estimate
The estimate skill analyzes task effort by examining code complexity, system dependencies, historical sprint velocity, and risk factors to produce a structured effort forecast with confidence levels. Use this when planning sprints, assigning work, or evaluating whether a task fits within a development cycle, particularly for game studio projects with documented design specifications and sprint history.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios /tmp/estimate && cp -r /tmp/estimate/.claude/skills/estimate ~/.claude/skills/estimateSKILL.md
## Phase 1: Understand the Task Read the task description from the argument. If the description is too vague to estimate meaningfully, ask for clarification before proceeding. Read CLAUDE.md for project context: tech stack, coding standards, architectural patterns, and any estimation guidelines. Read relevant design documents from `design/gdd/` if the task relates to a documented feature or system. --- ## Phase 2: Scan Affected Code Identify files and modules that would need to change: - Assess complexity (size, dependency count, cyclomatic complexity) - Identify integration points with other systems - Check for existing test coverage in the affected areas - Read past sprint data from `production/sprints/` for similar completed tasks and historical velocity --- ## Phase 3: Analyze Complexity Factors **Code Complexity:** - Lines of code in affected files - Number of dependencies and coupling level - Whether this touches core/engine code vs leaf/feature code - Whether existing patterns can be followed or new patterns are needed **Scope:** - Number of systems touched - New code vs modification of existing code - Amount of new test coverage required - Data migration or configuration changes needed **Risk:** - New technology or unfamiliar libraries - Unclear or ambiguous requirements - Dependencies on unfinished work - Cross-system integration complexity - Performance sensitivity --- ## Phase 4: Generate the Estimate ```markdown ## Task Estimate: [Task Name] Generated: [Date] ### Task Description [Restate the task clearly in 1-2 sentences] ### Complexity Assessment | Factor | Assessment | Notes | |--------|-----------|-------| | Systems affected | [List] | [Core, gameplay, UI, etc.] | | Files likely modified | [Count] | [Key files listed below] | | New code vs modification | [Ratio] | | | Integration points | [Count] | [Which systems interact] | | Test coverage needed | [Low / Medium / High] | | | Existing patterns available | [Yes / Partial / No] | | **Key files likely affected:** - `[path/to/file1]` -- [what changes here] ### Effort Estimate | Scenario | Days | Assumption | |----------|------|------------| | Optimistic | [X] | Everything goes right, no surprises | | Expected | [Y] | Normal pace, minor issues, one round of review | | Pessimistic | [Z] | Significant unknowns surface, blocked for a day | **Recommended budget: [Y days]** ### Confidence: [High / Medium / Low] [Explain which factors drive the confidence level for this specific task.] ### Risk Factors | Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation | |------|-----------|--------|------------| ### Dependencies | Dependency | Status | Impact if Delayed | |-----------|--------|-------------------| ### Suggested Breakdown | # | Sub-task | Estimate | Notes | |---|----------|----------|-------| | 1 | [Research / spike] | [X days] | | | 2 | [Core implementation] | [X days] | | | 3 | [Testing and validation] | [X days] | | | | **Total** | **[Y days]** | | ### Notes and Assumptions - [Key assumption that affects the estimate] - [Any caveats about scope boundaries] ``` Output the estimate with a brief summary: recommended budget, confidence level, and the single biggest risk factor. This skill is read-only — no files are written. Verdict: **COMPLETE** — estimate generated. --- ## Phase 5: Next Steps - If confidence is Low: recommend a time-boxed spike (`/prototype`) before committing. - If the task is > 10 days: recommend breaking it into smaller stories via `/create-stories`. - To schedule the task: run `/sprint-plan update` to add it to the next sprint. ### Guidelines - Always give a range (optimistic / expected / pessimistic), never a single number - The recommended budget should be the expected estimate, not the optimistic one - Round to half-day increments — estimating in hours implies false precision for tasks longer than a day - Do not pad estimates silently — call out risk explicitly so the team can decide
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