--- name: release-checklist description: "Pre-release checklist — build verification, certification requirements, store metadata, launch readiness." argument-hint: "[platform: pc|console|mobile|all]" user-invocable: true allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, Write, Bash(bash "*/.claude/skills/release-checklist/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config *) model: sonnet --- !`bash "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config --keys rigor,workflow,project.stage,cert_tier,automation` **Automation mode**: Resolve `modes.automation` (`project.local.yaml` → `project.yaml` → default `collaborative`). Every `AskUserQuestion` call and every file write follows `.claude/docs/automation-modes.md` (collaborative asks always · guided major-only · autonomous logs and proceeds; `automation_always_ask` categories always prompt). Resolved above — use as-is. No block → defaults in `.claude/docs/config-resolution.md`. # Release Checklist **Scope this checklist to the project.** Emitting every item for every platform trains the reader to skip the list, which defeats the gate: - **`project.stage`** — items for phases this project has not reached are out of scope; say so rather than listing them unchecked. - **`modes.rigor`** — at `minimal`, drop items whose only justification is process weight this project has opted out of. - **`platform.cert_tier`** — emit certification items **only** for the tier the project targets. If it is **unset**, **ask which platforms are in scope** rather than emitting all of them — an unset value is a question, not a licence to emit every certification track. If it cannot be determined, mark the section **`NOT ASSESSED — cert tier unknown`**. **Unset is not `none`:** `none` is a decision, unset is a missing one, and they must not produce the same output. Branch on the **four values this key takes** — `none | itch | steam | console` — and not on platform names. The full requirement table is the `## platform.cert_tier` section of `.claude/docs/effects-map.md` — read **only that section** (Grep its heading, then a bounded Read); the file as a whole is not a runtime input. - `none` — **emit no certification section at all.** Internal release, alpha or jam game. Say the section was omitted and why; do not leave it blank. - `itch` — itch.io upload requirements only: build size, page setup, age tags. **No console and no Steamworks items.** - `steam` — Steamworks: store page, depot build, achievements, system requirements, common content rules. **No console certification items.** - `console` — full platform certification (TRC / XR / Lotcheck), save-data rules, controller-mapping rules, age-rating boards. The heaviest tier. > **Branch on the `cert_tier` values above, not on platform names.** "Emit > console/mobile certification items only for the platforms the project targets" > is the wrong test: it treats an `itch` project and a `steam` project > identically, conflates `none` with unset, and keys on `mobile`, which is not a > `cert_tier` value at all. Use the vocabulary the config defines. If an item cannot be scoped because the config is absent, mark it **`NOT ASSESSED — platform/stage unknown`**. Do not silently include it: a `rigor: standard`, single-platform project would otherwise receive a ~150-item checklist demanding PC **and** console **and** mobile certification plus age ratings, of which ~140 are unassessable. --- > **Explicit invocation only**: This skill should only run when the user explicitly requests it with `/release-checklist`. Do not auto-invoke based on context matching. ## Phase 1: Parse Arguments Read the argument for the target platform (`pc`, `console`, `mobile`, or `all`). If no platform is specified, default to `all`. **The argument selects DEVICE requirements. It never selects the certification track.** Certification is decided by `platform.cert_tier`, resolved in the resolved-config block at the top of this skill — see the `platform.cert_tier` rule above. The two axes are different lists that happen to share one word: `pc`/`console`/`mobile` are hardware shapes, while `none|itch|steam|console` are certification regimes. They agree on `console` and nowhere else — `itch` and `none` have no device block at all, and `mobile` is not a `cert_tier` value. So emitting a device block says nothing about which certification block to emit, and `all` is **not** a licence to emit every certification track. --- ## Phase 2: Load Project Context - Read `CLAUDE.md` for project context, version information, and platform targets. - Read the current milestone from `production/milestones/` to understand what features and content should be included in this release. - Read the open bugs from `production/qa/bugs/`: grep the `**Severity**` and `**Status**` lines of `production/qa/bugs/*.md`, as `/bug-triage` does. A bug is open unless its Status is `Closed` or `Verified Fixed`. The bug items use the thresholds `/gate-check release` applies for the resolved `workflow`: at `full` an open S1, S2 or S3 bug fails its item; at `standard` and `minimal` only an open S1 does, and an open S2 or S3 is listed in the Rationale as a risk. Each failing bug is named in the Rationale as a blocking item. **No bug files in `production/qa/bugs/`** → the bug items read `NOT ASSESSED — no bug records` — never zero and never ticked, since an absent record and a clean one must not produce the same checklist; bugs are filed with `/bug-report`. --- ## Phase 3: Scan Codebase > **State the denominator with every count.** These scans look for something bad, > so `0` means either "searched and found none" or "there was nothing to search", > and on a release gate those are opposite findings. Report > `scanned [N] source files: [M] TODO, [M] FIXME, [M] HACK` — or, when the code > root (`src/`, `Assets/` or `Source/`; resolve per > `.claude/docs/code-root-resolution.md`) is unresolved, > **`NOT ASSESSED — code root unresolved`**, and when it is absent or holds no > source files, **`NOT ASSESSED — no source files found to scan`**. A bare `0` is > not a result. > > `/launch-checklist` scans the same way and is most often run beside this one. > Keep the two consistent: changing the rule in one and not the other leaves a > route to the same misleading `0`. Scan for outstanding issues: - Count `TODO` comments - Count `FIXME` comments - Count `HACK` comments - Note their locations and severity Check for test results in any test output directories or CI logs if available. **If none are found, say so** — `Test results: NOT ASSESSED — no test output or CI logs found` — rather than omitting the line. An absent test result and a passing one must not produce the same release checklist. --- ## Phase 4: Generate the Release Checklist ```markdown ## Release Checklist: [Version] -- [Platform] Generated: [Date] ### Codebase Health - Scanned: [N] source files (or `NOT ASSESSED — [reason]`, per Phase 3) - TODO count: [N] ([list top 5 if many]) - FIXME count: [N] ([list all -- these are potential blockers]) - HACK count: [N] ([list all -- these need review]) ### Build Verification - [ ] Clean build succeeds on all target platforms - [ ] No compiler warnings (zero-warning policy) - [ ] All assets included and loading correctly - [ ] Build size within budget ([target size]) - [ ] Build version number correctly set ([version]) - [ ] Build is reproducible from tagged commit ### Quality Gates - Open bugs (`production/qa/bugs/`): [N] S1, [N] S2, [N] S3 -- or `NOT ASSESSED — no bug records` - [ ] Zero open S1 (Critical) bugs - [ ] Zero open S2 (High) and S3 (Medium) bugs, no exceptions -- this row at `workflow: full` only; at `standard`/`minimal` open S2/S3 bugs go in the Rationale as risks - [ ] All critical path features tested and signed off by QA - [ ] Performance within budgets: - [ ] Target FPS met on minimum spec hardware - [ ] Memory usage within budget - [ ] Load times within budget - [ ] No memory leaks over extended play sessions - [ ] No regression from previous build - [ ] Soak test passed (4+ hours continuous play) ### Content Complete - [ ] All placeholder assets replaced with final versions - [ ] All TODO/FIXME in content files resolved or documented - [ ] All player-facing text proofread - [ ] All text localization-ready (no hardcoded strings) - [ ] Audio mix finalized and approved - [ ] Credits complete and accurate ``` Add **device** sections based on the argument. These carry no certification or storefront-SDK items — those are gated on `platform.cert_tier` in the next subsection, and duplicating them here is what let an `itch` project receive Steamworks rows. **For `pc`:** ```markdown ### Platform Requirements: PC - [ ] Minimum and recommended specs verified and documented - [ ] Keyboard+mouse controls fully functional - [ ] Controller support tested (Xbox, PlayStation, generic) - [ ] Resolution scaling tested (1080p, 1440p, 4K, ultrawide) - [ ] Windowed, borderless, and fullscreen modes working - [ ] Graphics settings save and load correctly ``` **For `console`:** ```markdown ### Platform Requirements: Console - [ ] Platform-specific controller prompts display correctly - [ ] Suspend/resume works correctly - [ ] User switching handled properly - [ ] Network connectivity loss handled gracefully - [ ] Storage full scenario handled ``` **For `mobile`:** ```markdown ### Platform Requirements: Mobile - [ ] App store guidelines compliance verified - [ ] All required device permissions justified and documented - [ ] Privacy policy linked and accurate - [ ] Data safety/nutrition labels completed - [ ] Touch controls tested on multiple screen sizes - [ ] Battery usage within acceptable range - [ ] Background behavior correct (pause, resume, terminate) - [ ] Push notification permissions handled correctly - [ ] In-app purchase flow tested (if applicable) - [ ] App size within store limits ``` > **Mobile storefront rows stay here on purpose.** `platform.cert_tier` models > `none|itch|steam|console` and has no mobile regime, so App Store / Play Store > compliance cannot be gated on it. Leaving these in the device block is a > deliberate choice, not an oversight — do not "fix" it by inventing a `mobile` > tier, which is the exact wrong vocabulary the `cert_tier` rule warns against. **Certification — emit ONLY the block matching `platform.cert_tier`** (resolved in the resolved-config block at the top of this skill). Do not emit this subsection's other blocks, and do not fall back to emitting all of them because the platform argument was `all`. **At `none`** — emit no certification block at all. Emit exactly this one line in its place, so the omission is visible rather than looking like a missing section: ```markdown Certification: omitted — cert_tier is 'none' (internal build, alpha or jam release). ``` **At `itch`:** ```markdown ### Certification: itch.io - [ ] Build size within itch.io upload limits - [ ] itch.io page complete (cover art, screenshots, description) - [ ] Age/content tags set honestly - [ ] Downloadable vs browser build decided and tested - [ ] Butler channel names correct for each platform uploaded ``` **At `steam`:** ```markdown ### Certification: Steamworks - [ ] Steamworks SDK integrated and tested - [ ] Depot build uploaded and installs cleanly from a fresh account - [ ] Achievements functional - [ ] Cloud saves functional - [ ] Steam Deck compatibility verified (if targeting) - [ ] Steam common content rules reviewed ``` **At `console`:** ```markdown ### Certification: Console - [ ] TRC/TCR/Lotcheck requirements checklist complete - [ ] First-party certification submission prepared - [ ] Platform-specific achievement/trophy integration tested - [ ] Parental controls respected - [ ] Save-data rules compliant (corruption, full storage, user switching) - [ ] Age ratings obtained (ESRB, PEGI, regional) ``` If `cert_tier` is **unset**, ask which platforms are in scope rather than emitting every track; if it cannot be determined, emit `### Certification: NOT ASSESSED — cert tier unknown` and say why. **Unset is not `none`** — `none` is a decision and unset is a missing one. > **Certification rows belong here, in one `cert_tier`-gated subsection.** Do not > spread them back through the PC, Console and Mobile device blocks: those are > selected by the command argument and default to `all`, so an `itch` project > running `/release-checklist` with no argument would be handed the Steamworks SDK > rows *and* the Lotcheck rows — exactly what the `cert_tier` rule at the top of > this skill forbids. > > **`console` means two different things in this file.** It is a device-block > argument value *and* a `cert_tier` value, colliding on one word out of four. A > `**For \`console\`:**` heading is argument-gating, not tier-gating — do not read > it as evidence that certification is already scoped by tier. **Store and launch sections (all platforms):** ```markdown ### Store / Distribution - [ ] Store page metadata complete and proofread - [ ] Short description - [ ] Long description - [ ] Feature list - [ ] System requirements (PC) - [ ] Screenshots up to date and per-platform resolution requirements met - [ ] Trailers up to date - [ ] Key art and capsule images current - [ ] Age rating obtained and configured: - [ ] ESRB - [ ] PEGI - [ ] Other regional ratings as required - [ ] Legal notices, EULA, and privacy policy in place - [ ] Third-party license attributions complete - [ ] Pricing configured for all regions ### Launch Readiness - [ ] Analytics / telemetry verified and receiving data - [ ] Crash reporting configured and dashboard accessible - [ ] Day-one patch prepared and tested (if needed) - [ ] On-call team schedule set for first 72 hours - [ ] Community launch announcements drafted - [ ] Press/influencer keys prepared for distribution - [ ] Support team briefed on known issues and FAQ - [ ] Rollback plan documented (if critical issues found post-launch) ### Go / No-Go: [READY / NOT ASSESSED / NOT READY] First match wins: **NOT READY** if any blocking item fails; else **NOT ASSESSED** if any section or item came out `NOT ASSESSED` (name each one); else **READY**. NOT ASSESSED outranks READY — an unassessed section is not a passed one — and ranks below NOT READY, so a known blocker is never buried behind it. **Rationale:** [Summary of readiness assessment. List any blocking items that must be resolved before launch. If NOT READY, list the specific items that need resolution and estimated time to address them.] **Sign-offs Required:** - [ ] QA Lead - [ ] Technical Director - [ ] Producer - [ ] Creative Director ``` --- ## Phase 5: Save Checklist Present the checklist to the user with: total checklist items, number of known blockers (FIXME/HACK counts, known bugs). Ask: "May I write this to `production/releases/release-checklist-[version].md`?" If yes, write the file, creating the directory if needed. --- ## Phase 6: Next Steps - Draft the changelog or patch notes (`/changelog`, `/patch-notes`) if not done — the release gate checks them. - Run `/gate-check release` — the Polish → Release gate reads this checklist. - After a PASS: `/launch-checklist`, then coordinate the release via `/team-release`.