ # game-build-pipeline
- ## Process
+ ## Core Philosophy
+ Manually building a game—clicking "Build" in the Unity or Unreal editor, waiting 45 minutes on a workstation, manually zipping files, and uploading them through a web browser to Steam—is an amateur operational hazard. A game build pipeline is an automated, continuous software deployment factory. High-performance game studios automate multi-platform cross-compilation, asset cooking, console certification checks, automated smoke testing, and direct SteamPipe/itch.io depot deployment via headless CI/CD.
- 1. **Intake & Scope Definition**
- - Identify specific objectives, inputs, constraints, and operational context.
- - Inspect existing project documentation, configurations, or relevant repository assets.
+ ---
- 2. **Analysis & Strategic Formulation**
- - Evaluate options against best practices, security posture, and domain requirements.
- - Deconstruct complex components into discrete, actionable phases.
+ ## 4-Step Automated Game Build & Deployment Pipeline
- 3. **Execution & Synthesis**
- - Produce structured, production-grade deliverables matching the required format.
- - Ground all recommendations in concrete project evidence rather than abstract generalities.
+ ### Step 1: Headless Engine Compilation & Asset Cooking
+ 1. **Headless Engine Invocation**:
+ - Execute builds from command-line without GUI overhead:
+ - *Unity*:
+ ```bash
+ Unity.exe -batchmode -nographics -quit -projectPath ./ -executeMethod BuildScript.PerformWindowsBuild -logFile build.log
+ ```
+ - *Unreal Engine*:
+ ```bash
+ RunUAT.bat BuildCookRun -project=Game.uproject -noP4 -platform=Win64 -clientconfig=Shipping -cook -build -stage -pak -archive
+ ```
+ 2. **Asset Cooking Optimization**:
+ - Separate code compilation from asset cooking. Use persistent shared DDC (Derived Data Cache) in Unreal or Cache Server in Unity to reduce 2-hour asset cooking runs to under 8 minutes.
- 4. **Review & Refinement**
- - Validate against the verification checklist and domain edge cases.
- - Highlight open questions, explicit trade-offs, and next milestones.
+ ### Step 2: Multi-Platform Target Matrix
+ 1. **Target Artifact Packaging**:
+ - *Windows (Win64)*: Monolithic executable + packed asset bundles (`.pak` / `.pck`).
+ - *macOS (Apple Silicon / Intel)*: Universal binary `.app` bundle, notarized via Apple Developer CLI (`xcrun notarytool`).
+ - *Linux (Steam Deck / Proton)*: Standalone x86_64 ELF binary validated against SteamOS runtime.
- ## Deliverable & Output Format
+ ### Step 3: Automated Platform Smoke Testing
+ 1. **The Automated Headless Boot Test**:
+ - Run the packaged game executable in an automated CI container:
+ - Boot executable with `-autotest -benchmark -duration=30`.
+ - Assert that process does not crash, loads the splash scene, initializes audio/graphics drivers, and exits cleanly with exit code 0.
- ### 📋 Executive Summary
- - **Objective:** Key goal addressed
- - **Status:** Complete / Action Required
- - **Primary Recommendation:** Core actionable conclusion
+ ### Step 4: SteamPipe & Itch.io Depot Publishing
+ 1. **Automated Steam Publishing (`steamcmd`)**:
+ - Script SteamPipe depot uploads using manifest scripts (`app_build.vdf`):
+ ```bash
+ steamcmd.exe +login "$STEAM_BUILD_USER" "$STEAM_BUILD_TOKEN" +run_app_build app_build.vdf +quit
+ ```
+ - Automatically push nightlies to internal Steam branch `internal-qa` with automated Slack notifications to testers.
+ 2. **Itch.io Deployment (`butler`)**:
+ - Push binary diffs instantly: `butler push ./dist/win64 developer/game:windows-beta`.
- ### 🛠️ Detailed Implementation / Analysis
- - Concrete technical, operational, or strategic specifications.
- - Clear code, configuration, or documentation blocks where applicable.
+ ---
- ### 📌 Decisions & Next Steps
- - [ ] Immediate action items with designated owners.
- - [ ] Required dependencies or prerequisite milestones.
+ ## Deliverable Format: Game CI/CD Pipeline Specification (`BUILD-PIPELINE.md`)
- ## Instructions & Operating Rules
+ ```markdown
+ # Automated Game Build & Depot Pipeline: [Game Title]
- - Lead directly with actionable findings and structured results.
- - Never introduce speculative abstractions or unrequested complexity.
- - Maintain consistency with existing architecture and naming conventions.
- - Provide explicit rationales for non-obvious trade-offs.
+ ## 1. Build Runner & Infrastructure
+ - **CI Runner**: Self-hosted Windows 11 Enterprise worker (64GB RAM, 16-Core AMD Ryzen, NVMe SSD)
+ - **Build Trigger**: Git tags (`v*.*.*`) or scheduled nightly at 02:00 UTC
+ - **Engines Supported**: Unity 6 (6000.0) / Unreal Engine 5.4
- ## Verification & Quality Checklist
+ ## 2. Multi-Platform Build Targets
+ | Target Platform | Architecture | Output Packaging | Target Storefront |
+ |---|---|---|---|
+ | Windows | Win64 | Single Folder + `.pak` | Steam (Default branch) |
+ | Steam Deck / Linux| x86_64 | Native Linux + SteamOS | Steam (`steamdeck` branch) |
+ | macOS | Universal (ARM64) | Signed `.app` + DMG | Itch.io / Mac Store |
- - [ ] Deliverable directly satisfies all stated user requirements and criteria.
- - [ ] Edge cases, boundary conditions, and error states are addressed.
- - [ ] Output contains zero placeholder tokens, broken references, or unverified claims.
- - [ ] All cross-references and formatting comply with repository conventions.
+ ## 3. SteamPipe App Build Configuration (`app_build_12345.vdf`)
+ ```vdf
+ "appbuild"
+ {
+ "appid" "1234560"
+ "desc" "Nightly Automated QA Build"
+ "buildoutput" ".\steam_output"
+ "contentroot" ".uild\Win64"
+ "setlive" "qa-nightly"
+ "depots"
+ {
+ "1234561" "depot_win64.vdf"
+ }
+ }
+ ```
- ## Anti-Patterns & Constraints
+ ## 4. Pipeline Execution Sequence
+ 1. Git checkout clean tag.
+ 2. Execute headless build script (`BuildScript.BuildWin64`).
+ 3. Run automated 60-second headless boot smoke test.
+ 4. If smoke test passes, execute `steamcmd` deployment to `qa-nightly`.
+ 5. Post build artifact link and commit changelog to Slack `#game-builds`.
+ ```
- - **NEVER** output generic boilerplate without grounding in specific project inputs.
- - **NEVER** silently omit unresolved contradictions or unverified assumptions.
- - **NEVER** make unrequested modifications outside the stated deliverable boundary.
+ ---
+
+ ## Worked Example: Slashing Build Times from 90 to 14 Minutes
+
+ - **Challenge**: Studio team spent 1.5 hours waiting for daily builds on local machines; QA frequently received broken builds.
+ - **Solution**: Set up a dedicated self-hosted CI runner with an NVMe SSD raid array and shared shader/DDC caching. Automated build, test, and SteamPipe upload on every git push to `staging`.
+ - **Outcome**: Build turnaround dropped to 14 minutes; zero broken packages reached QA.
+
+ ---
+
+ ## Verification Checklist
+
+ - [ ] Builds execute headlessly from CLI with zero GUI dependency.
+ - [ ] Shared asset and shader cache enabled to optimize incremental cook times.
+ - [ ] Automated smoke test validates engine boots and terminates cleanly before store upload.
+ - [ ] SteamPipe uploads automated via `steamcmd` script without manual web intervention.
+ - [ ] macOS builds signed and notarized via Apple Developer tools.
+
+ ---
+
+ ## Anti-Patterns
+
+ - **Building on Developer Laptops**: Freezing an engineer's machine for 2 hours every time QA needs a test build.
+ - **Skipping Smoke Tests**: Uploading a build to Steam that crashes on launch due to a missing DLL or shader variant.
+ - **Hardcoding Steam Passwords**: Storing plaintext credentials in git rather than using ephemeral tokens or environment secrets.