Imported from Negentropy-Laby/OpenDoge (.agents/skills/gate-check/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add Negentropy-Laby/OpenDoge --skill gate-check. Copyright stays with the author.

User Guide

When to use: Validate readiness to advance between development phases. Produces a PASS/CONCERNS/FAIL verdict with specific blockers and required artifacts. Supports both game and general product domains — auto-detects domain from the concept document.
Inputs: Command arguments: /gate-check [target-phase] [--review full|lean|solo]. Game phases: systems-design | technical-setup | pre-production | production | polish | release. Product phases: specification | architecture | pre-implementation | implementation | verification | release; project artifacts referenced below; user decisions and approvals before writes.
Outputs: Primary artifacts, reports, or conversation guidance described below; write files only after user approval.
Memory-bank writes: memory_bank/t0_core/current_state.md, memory_bank/t3_archive/gate_runs/, memory_bank/t3_archive/gate_runs/gate-[phase]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md.
Next steps: Follow the workflow hand-off or next-step guidance below; recommendations do not auto-run and require explicit user command/approval.

Phase Gate Validation

This skill validates whether the project is ready to advance to the next development phase. It checks for required artifacts, quality standards, and blockers.

Distinct from /project-stage-detect: That skill is diagnostic ("where are we?"). This skill is prescriptive ("are we ready to advance?" with a formal verdict).

Domain detection. The concept document at design/cdd/ reveals the domain:

游戏专用: game-concept.md exists — game stage names and game-specific checks
通用产品: product-concept.md exists — product stage names and product-specific checks

Sections below are marked [通用场景] (both domains), [游戏专用] (game-domain), or [通用产品] (product-domain).

Production Stages (7)

[通用场景] The project progresses through these stages. Stage names vary by domain:

[游戏专用] Game stages:

Concept — Brainstorming, game concept document
Systems Design — Mapping systems, writing CDDs
Technical Setup — Engine config, architecture decisions
Pre-Production — Prototyping, vertical slice validation
Production — Feature development
Polish — Performance, playtesting, bug fixing
Release — Launch prep, certification

[通用产品] Product stages:

Concept — Ideation, product concept document, constitution
Specification — Mapping modules, writing CDDs
Architecture — Stack config, architecture decisions
Pre-Implementation — Prototyping, user validation
Implementation — Feature development
Verification — Performance, user testing, bug fixing
Release — Launch prep, deployment validation

Gate policy: governed advisory. The gate must run before normal advancement; PASS may update production/stage.txt after user confirmation, CONCERNS may update it only with a recorded risk note, and FAIL does not update it unless the user explicitly overrides with a risk note.

Required source of truth: workflow/workflow-catalog.yaml is the only source for normal-progression blockers. A required: true catalog step can be a missing-artifact blocker. Optional steps, later-phase steps, and required_when steps outside the active gate can only appear as CONCERNS or follow-up actions unless a quality failure directly invalidates the current phase goal.

Boundary clarifications:

[Game] design/art/art-bible.md is a Concept optional artifact, not a Technical Setup blocker.
[Product] design/ux/interaction-patterns.md is a Pre-Production required_when artifact, not an Architecture blocker.
[Product] design/ux/surface-profile.md records N/A decisions for product surface artifacts when applicability is ambiguous.
/qa-plan is optional during Production by default; missing QA plans or /team-qa sign-off become release-readiness concerns unless the project has explicitly opted into strict QA.
[Product] one user-test/workflow validation is required before Implementation; three cumulative product validation sessions are required before Release during Polish / Verification.

1. Parse Arguments

Target phase: $ARGUMENTS[0] (blank = auto-detect current stage, then validate next transition)

Also resolve the review mode (once, store for all gate spawns this run):

If --review [full|lean|solo] was passed → use that
Else read production/review-mode.txt → use that value
Else → default to lean

Note: in solo mode, director spawns (CD-PHASE-GATE, TD-PHASE-GATE, PR-PHASE-GATE, AD-PHASE-GATE) are skipped — gate-check becomes artifact-existence checks only. In lean mode, all four directors still run (phase gates are the purpose of lean mode).

With argument: /gate-check production — validate readiness for that specific phase. Supports both game phase names (systems-design, technical-setup, pre-production, production, polish, release) and product phase names (specification, architecture, pre-implementation, implementation, verification, release). The skill auto-detects the domain from the concept document at design/cdd/.
No argument: Auto-detect current stage using the same heuristics as /project-stage-detect, then confirm with the user before running:

Use AskUserQuestion:
- Prompt: "Detected stage: [current stage] ([domain]). Running gate for [Current] → [Next] transition. Is this correct?"
- Options:
  - [A] Yes — run this gate
  - [B] No — pick a different gate (if selected, show a second widget listing all gate options appropriate to the detected domain: [游戏专用] Concept → Systems Design, Systems Design → Technical Setup, Technical Setup → Pre-Production, Pre-Production → Production, Production → Polish, Polish → Release. [通用产品] Concept → Specification, Specification → Architecture, Architecture → Pre-Implementation, Pre-Implementation → Implementation, Implementation → Verification, Verification → Release)
Do not skip this confirmation step when no argument is provided.

2. Phase Gate Definitions

For every gate below, normal-progression required artifacts are generated from workflow/workflow-catalog.yaml into workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md.

Before checking a gate, read the generated file and use the section matching the active transition and domain. Do not add hand-written required artifact rows in this skill; hand-authored content belongs under Quality / Risk Checks.

Gate: Concept → Systems Design / Specification

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to move from concept exploration to structured design.

[游戏专用] Game: Concept → Systems Design

Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Concept -> Systems Design.

Quality Checks:

Game concept has been reviewed (/design-review verdict not MAJOR REVISION NEEDED)
Core loop is described and understood
Target audience is identified
Core thesis captures what the game IS and is NOT

[通用产品] Product: Concept → Specification

Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Product: Concept -> Specification.

Quality Checks:

Product concept has been reviewed (/design-review verdict not MAJOR REVISION NEEDED)
User journey is described and understood
Target audience is identified (primary user persona + JTBD statement)
Core thesis captures what the product IS and is NOT

Gate: Systems Design → Technical Setup / Specification → Architecture

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to move from design to architecture. Checks are shared across both game and product domains.

Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Systems Design -> Technical Setup or Product: Specification -> Architecture.

Quality Checks:

All MVP CDDs pass individual design review (8 required sections, no MAJOR REVISION NEEDED verdict)
/review-all-gdds verdict is not FAIL (cross-CDD consistency and design theory checks pass)
All cross-CDD consistency issues flagged by /review-all-gdds are resolved or explicitly accepted
System dependencies are mapped in the module index and are bidirectionally consistent
MVP priority tier is defined
No stale CDD references flagged (older CDDs updated to reflect decisions made in later CDDs)

Gate: Technical Setup → Pre-Production / Architecture → Pre-Implementation

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to move from architecture to the build phase. Domain-specific checks apply for game vs product projects.

[游戏专用] Game: Technical Setup → Pre-Production

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Technical Setup -> Pre-Production.

Quality / Risk Checks:

Architecture decisions cover core systems (rendering, input, state management)
Technical preferences have naming conventions and performance budgets set
Accessibility tier is defined and documented (even "Basic" is acceptable — undefined is not)
Game art bible status is recorded as optional Concept follow-up if design/art/art-bible.md is missing
All ADRs have an Engine Compatibility section with engine version stamped
All ADRs have a CDD Requirements Addressed section with explicit CDD linkage
No ADR references APIs listed in the engine deprecated APIs reference under docs/engine-reference/[engine]/
All HIGH RISK engine domains (per VERSION.md) have been explicitly addressed in the architecture document or flagged as open questions
Architecture traceability gaps are recorded as CONCERNS unless they make a Foundation ADR impossible to implement safely

ADR Circular Dependency Check: For all ADRs in docs/architecture/, read each ADR's "ADR Dependencies" / "Depends On" section. Build a dependency graph (ADR-A → ADR-B means A depends on B). If any cycle is detected (e.g. A→B→A, or A→B→C→A):

Flag as FAIL: "Circular ADR dependency: [ADR-X] → [ADR-Y] → [ADR-X]. Neither can reach Accepted while the cycle exists. Remove one 'Depends On' edge to break the cycle."

Engine Validation (read docs/engine-reference/[engine]/VERSION.md first):

ADRs that touch post-cutoff engine APIs are flagged with Knowledge Risk: HIGH/MEDIUM
/architecture-review engine audit shows no deprecated API usage
All ADRs agree on the same engine version (no stale version references)

[通用产品] Product: Architecture → Pre-Implementation

Before checking design artifacts, classify the product surface from design/cdd/product-concept.md and standards/technical-preferences.md: API-only, CLI-only, SDK/library, Web UI, desktop/mobile/admin UI, internal headless service, or multi-surface product. Apply the conditional artifact rules below. Do not fail an API-only, CLI-only, SDK/library, or internal headless product for missing design/design-system.md.

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Product: Architecture -> Pre-Implementation.

Quality / Risk Checks:

ADR Circular Dependency Check: For all ADRs in docs/architecture/, build a dependency graph. If any cycle is detected, flag as FAIL.

Stack Validation (read docs/reference/[stack]/VERSION.md first):

ADRs that touch post-cutoff APIs are flagged with Knowledge Risk: HIGH/MEDIUM
/architecture-review audit shows no deprecated API usage
All ADRs agree on the same stack version (no stale version references)

Gate: Pre-Production → Production / Pre-Implementation → Implementation

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to begin full-scale feature development. Game projects require Vertical Slice validation; product projects require MVP validation.

[游戏专用] Game: Pre-Production → Production

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Pre-Production -> Production.

Quality / Risk Checks:

Vertical Slice Validation (FAIL if any item is NO):

A human has played through the core loop without developer guidance
The game communicates what to do within the first 2 minutes of play
No critical "fun blocker" bugs exist in the Vertical Slice build
The core mechanic feels good to interact with (this is a subjective check — ask the user)

Note: If any Vertical Slice Validation item is FAIL, the verdict is automatically FAIL regardless of other checks. Advancing without a validated Vertical Slice creates high rework risk because later features are built on an unproven core loop.

[通用产品] Product: Pre-Implementation → Implementation

Apply design/ux/surface-profile.md when a product surface requirement is ambiguous or when any product UX artifact is marked N/A. API-only, CLI-only, SDK/library, and internal headless products are not blocked by missing design/design-system.md; UI-heavy and multi-surface UI products are.

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Product: Pre-Implementation -> Implementation.

Quality / Risk Checks:

MVP Validation (FAIL if any item is NO):

A human has completed the core workflow without developer guidance
The product communicates what to do within the first 2 minutes of use
No critical "workflow blocker" bugs exist in the MVP build
The core interaction feels satisfying to use (this is a subjective check — ask the user)

Note: If any MVP Validation item is FAIL, the verdict is automatically FAIL regardless of other checks. Advancing without a validated MVP creates high implementation risk because later features are built on an unproven core workflow and rework grows with each dependent feature.

Gate: Production → Polish / Implementation → Verification

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to move from active development to quality assurance and polish.

[游戏专用] Game: Production → Polish

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Production -> Polish.

Quality / Risk Checks:

[通用产品] Product: Implementation → Verification

Catalog Required Artifacts: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Product: Implementation -> Verification.

Quality / Risk Checks:

Gate: Polish → Release / Verification → Release

[通用场景] This gate validates readiness to ship. Final quality, content, and legal checks.

[游戏专用] Game: Polish → Release

Catalog Required Step Evidence: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Game: Polish -> Release.

Quality / Risk Checks:

[通用产品] Product: Verification → Release

Catalog Required Step Evidence: Use workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md, section Product: Verification -> Release.

Quality / Risk Checks:

3. Run the Gate Check

Before running artifact checks, read docs/consistency-failures.md if it exists. Extract entries whose Domain matches the target phase (e.g., if checking Systems Design → Technical Setup, pull entries in Economy, Combat, or any CDD domain; if checking Technical Setup → Pre-Production, pull entries in Architecture, Engine). Carry these as context — recurring conflict patterns in the target domain warrant increased scrutiny on those specific checks.

Then read workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md and select the section matching the target transition and detected domain. Treat that generated section as the authoritative Required Artifacts / Required Step Evidence list.

For each item in the target gate:

Artifact Checks

Use Glob and Read to verify files exist and have meaningful content
Don't just check existence — verify the file has real content (not just a template header)
For code checks, verify directory structure and file counts

Systems Design → Technical Setup gate — cross-CDD review check: Use Glob('design/cdd/cross-review-*.md') to find the /review-all-gdds report. If no file matches, mark the "cross-CDD review report exists" artifact as FAIL and surface it prominently: "No /review-all-gdds report found in design/cdd/. Run /review-all-gdds before advancing to Technical Setup." If a file is found, read it and check the verdict line: a FAIL verdict means the cross-CDD consistency check failed and must be resolved before advancing.

Quality Checks

For test checks: Run the test suite via Bash if a test runner is configured
For design review checks: Read the CDD and check for the 8 required sections
For performance checks: Read technical-preferences.md and compare against any profiling data in tests/performance/ or recent /perf-profile output
For localization checks: Grep for hardcoded strings in src/

Cross-Reference Checks

Compare design/cdd/ documents against src/ implementations
Check that every system referenced in architecture docs has corresponding code
Verify sprint plans reference real work items

4. Collaborative Assessment

For items that can't be automatically verified, ask the user:

"I can't automatically verify that the core loop plays well. Has it been playtested?"
"No playtest report found. Has informal testing been done?"
"Performance profiling data isn't available. Would you like to run /perf-profile?"

Never assume PASS for unverifiable items. Mark them as MANUAL CHECK NEEDED.

4b. Director Panel Assessment

Before generating the final verdict, spawn all four directors as parallel subagents via Task using the parallel gate protocol from standards/director-gates.md. Issue all four Task calls simultaneously — do not wait for one before starting the next.

Spawn in parallel:

creative-director — gate CD-PHASE-GATE (standards/director-gates.md)
technical-director — gate TD-PHASE-GATE (standards/director-gates.md)
producer — gate PR-PHASE-GATE (standards/director-gates.md)
art-director — gate AD-PHASE-GATE (standards/director-gates.md) [通用产品] skip if the project has no visual/UI component — CLI tools and backend services may not benefit from art director review

Pass to each: target phase name, list of artifacts present, and the context fields listed in that gate's definition.

Collect all four responses, then present the Director Panel summary:

## Director Panel Assessment

Creative Director:  [READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY]
  [feedback]

Technical Director: [READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY]
  [feedback]

Producer:           [READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY]
  [feedback]

Art Director:       [READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY]
  [feedback]

Apply to the verdict:

Any director returns NOT READY → verdict is minimum FAIL (user may override with explicit acknowledgement)
Any director returns CONCERNS → verdict is minimum CONCERNS
All four READY → eligible for PASS (still subject to artifact and quality checks from Section 3)

5. Output the Verdict

## Gate Check: [Current Phase] → [Target Phase]

**Date**: [date]
**Checked by**: gate-check skill

### Required Artifacts: [X/Y present]
- [x] design/cdd/game-concept.md — exists, 2.4KB
- [ ] docs/architecture/ — MISSING (no ADRs found)
- [x] production/sprints/ — exists, 1 sprint plan

### Quality Checks: [X/Y passing]
- [x] CDD has 8/8 required sections
- [ ] Tests — FAILED (3 failures in tests/unit/)
- [?] Core loop playtested — MANUAL CHECK NEEDED

### Blockers
1. **No Architecture Decision Records** — Run `/architecture-decision` to create one
   covering core system architecture before entering production.
2. **3 test failures** — Fix failing tests in tests/unit/ before advancing.

### Recommendations
- [Priority actions to resolve blockers]
- [Optional improvements that aren't blocking]

### Verdict: [PASS / CONCERNS / FAIL]
- **PASS**: All required artifacts present, all quality checks passing; normal stage update allowed after user confirmation
- **CONCERNS**: Minor gaps exist but can be addressed during the next phase; stage update allowed only with a risk note
- **FAIL**: Critical blockers exist; no stage update unless the user explicitly overrides with a risk note

5a. Chain-of-Verification

After drafting the verdict in Phase 5, challenge it before finalising.

Step 1 — Generate 5 challenge questions designed to disprove the verdict:

For a PASS draft:

"Which quality checks did I verify by actually reading a file, vs. inferring they passed?"
"Are there MANUAL CHECK NEEDED items I marked PASS without user confirmation?"
"Did I confirm all listed artifacts have real content, not just empty headers?"
"Could any blocker I dismissed as minor actually prevent the phase from succeeding?"
"Which single check am I least confident in, and why?"

For a CONCERNS draft:

"Could any listed CONCERN be elevated to a blocker given the project's current state?"
"Is the concern resolvable within the next phase, or does it compound over time?"
"Did I soften any FAIL condition into a CONCERN to avoid a harder verdict?"
"Are there artifacts I didn't check that could reveal additional blockers?"
"Do all the CONCERNS together create a blocking problem even if each is minor alone?"

For a FAIL draft:

"Have I accurately separated hard blockers from strong recommendations?"
"Are there any PASS items I was too lenient about?"
"Am I missing any additional blockers the user should know about?"
"Can I provide a minimal path to PASS — the specific 3 things that must change?"
"Is the fail condition resolvable, or does it indicate a deeper design problem?"

Step 2 — Answer each question independently. Do NOT reference the draft verdict text — re-check specific files or ask the user.

Step 3 — Revise if needed:

If any answer reveals a missed blocker → upgrade verdict (PASS→CONCERNS or CONCERNS→FAIL)
If any answer reveals an over-stated blocker → downgrade only if citing specific evidence
If answers are consistent → confirm verdict unchanged

Step 4 — Note the verification in the final report output: Chain-of-Verification: [N] questions checked — verdict [unchanged | revised from X to Y]

6. Update Stage Under Governed Advisory Policy

When the verdict is PASS and the user confirms they want to advance:

Write the new stage name to production/stage.txt (single line, no trailing newline)
This immediately updates the status line for all future sessions

Example: if passing the "Pre-Production → Production" gate:

echo -n "Production" > production/stage.txt

Always ask before writing: "Gate passed. May I update production/stage.txt to 'Production'?"

When the verdict is CONCERNS:

Ask whether the user wants to advance with acknowledged risk.
If yes, capture a short risk note in the gate report before updating production/stage.txt.
If no, leave production/stage.txt unchanged and list the smallest remediation path.

When the verdict is FAIL:

Leave production/stage.txt unchanged by default.
Ask whether the user wants to override the FAIL verdict.
If the user overrides, capture the override decision and risk note in the gate report before updating production/stage.txt.
If the user does not override, leave production/stage.txt unchanged and list the blockers.

Memory Bank Audit Record

After presenting the verdict, ask:

May I write this gate result to memory_bank/t3_archive/gate_runs/gate-[phase]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md?

When memory_bank/ exists and the user approves, write a T3 audit record under memory_bank/t3_archive/gate_runs/.

Use gate-[phase]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md.
If that file exists, use gate-[phase]-[YYYY-MM-DD]-[NN].md.
Include gate name, domain, date, verdict, required artifact source, missing artifacts, quality concerns, director panel summary, Chain-of-Verification result, stage update decision, and any override or risk note.
The required artifact source is workflow/generated/gate-required-artifacts.md.

When a PASS verdict, acknowledged CONCERNS advance, or explicit FAIL override updates production/stage.txt, also update memory_bank/t0_core/current_state.md when memory_bank/ exists. The current state update should record current phase, stage source, latest gate evidence path, current blocker, next command, and any risk/override note.

If memory_bank/ does not exist, do not create it from /gate-check. Keep the existing production/stage.txt behavior and say: "Run /constitute to establish the memory_bank governance control plane."

7. Closing Next-Step Widget

After the verdict is presented and any stage.txt update is complete, close with a structured next-step prompt using AskUserQuestion.

Tailor the options to the gate that just ran:

For systems-design PASS:

Gate passed. What would you like to do next?
[A] Run /create-architecture — produce your master architecture blueprint and ADR work plan (recommended next step)
[B] Design more CDDs first — return here when all MVP systems are complete
[C] Stop here for this session

Note for systems-design PASS: /create-architecture is the required next step before writing any ADRs. It produces the master architecture document and a prioritized list of ADRs to write. Running /architecture-decision without this step means writing ADRs without a blueprint — skip it at your own risk.

For technical-setup PASS:

Gate passed. What would you like to do next?
[A] Start Pre-Production — begin prototyping the Vertical Slice
[B] Write more ADRs first — run /architecture-decision [next-system]
[C] Stop here for this session

For all other gates, offer the two most logical next steps for that phase plus "Stop here".

8. Follow-Up Actions

Based on the verdict, suggest specific next steps from the domain-appropriate list:

[游戏专用] Game-specific follow-up actions:

No art bible? -> /art-bible to create the visual identity specification.
Art bible exists but no asset specs? -> /asset-spec system:[name] to generate per-asset visual specs and generation prompts from approved CDDs.
No concept document? -> /brainstorm to create one.
No module index? -> /map-systems to decompose the concept into systems.
Missing design docs? -> /reverse-document or delegate to game-designer.
Small design change needed? -> /quick-design for changes under about 4 hours.
No UX specs? -> /ux-design [screen name] to author specs, or /team-ui [feature] for the full pipeline.
UX specs not reviewed? -> /ux-review [file] or /ux-review all to validate.
No accessibility requirements doc? -> Use AskUserQuestion to offer design/accessibility-requirements.md from templates/accessibility-requirements.md, then ask for the tier before writing.
No interaction pattern library? -> /ux-design patterns to initialize it.
CDDs not cross-reviewed? -> /review-all-gdds after all MVP CDDs are individually approved.
Cross-CDD consistency issues? -> Fix flagged CDDs, then re-run /review-all-gdds.
No test framework or example baseline test? -> /test-setup to scaffold the required framework, CI workflow, and example test for your engine. /test-helpers is optional after that baseline exists.
No QA plan for current sprint? -> /qa-plan sprint before implementation begins.
Missing ADRs? -> /architecture-decision for individual decisions.
No master architecture doc? -> /create-architecture for the full blueprint.
ADRs missing technology compatibility sections? -> Re-run /architecture-decision or manually add Technology Compatibility sections to existing ADRs.
Missing control manifest? -> /create-control-manifest after the governing ADRs are Accepted.
Missing epics? -> /create-epics layer: foundation, then /create-epics layer: core.
Missing stories for an epic? -> /create-stories [epic-slug].
Stories not implementation-ready? -> /story-readiness before developers pick them up.
Tests failing? -> Delegate to lead-programmer or qa-tester.
No playtest data? -> /playtest-report.
Less than 3 playtest sessions? -> Run more playtests before advancing, using /playtest-report to structure findings.
No Difficulty Curve doc? -> Consider design/difficulty-curve.md before polish.
No player journey document? -> Create design/player-journey.md using the player journey template.
Need a quick sprint check? -> /sprint-status.
Performance unknown? -> /perf-profile.
Not localized? -> /localize.
Ready for release? -> /launch-checklist.

[通用产品] Product-specific follow-up actions:

No product concept? -> /brainstorm to create one.
No constitution? -> /constitute to establish governing principles.
No module index? -> /map-systems to decompose the concept into modules.
Missing design docs? -> /reverse-document src/[module] to generate specs from existing code.
Small design change needed? -> /quick-design for changes under about 4 hours.
No UX specs? -> /ux-design [screen name] for UI projects, or /ux-design interaction-patterns for API/CLI/SDK surfaces.
UX specs not reviewed? -> /ux-review [file] or /ux-review all to validate.
CDDs not cross-reviewed? -> /review-all-gdds after all MVP CDDs are individually approved.
No test framework or example baseline test? -> /test-setup to scaffold the required framework, CI workflow, and example test for your stack. /test-helpers is optional after that baseline exists.
No QA plan? -> /qa-plan sprint before implementation.
Missing ADRs? -> /architecture-decision for individual decisions.
No master architecture doc? -> /create-architecture for the full blueprint.
ADRs missing technology compatibility sections? -> Run /architecture-decision to add Technology Compatibility sections.
Missing control manifest? -> /create-control-manifest after the governing ADRs are Accepted.
Missing epics? -> /create-epics layer: foundation, then /create-epics layer: core.
Missing stories? -> /create-stories [epic-slug].
Tests failing? -> Delegate to lead-programmer or qa-tester.
No user testing data? -> Run user testing sessions and document findings in production/qa/evidence/user-tests/.
Performance unknown? -> /perf-profile.
Not localized? -> /localize.
Missing product design artifact? -> API/CLI/SDK products need design/ux/interaction-patterns.md; UI-heavy products also need design/design-system.md; brand/docs visuals use design/brand/style-guide.md.
No deployment strategy? -> Document deployment and rollback plan.
Missing database migrations? -> Run migrations against a fresh instance.
Integration contracts undefined? -> /architecture-decision [integration-name].
Ready for release? -> /launch-checklist.

Collaborative Protocol

This skill follows the collaborative design principle:

Scan first: Check all artifacts and quality gates
Ask about unknowns: Don't assume PASS for things you can't verify
Present findings: Show the full checklist with status
User decides: The verdict guides the stage decision; user override is allowed only when risks are recorded
Get approval: "May I write this gate check report to production/gate-checks/?"

Do not silently advance on CONCERNS or FAIL. Document the risks, capture an explicit override when needed, and leave production/stage.txt unchanged unless the governed advisory policy allows the stage update.

gate-check

About

User Guide

Phase Gate Validation

Production Stages (7)

1. Parse Arguments

2. Phase Gate Definitions

Gate: Concept → Systems Design / Specification

Gate: Systems Design → Technical Setup / Specification → Architecture

Gate: Technical Setup → Pre-Production / Architecture → Pre-Implementation

Gate: Pre-Production → Production / Pre-Implementation → Implementation

Gate: Production → Polish / Implementation → Verification

Gate: Polish → Release / Verification → Release

3. Run the Gate Check

Artifact Checks

Quality Checks

Cross-Reference Checks

4. Collaborative Assessment

4b. Director Panel Assessment

5. Output the Verdict

5a. Chain-of-Verification

6. Update Stage Under Governed Advisory Policy

Memory Bank Audit Record

7. Closing Next-Step Widget

8. Follow-Up Actions

Collaborative Protocol

Use it

Manifest

Reviews