Indie Game Scope Validator
Validate indie game scope against team, timeline, and budget constraints
What You Can Do
You can input your team composition, project timeline, budget constraints, and proposed feature list to receive a comprehensive scope validation analysis. Claude evaluates your game concept against real production metrics, identifies risk factors, and provides defensible recommendations for feature prioritization or scope cuts. This prevents the common indie failure pattern of feature creep by grounding scope decisions in concrete resource reality rather than optimism.
Features
Calculate actual development hours available based on team size, skill distribution, and realistic work velocity
Map features against your shipping deadline and identify critical path bottlenecks
Connect your financial constraints to feature costs and identify where budget flexibility exists
Score proposed features by risk, complexity, and alignment with core gameplay
Receive defensible arguments for feature reduction with minimal impact on player experience
Spot technical dependencies, skill gaps, and production bottlenecks that could derail your timeline
Generate a phased scope plan that separates launch content from post-launch and DLC opportunities
Create data-backed justifications for scope decisions to communicate with team and investors
Example Output
Example 1: Early-Stage Scope Validation
Input: 4-person team, 18-month timeline, $200k budget, action-RPG with 8 proposed systems
Output:
- ✅ Core game loop + 3 major systems: ACHIEVABLE
- ⚠️ 8 systems as planned: EXCEEDS CAPACITY by 40%
- 💡 Recommendation: Launch with combat, progression, and boss encounters (3 core systems). Reserve PvP and procedural generation for post-launch DLC
- 📊 Timeline impact: Reduces critical path from 22 months to 16 months
Example 2: Mid-Project Feature Request
Input: Current scope locked, new networked multiplayer request proposed
Output:
- Hours required: 800-1200 dev hours
- Available capacity: 240 hours before launch
- Result: DEFERRED — Incompatible with shipping date
- Alternative: Implement local co-op instead (160 hours, ships on schedule)
Example 3: Post-Launch DLC Planning
Input: Shipping in 3 months, team size, list of cut features
Output:
- Priority 1 DLC: New character class (120 hours, high player demand)
- Priority 2 DLC: Story expansion (200 hours, builds on core mechanics)
- Post-launch support: Bug fixes and balance (ongoing, 20% team allocation)
What's Included
- SKILL.md: Complete scope validation framework with core workflow phases
- Constraint Inventory Template: Structured worksheet for team composition, timeline milestones, and budget breakdown
- Feature Scoring Matrix: Evaluate features by risk, complexity, team fit, and player impact
- Scope Cut Decision Log: Document justifications for features deferred to post-launch or cut entirely
- Milestone Breakdown Worksheet: Map validated scope to development phases and launch readiness gates
Who It's For
- Indie game producers — Validate overall project feasibility and defend scope decisions to teams and stakeholders
- Solo and small-team developers — Ensure your personal or team capacity matches your creative vision realistically
- Game studio leads — Evaluate scope expansion requests mid-project and protect shipping dates
- Indie studio founders — Plan post-launch content strategy (DLC, sequels, expansions) with capacity forecasting
- Publisher/investor liaisons — Create data-backed scope documentation for funding conversations and milestone tracking
Best For
- Initial green-light decisions on game concepts before production begins
- Mid-project scope creep mitigation when team members propose new features
- Feature prioritization between launch, post-launch, and DLC phases
- Timeline and budget defense when external stakeholders request scope expansion
- Post-mortem analysis to prevent similar scope mistakes in future projects
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