# soak-test

Builds an observation protocol for extended play sessions: what to watch and log to catch slow memory leaks and mechanic fatigue.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 413 installs · ★ 27473
- Author: Donchitos
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/soak-test

## What it does

The skill writes the observation plan for a multi-hour play session. It does not play the game — a human does that, while the skill decides what to watch and where to record it. Output lands in `production/qa/soak-test-[date]-[duration].md`.

Duration comes in as an argument: `30m`, `1h`, `2h` or `4h`. Focus is `memory`, `stability`, `balance` or `all`. For each combination the skill lays out timed checkpoints (an hour run gets T+0, T+15, T+30, T+45, T+60) and the items to record at each one. Memory guidance is engine-specific: Godot's Monitors tab with `Static Memory` and `Object Count`, Unity's Memory Profiler, Unreal's `stat memory`. Thresholds are measured against the run's own T+0 baseline rather than absolute numbers, because 20% growth means different things at different project scales.

Before the run it reads `project.yaml` for memory and FPS budgets, falling back to `.claude/docs/technical-preferences.md` when those keys are missing. It also pulls `design/gdd/game-concept.md` and the latest file in `production/qa/playtests/` so known bugs don't get logged twice. One caveat: the editor panel and counter names are not verified against the engine reference, so the tester has to confirm them at T+0. If no memory tool can be found, nothing gets measured and the verdict falls back to NOT ASSESSED.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --skill soak-test -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/soak-test/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --skill soak-test -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --skill soak-test -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios soak-test
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --skill soak-test -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --path .claude/skills/soak-test
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios --skill soak-test -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/soak-test/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- catch a memory leak that only shows up after scene transitions
- track frame time degradation across a long session
- find state accumulation bugs after many repeats of one mechanic
- judge whether the core mechanic still feels rewarding late in a run
- pinpoint where players run out of novel content

## Example prompts
- /soak-test 2h memory
- /soak-test 1h all
- /soak-test 4h balance

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 75df6a7e762816d9.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 75df6a7e762816d9
```text
---
name: soak-test
description: "Soak test protocol for extended play — what to observe and log for slow leaks, fatigue, late-appearing edge cases."
argument-hint: "[duration: 30m | 1h | 2h | 4h] [focus: memory | stability | balance | all]"
user-invocable: true
allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep, Write, Bash(bash "*/.claude/skills/soak-test/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config *)
model: sonnet
---

!`bash "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config --keys automation,workflow`

**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).

# Soak Test

A soak test (also called an endurance test) is an extended play session run
with specific observation goals. Unlike a smoke check (broad critical path,
~10 min) or a single-feature playtest (~30 min), a soak test runs for **30
minutes to several hours** to surface:

- **Memory leaks** — gradual heap growth that only appears after scene transitions
- **Performance drift** — frame time degradation that worsens over time
- **State accumulation bugs** — issues that only appear after N repetitions
  of a mechanic (inventory full, score overflow, AI state corruption)
- **Fun fatigue** — mechanics that feel good in a first session but grow
  repetitive over extended play
- **Content exhaustion** — the point where players run out of novel content

**This skill generates the observation protocol and analysis harness — the
human does the actual playing.**

**Output:** `production/qa/soak-test-[date]-[duration].md`

**When to run:**
- Polish phase — before `/gate-check release`
- After fixing a memory or stability issue (regression soak)
- When extended play has not been formally tracked

---

## 1. Parse Arguments

**Duration** (default: `1h`):
- `30m` — short soak; suitable for testing a single mechanic or scene
- `1h` — standard soak; covers most common leak categories
- `2h` — extended soak; recommended for first full Polish soak
- `4h` — deep soak; required for games with long session design (RPGs, sims)

**Focus** (default: `all`):
- `memory` — focus on heap size, object count, leak patterns
- `stability` — focus on crash/freeze/hang detection
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 75df6a7e762816d9

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 75df6a7e762816d9 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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