BMAD-METHOD/docs/bmgd/index.md

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BMGD Quick Guide Quick reference for BMad Game Dev Studio

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BMGD Quick Guide

BMad Game Dev Studio (BMGD) extends BMM with game-specific capabilities. Developed by game industry veterans, it guides you through product research, technical design, narrative design, and a full epic-driven production cycle.

Under Construction

Documentation is under heavy construction catching up with the new beta release. We'll have complete documentation up as soon as possible. For now, please ask in the BMGD section of the Discord if you have any questions.

BMGD Workflow

Quick Start

Install → Game Brief → GDD → (Narrative) → Architecture → Build

BMGD is an optional module installed via BMAD Method: npx bmad-method install

See How-To Reference for commands.

Development Phases

Phase Name Key Activities
1 Preproduction Brainstorm Game, Game Brief, market research
2 Design GDD creation, Narrative Design (for story-driven games)
3 Technical Game Architecture (engine, systems, patterns)
4 Production Sprint planning, story development, code review, testing

BMGD Agents

Agent Purpose
Game Designer Game mechanics, balance, player psychology
Game Developer Implementation with engine-specific patterns
Game Architect Engine selection, systems design, technical structure
Game Scrum Master Sprint planning and epic management
Game QA Playtesting, engine-specific testing, performance profiling
Game Solo Dev Full-stack game development for solo projects

Key Documents

Document Purpose
Game Brief Vision, market positioning, fundamentals
GDD Core loop, mechanics, progression, art/audio direction
Narrative Design Story structure, characters, world-building, dialogue
Architecture Engine, systems, patterns, project structure

Game Type Templates

BMGD includes 24 game type templates that auto-configure GDD sections:

Action, Adventure, Puzzle, RPG, Strategy, Simulation, Sports, Racing, Fighting, Horror, Platformer, Shooter, and more.

Each template provides genre-specific GDD sections, mechanics patterns, testing considerations, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Explanation: BMGD vs BMM

When to Use Each

Use BMGD for Use BMM for
Video games Web applications
Interactive experiences APIs and services
Game prototyping Mobile apps (non-game)
Game jams General software projects

Phase Mapping

BMM Phase BMGD Phase Key Difference
Analysis Preproduction Game concepts, Game Brief instead of Product Brief
Planning Design GDD instead of PRD; optional Narrative Design
Solutioning Technical Focus on engine selection, game-specific patterns
Implementation Production Game QA replaces TEA; engine-specific testing

Document Differences

BMM BMGD Notes
Product Brief Game Brief Captures vision, market, fundamentals
PRD GDD Includes mechanics, balance, player experience
N/A Narrative Design Story, characters, world (story-driven games)
Architecture Architecture BMGD version includes engine-specific patterns and considerations

Testing Differences

BMM (TEA): Web-focused testing with Playwright, Cypress, API testing, E2E for web apps.

BMGD (Game QA): Engine-specific frameworks (Unity, Unreal, Godot), gameplay testing, performance profiling, playtest planning, balance validation.

How-To Reference

I need to... Action
Install BMGD Run npx bmad-method install and select BMGD during module installation
Start a new game Run /bmad-gds-brainstorm-game, then /bmad:gds:create-game-brief
Design my game Run /bmad-gds-create-gdd; add /bmad:gds:narrative if story-heavy
Plan architecture Run /bmad-gds-game-architecture with Game Architect
Build my game Use Phase 4 production workflows - Run /bmad-help to see what's next
Test an idea quickly Use Quick-Flow for rapid prototyping

Further Reading