PlayCanvas vs Phaser

Agent access

1. ai-native userPoint an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed9/10

   A working llms.txt confirmed via HTTP 200 probe plus an unusually large llms-full.txt (2MB) of complete docs is directly served at developer.playcanvas.com, satisfying the exact story of pointing an agent at llms.txt/agent-oriented docs. This is corroborated by both docs claims and independent runtime probes, not just vendor assertion. Missing for 10: no independent third-party (non-probe) report of an agent actually consuming the file successfully in a real workflow.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 200 at https://developer.playcanvas.com/llms.txt # PlayCanvas Developer Documentation > PlayCanvas is an open-source W…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed6/10

   A live llms.txt was found at phaser.io/llms.txt (an examples-API index) and Phaser Studio publishes agent-oriented docs/MCP server pages (phaser.io/agent/mcp) explicitly for connecting coding agents, but the more commonly probed docs.phaser.io/llms.txt returns 404 and the site root 403s non-browser clients, requiring a browser UA and precise deep links to succeed. Missing for 10: a consistently discoverable llms.txt across the main docs domain, no 403/404 friction for automated agent fetches, and independent confirmation that agents can reliably ingest these docs.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.phaser.io/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userRun the product headlessly / in CI for automation

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Evidence shows the engine is npm-installable and there's an Editor MCP server, but the MCP server explicitly requires 'an open PlayCanvas Editor session' (interactive), and no evidence describes headless rendering, CI pipelines, or server-side/automated execution of the engine or editor without a live browser/editor session.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers installation, scenes, physics, animations, editor and MCP agent features, but nothing addresses headless execution or CI-based automation for Phaser games/tests. Since browser-based game engines can in principle support headless rendering or CI test harnesses, this is a fair but unaddressed axis rather than a category error.

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userConnect an agent via an official MCP server

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed9/10

   PlayCanvas documents and ships an official, first-party MCP server (`@playcanvas/editor-mcp-server`, npm-published, official org repo) that connects AI assistants to a live Editor session to modify project data and verify results via the viewport, confirmed both in docs and runtime probes. Missing for 10: independent third-party hands-on validation of the MCP server beyond vendor docs/probe.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed7/10

   Phaser Studio ships an official 'Phaser Game Agent' MCP server (phaser.io/agent/mcp) documented with 40+ specialized tools and explicit integration with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot, letting external agents connect and build games via plain-language commands. Missing for 10: independent/hands-on community validation that the MCP server works as advertised, and clarity on self-hosted/npm distribution (probe found no @phaserjs MCP package on npm, only a hosted endpoint).

   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Give the player a double-jump and a coin counter.The jump feels floaty, make gravity stronger.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userUse an official CLI

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas~partialclaimed4/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official `create-playcanvas` CLI for scaffolding Vite/TypeScript projects, which an AI agent could invoke, but the docs describe it purely as a project scaffolder with no explicit AI-native/agentic features (non-interactive flags, scripting API, automation hooks) and no independent confirmation of agent usage. Missing for 10: documentation of CLI flags/JSON output for automation, evidence of AI-agent usage, and any tie-in with the MCP server workflow.

   • [claimed-docs] “Use `create-playcanvas` to scaffold a Vite and TypeScript project for the Engine, React, or Web Components from one of 12 runnable starters.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialclaimed5/10

   Phaser docs confirm an official CLI tool for scaffolding projects (interactive selection of templates/demo games), which counts as an official CLI, but it is described as interactive Q&A rather than a scriptable/agent-friendly interface, and there's no documentation of flags or non-interactive mode suited for AI-native automated use. missing for 10: evidence of non-interactive/programmatic CLI flags, AI-agent-oriented CLI documentation, and independent confirmation of CLI usability by agents.

   • [claimed-docs] “This CLI tool presents an interactive selection of official project templates and demo games.”
   • [claimed-docs] “This CLI tool presents an interactive selection of official project templates and demo games. Issue the command, answer some questions and t…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

5. ai-native userDrive the product through a documented public API

   weight 3 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed7/10

   PlayCanvas exposes a documented scriptable Editor API for automating/customizing the Editor environment (api.playcanvas.com/editor/) plus an official, npm-published Editor MCP Server explicitly built for AI assistants to modify project data and verify results, alongside a standalone Engine API and llms.txt docs for AI consumption. This gives AI-native users multiple documented, programmatic ways to drive the product. Missing for 10: a formal OpenAPI/REST spec (probe found only 404s for openapi/swagger endpoints) and independent third-party confirmation of API-driven automation success.

   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://developer.playcanvas.com/openapi.json, https://developer.playcanvas.com/swagger.json, https:…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed8/10

   Phaser ships an extensive, versioned public JS/TS API (Scenes, physics, input, loader, animations) documented at docs.phaser.io with full TypeScript definitions, which is exactly the kind of documented public API an AI agent needs to generate/drive game code programmatically; the runtime probe also shows phaser.io/llms.txt now serving a live, programmatic examples-API index tailored for AI consumption. Missing for 10: a formal machine-readable spec (OpenAPI) for the core API surface — probes show OpenAPI/swagger endpoints all 404 — so discovery still relies on human-oriented docs rather than a fully machine-consumable contract.

   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”
   • [claimed-docs] “This will allow you to control the Sprite using the built-in physics functions, such as velocity, acceleration, gravity, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser maintains a unified input system that works across all browsers and devices.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Common asset types include images, texture atlases, sprite sheets, fonts, audio files and JSON data, but there are many more that Phaser can…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Animations are created via the Animation Manager.”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.phaser.io/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.phaser.io/openapi.json, https://docs.phaser.io/swagger.json, https://docs.phaser.io/api…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

6. ai-native userBuild against official SDKs

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed8/10

   PlayCanvas publishes multiple official SDKs — the core Engine (npm `playcanvas`), React and Web Components bindings, a `create-playcanvas` scaffolding CLI, a scriptable Editor API, and an official npm-published Editor MCP server for AI automation — all documented and runtime-verified. Community discussion confirms it integrates with standard JS/React workflows, though it also notes some dev-experience friction unrelated to SDK availability. Missing for 10: independent hands-on developer reports specifically validating SDK usage/quality, and a public OpenAPI/versioned reference (probe found only 404s for openapi.json).

   • [claimed-docs] “Use `create-playcanvas` to scaffold a Vite and TypeScript project for the Engine, React, or Web Components from one of 12 runnable starters.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Already use React, want declarative 3D scenes, or need to integrate 3D into React apps”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”
   • [community] “You can use it in conjunction with pretty much any other JS framework available.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullcommunity8/10

   Phaser itself is the official SDK: it's distributed via npm, an official CLI, a CDN, and ships full TypeScript definitions, all documented in first-party docs and corroborated by community usage (games built in JS/TS, TypeScript experience feedback). Missing for 10: independent/third-party audit of the SDK's completeness and explicit multi-platform SDK packaging (e.g., official native wrappers) beyond docs claims.

   • [claimed-docs] “npm install phaser”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”
   • [claimed-docs] “Install via [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/phaser): npm install phaser”
   • [claimed-docs] “This CLI tool presents an interactive selection of official project templates and demo games. Issue the command, answer some questions and t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser is on jsDelivr which is a "super-fast CDN for developers". Include _either_ of the following in your html”
   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”
   • [community] “I've spent the past 6 months building a game using Phaser and TypeScript. On the whole, it's been a great experience... one of the worst par…”
   • [community] “Phaser 4 was announced ~four years ago and was an attempt to get the project written natively in TypeScript. It looks pretty dead in the wat…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Agentic features

1. ai-native userGet AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed4/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official Editor MCP server that lets connected AI assistants read and modify project data and verify results in the viewport, which could be used to generate suggestions/insights from a user's scene data, but there is no evidence of a native, built-in AI insights/recommendations feature (e.g., analytics, optimization suggestions) inside the product itself. Missing for 10: dedicated AI-insights UI or documented use-case of the MCP server producing analytical suggestions, independent corroboration of this workflow in practice.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

2. ai-native userSet up automations that run autonomously in the background

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed4/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official Editor MCP server that lets AI assistants programmatically modify project data, but it explicitly requires 'an open PlayCanvas Editor session' rather than running as an independent, scheduled, or background process — this is closer to AI-assisted live editing than autonomous background automation. Missing for 10: evidence of scheduled/triggered jobs, headless/background execution without a live editor session, or any autonomous agent loop running unattended.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userDelegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed5/10

   PlayCanvas does not ship a built-in AI assistant embedded in its UI; instead it exposes an official Editor MCP server that lets external AI assistants (e.g. Claude) connect to an open Editor session and modify/inspect project data via the viewport, effectively allowing task delegation to AI, but the assistant itself lives outside the product rather than inside it. Missing for 10: a first-party, in-product AI assistant UI/chat surface, and any hands-on/community verification that delegation via MCP works well in practice.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Phaser's AI-related evidence (phaser-docs-13/14/15) describes an MCP server that lets *external* coding agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Copilot) call Phaser Editor tools — the opposite relationship of a built-in assistant living inside the product that a user delegates tasks to. No evidence shows a native, in-product chat/assistant feature.

   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userOperate the product with natural-language commands

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed6/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official, npm-published Editor MCP Server that lets AI assistants modify project data and verify results via the viewport, which is a genuine natural-language/agentic control surface for the Editor. However, this only covers Editor operations, not the runtime Engine or broader workflows, and there's no independent/hands-on evidence of it being used successfully in practice. missing for 10: community/hands-on validation of the MCP server in real workflows, evidence of natural-language control over the Engine/runtime (not just Editor), and broader agentic tool coverage beyond the single MCP server.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed7/10

   Phaser ships an official hosted 'Game Agent' MCP server that lets users describe changes in plain language (e.g., 'Give the player a double-jump...') and have the agent call over 40 specialised tools inside the Scene Editor, integrating with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Copilot — directly matching natural-language operation. This is corroborated by a runtime probe confirming the live MCP endpoint at phaser.io/agent/mcp. Missing for 10: independent/community hands-on validation of the MCP agent's reliability and no npm-distributed MCP package (only hosted), so evidence is vendor-only.

   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Give the player a double-jump and a coin counter.The jump feels floaty, make gravity stronger.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Api quality

1. ai-native userExplore an interactive API reference with runnable examples

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Evidence shows PlayCanvas has API docs (api.playcanvas.com/editor), llms.txt full docs, and starter templates, but no evidence of an interactive API reference page with embedded runnable code examples akin to a live sandbox integrated into the reference itself.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed5/10

   Community evidence confirms Phaser has an extensive examples library ('many examples and docs to work from' — phaser-comm-7), and a runtime probe shows docs.phaser.io/llms.txt now serves as a programmatic examples-API index with endpoints to fetch full source code per example (phaser-probe-rt-1), which is useful for AI-native exploration. However, there is no first-party evidence of an interactive, runnable-in-browser API reference (no OpenAPI/API-reference page found, docs-md and llms.txt initially 404'd per probes), so the story is only partially substantiated. Missing for 10: dedicated interactive API reference UI with live code execution, confirmation the examples API is documented/stable, independent hands-on account of using it.

   • [community] “I've made a couple toy projects with Phaser, after comparing other Javascript based 2d engines. Phaser is the most fully featured amongst th…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.phaser.io/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE docs-md: HTTP 404 at https://docs.phaser.io/phaser/getting-started/what-is-phaser.md”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDownload a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Explicit probe evidence shows no OpenAPI/Swagger spec exists at any expected path (all candidates 404); while llms.txt and an Editor API doc site exist, there is no machine-readable API spec download offered.

   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://developer.playcanvas.com/openapi.json, https://developer.playcanvas.com/swagger.json, https:…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed4/10

   Phaser ships full TypeScript type definitions (phaser-docs-4) which function as a machine-readable description of its API surface and can be consumed by tooling/agents, but there is no formal OpenAPI/Swagger spec or comprehensive llms.txt for the full API — probes confirm openapi.json/swagger.json 404 and the only live llms.txt is a narrow examples-index API, not a full API spec (phaser-probe-1, phaser-probe-3, phaser-probe-rt-1). missing for 10: a dedicated OpenAPI/JSON-schema style spec covering the full public API, and an official downloadable machine-readable spec beyond TS typings/examples index.

   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 404 at https://docs.phaser.io/llms.txt”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.phaser.io/openapi.json, https://docs.phaser.io/swagger.json, https://docs.phaser.io/api…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userTest against a sandbox environment without touching production data

   weight 1 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialclaimed3/10

   PlayCanvas documents Checkpoints for snapshotting/rolling back a project and an MCP server that acts on 'an open PlayCanvas Editor session,' which offers some safety net against irreversible changes, but there is no explicit sandbox/staging environment distinct from production data that an AI agent could test against. missing for 10: dedicated sandbox/staging project mode, explicit production-vs-test data separation, and evidence that MCP or automation actions can't touch the live production project.

   • [claimed-docs] “Checkpoints — Snapshot your project at any point and roll back if needed”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “With live editing, you can tweak materials, adjust positions, and even modify scripts while your application runs.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

4. ai-native userRely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   No evidence pack item mentions API versioning semantics or a documented deprecation policy; the OpenAPI probe returned 404s and docs only describe scripting formats, editor features, and an MCP server, not stability guarantees for the API surface.

   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://developer.playcanvas.com/openapi.json, https://developer.playcanvas.com/swagger.json, https:…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence of a documented deprecation policy, semver commitments, or API-stability guarantees; the only version-related evidence notes Phaser 2→3 broke compatibility ("States"... won't work in Phaser 3) with no stated migration/deprecation process, and probes found no OpenAPI/versioned docs artifacts.

   • [claimed-docs] “If you find any reference to States in code or a tutorial you've found online, it's for Phaser 2 and likely won't work in Phaser 3.”
   • [community] “Phaser 4 was announced ~four years ago and was an attempt to get the project written natively in TypeScript. It looks pretty dead in the wat…”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.phaser.io/openapi.json, https://docs.phaser.io/swagger.json, https://docs.phaser.io/api…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Agent editor

1. ai-native userAn agent can drive the editor and project programmatically — create scenes and nodes, edit properties, trigger builds — through a documented scriptable interface

   weight 3 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed8/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official, npm-published Editor MCP server that lets AI agents connect to an open Editor session, modify project data, and verify results, plus a separate documented scriptable Editor API (api.playcanvas.com/editor) for programmatic scene/node/property manipulation and automation. This directly satisfies the story of an agent driving the editor programmatically through a documented interface. Missing for 10: no independent/hands-on community report of an agent actually using the MCP server end-to-end, and no explicit documentation of triggering builds via this interface.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed8/10

   Phaser Studio ships an official 'Phaser Game Agent' MCP server with 40+ specialized tools that integrates with Claude Desktop, Cursor, GitHub Copilot and other MCP clients, letting an agent create particle emitters, reorganize scenes into layers, rename objects, tweak physics/animations, and add filters via natural-language commands routed through documented tool calls — directly matching the 'agent drives the editor programmatically' story. Runtime probe confirms the hosted MCP endpoint is live and documented at phaser.io/agent/mcp. missing for 10: independent/hands-on third-party verification that the MCP tools reliably perform builds/edits, and a published open API/tool reference (npm package) beyond the marketing page.

   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Give the player a double-jump and a coin counter.The jump feels floaty, make gravity stronger.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Codegen

1. ai-native userLLM-generated code mostly works on the first try — stable, well-documented APIs with abundant public examples the models have seen

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed6/10

   PlayCanvas offers strong LLM-friendly infrastructure — a dedicated llms.txt/llms-full.txt (over 2MB of docs), a stable, long-standing npm-published engine (2.22.2, 48k weekly downloads) with abundant public code examples and community history, plus scripting API docs — all of which support an LLM having 'seen' the API. However, community threads note real dev-experience quirks and unusual design choices that could trip up naive LLM-generated code, and there's no direct hands-on evidence of first-try LLM code generation success rates. Missing for 10: independent benchmark or testimonial confirming LLM-generated PlayCanvas code works correctly on first try, and no discussion of API stability/breaking-change history that would affect training-data staleness.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”
   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 200 at https://developer.playcanvas.com/llms.txt # PlayCanvas Developer Documentation > PlayCanvas is an open-source W…”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “That issue was opened in 2022. Honestly if you really get into the nitty gritty of PC it becomes quickly apparent there's some very strange …”
   • [community] “I think Playcanvas would do well to focus on the basics, like being able to export/import variables in the standard js way, being able to de…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialcommunity6/10

   Phaser has extensive first-party docs, TypeScript definitions, and a long history (widely used since ~2013) that HN commenters confirm produced 'many examples and docs to work from' and 'great documentation,' supporting LLM familiarity. However, other independent reports directly contradict doc quality ('worst documentation... very bad design') and TypeScript support is described as a 'best-effort' bolt-on rather than native, plus the docs explicitly warn that pre-Phaser-3 tutorials/code (States) will not work — all of which undercut first-try reliability for LLM-generated code. Missing for 10: no direct evidence of LLM-generated Phaser code being tested/benchmarked, no resolution of the conflicting doc-quality reports, and no confirmation that the API has stabilized enough to avoid version-mismatch pitfalls.

   • [community] “I've made a couple toy projects with Phaser, after comparing other Javascript based 2d engines. Phaser is the most fully featured amongst th…”
   • [community] “After trying out several HTML5/JS game libraries, I'm pretty sure that Phaser is the best one for 2D games. It has frequent updates, great d…”
   • [community] “I've spent the past 6 months building a game using Phaser and TypeScript. On the whole, it's been a great experience... one of the worst par…”
   • [community] “The documentation of Phaser is the worst i've seen to a popular framework. The website is very bad in the design, styling as well as content…”
   • [community] “It's still rough around the edges, but I have no doubt Phaser 3 will get to feature complete. What's holding me back is lack of TypeScript d…”
   • [community] “Phaser 4 was announced ~four years ago and was an attempt to get the project written natively in TypeScript. It looks pretty dead in the wat…”
   • [claimed-docs] “If you find any reference to States in code or a tutorial you've found online, it's for Phaser 2 and likely won't work in Phaser 3.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Copilot

1. ai-native userAn official AI assistant inside the engine helps with engine tasks — generating scripts, answering API questions, scaffolding scenes or assets

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed6/10

   PlayCanvas ships an official, npm-published Editor MCP Server that lets external AI assistants connect to a live Editor session to modify project data, script entities, and verify changes via the viewport—directly enabling AI-assisted script generation and scene/asset scaffolding (playcanvas-docs-6, playcanvas-probe-rt-1). However, this is an MCP bridge for third-party assistants rather than a built-in chat/assistant panel inside the engine UI, and there's no dedicated in-engine API Q&A assistant beyond the llms.txt docs feed. Missing for 10: a native in-editor chat/assistant UI, and explicit evidence of it answering free-form API questions rather than just executing structured edits.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed6/10

   Phaser Studio ships an official 'Phaser Game Agent' MCP server with 40+ specialized tools that integrates with Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Copilot, letting users describe changes in plain language (e.g. 'give the player a double-jump', 'create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers') and have the agent execute them in the editor — directly matching the scaffolding/scripting parts of the story. However this is a separate hosted MCP server/agent rather than an assistant embedded 'inside the engine' itself, and there's no evidence it specifically answers API/documentation questions, nor any independent hands-on corroboration of its effectiveness. Missing for 10: evidence of API Q&A capability, first-party/independent hands-on validation of code-generation quality, and confirmation it's embedded in-engine rather than an external connected tool.

   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Give the player a double-jump and a coin counter.The jump feels floaty, make gravity stronger.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Formats

1. technical artistStandard interchange formats — glTF, FBX, USD — import cleanly

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack contains no mention of glTF, FBX, or USD import support, nor any asset-pipeline/import documentation; it covers editor, scripting, MCP server, and community sentiment unrelated to file format import.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

Import

1. technical artistAsset import is automatable — import hooks, presets, and pipeline scripts process incoming assets without hand-clicking each one

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity3/10

   The Editor API is explicitly billed for scripting custom tools and integrating external systems (playcanvas-docs-9), and the community references playcanvas-sync for mapping project assets to a local filesystem (playcanvas-comm-10) and the MCP server for programmatic project data changes (playcanvas-docs-6), all of which imply some automation capability. However, there is no documented import-hook system, asset presets, or a dedicated pipeline-scripting API specifically for processing incoming assets automatically. Missing for 10: explicit asset import hooks, configurable import presets, documented pipeline scripts triggered on asset ingestion, and independent confirmation these tools eliminate manual per-asset clicking.

   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Phaser's docs cover its runtime Loader for fetching common asset types (images, atlases, audio) and an editor/MCP agent for interactive scene building, but there is no evidence of asset-import automation tooling (import hooks, preset-based pipelines, or scripts that batch-process incoming source assets before they reach the game) as a build-time pipeline feature. Missing for 10: any documented import-hook API, preset/config-driven asset processing, or pipeline scripting for automating asset ingestion.

   • [claimed-docs] “Common asset types include images, texture atlases, sprite sheets, fonts, audio files and JSON data, but there are many more that Phaser can…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Add and configure filters visually — Glow, Shadow, Blur, Pixelate, Bokeh, ColorMatrix, Displacement and more — directly in the Scene Editor'…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Marketplace

1. game developerA large asset store or package ecosystem gives me ready-made models, tools, and plugins

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows PlayCanvas has an editor, engine, scripting system, MCP server, and npm-published engine, but nowhere mentions an asset store, marketplace, or plugin/package ecosystem for ready-made models or tools. No community or docs citation references anything resembling a store of third-party assets or plugins.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Evidence covers Phaser's editor, MCP agent tooling, npm install, CDN and framework integrations, but there is no mention of a dedicated asset store, marketplace, or curated plugin ecosystem (à la Unity Asset Store) offering ready-made models/tools/plugins. Missing for 10: evidence of an official or third-party asset marketplace, a plugin registry, or curated ready-made asset packages.

   ⚑ flag

1. ai-native userPerform bulk operations across many items at once

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed4/10

   PlayCanvas exposes a scriptable Editor API (api.playcanvas.com/editor) explicitly for building custom editing tools and integrating external data, and an official MCP server that lets AI assistants modify project data programmatically — both imply automation potential across many assets, but neither doc explicitly describes bulk/batch operations (e.g., multi-entity edits, batch asset import) or gives a hands-on example of many-item automation. Missing for 10: explicit bulk-edit/batch API examples, documented multi-item scripting workflows, and independent confirmation of large-scale automation via the MCP server or Editor API.

   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialclaimed3/10

   The Editor/MCP agent evidence mentions handling tasks like renaming multiple objects and reorganizing scenes without switching tools, implying some bulk-editing capability, but there's no detailed documentation of a systematic bulk-operations API or workflow for AI agents. Missing for 10: explicit bulk-edit tooling/API docs, examples of batch operations across many assets/scenes, and independent confirmation of this capability working at scale.

   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userDefine rules that trigger actions automatically on events

   weight 3 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers scripting syntax, editor collaboration, physics components, and the MCP server for AI-assisted project editing, but contains no documentation of an explicit event/rule system where users can define triggers that automatically fire actions (e.g., event listeners, condition-action bindings) for automation purposes. Missing for 10: documentation of an event-trigger/rule engine, examples of defining conditional automation, and evidence tying this to AI-native workflows.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Phaser's docs mention a unified input system and scene lifecycle events, but no evidence describes a rule-engine or declarative trigger system where events automatically fire configured actions (e.g., an event-emitter/automation API is never documented in the pack). Missing for 10: documentation of an event-emitter/listener API, examples of rule-based automation, and any AI-native tooling for defining trigger→action rules.

   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser maintains a unified input system that works across all browsers and devices.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Typical uses for a Scene would be a Loading Screen, a Main Menu, a Game Level, a Boss Fight, an in-game Item Shop, a High Score Table, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “you can pause, resume and sleep a Scene at will, and that you can easily run multiple Scenes at the same time.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

3. ai-native userVersion, review, and roll back my automations

   weight 1 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity5/10

   PlayCanvas Editor has a Checkpoints feature to snapshot a project and roll back, which covers basic versioning/rollback of editor state (including changes made via the MCP-driven AI automation), but there's no documented diff/review workflow for automations and community feedback explicitly flags the lack of standard source-control integration as a pain point. missing for 10: dedicated review/diff tooling for automation changes, git-style commit history, and any evidence that checkpoints integrate specifically with AI-driven MCP edits.

   • [claimed-docs] “Checkpoints — Snapshot your project at any point and roll back if needed”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [community] “I think Playcanvas would do well to focus on the basics, like being able to export/import variables in the standard js way, being able to de…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

2d

1. game developer2D is a first-class workflow — sprites, tilemaps, 2D physics — not a 3D afterthought

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Evidence pack covers 3D features (rigidbody/collision physics, Gaussian Splatting, Engine, Editor) but contains no mention of sprites, tilemaps, or a 2D physics system — PlayCanvas is documented here purely as a 3D-first engine. This is a fair question for a game engine, but no evidence supports a first-class 2D workflow, so it's 'none' rather than 'na'.

   • [claimed-docs] “The rigidbody component decides how an entity moves, the collision component gives it a physical shape, and the alpha joint component constr…”
   • [github] “Gaussian Splatting - First-class support for loading and rendering 3D Gaussian Splats”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullcommunity9/10

   Phaser's docs and community feedback confirm sprites, scenes, arcade physics, animations, tilemaps/atlases, and input are core, well-documented primitives rather than bolted-on features, and community comments reinforce it as a dedicated 2D engine (comparisons to Pixi/Love2D, 'fits 2D, sprites, tilemaps, physics'). missing for 10: independent hands-on benchmarking of tilemap-specific workflows and no explicit dedicated tilemap doc excerpt in the pack (only physics/scenes/animations/input are directly quoted).

   • [claimed-docs] “Typical uses for a Scene would be a Loading Screen, a Main Menu, a Game Level, a Boss Fight, an in-game Item Shop, a High Score Table, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “it's a common practise to have a Scene dedicated entirely to handling the UI for your game, that is rendered above all other Scenes”
   • [claimed-docs] “This will allow you to control the Sprite using the built-in physics functions, such as velocity, acceleration, gravity, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser maintains a unified input system that works across all browsers and devices.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Common asset types include images, texture atlases, sprite sheets, fonts, audio files and JSON data, but there are many more that Phaser can…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Animations are created via the Animation Manager.”
   • [community] “It's a great tool if you go for a game that fits this framework - 2D, sprites, tilemaps, physics... After experimenting a little with phaser…”
   • [community] “Phaser is the perfect framework to get started making HTML5 2D games.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Performance

1. game developerProfile and scale — a real profiler, plus data-oriented paths (ECS, jobs, instancing) when scenes get heavy

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack contains no mention of a profiler, ECS architecture, job/worker system, or GPU instancing for scaling heavy scenes — only physics components, Gaussian splatting, and editor/collab features are documented. This is a fair axis for any game engine, but PlayCanvas's pack simply doesn't address it.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows no mention of a built-in profiler, ECS architecture, job system, or instancing support for scaling heavy scenes; Phaser's docs and community discussion focus on Scenes, Arcade physics, animations, and rendering (Canvas/WebGL) with only a passing complaint about relative rendering FPS. Nothing indicates data-oriented performance tooling exists.

   • [claimed-docs] “Typical uses for a Scene would be a Loading Screen, a Main Menu, a Game Level, a Boss Fight, an in-game Item Shop, a High Score Table, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “This will allow you to control the Sprite using the built-in physics functions, such as velocity, acceleration, gravity, etc.”
   • [community] “The framework is good, however I got faster (fps wise) results using my own rendering functions on Canvas than I was getting using their ren…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Physics

1. game developerBuilt-in physics — rigid bodies, collisions, raycasts — works out of the box

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm built-in rigidbody, collision, and joint components enabling physics simulation out of the box (playcanvas-docs-8), and community sources corroborate PlayCanvas as a capable, well-designed engine used in shipped games. However, raycasts are not explicitly mentioned, and there's no hands-on evidence or tutorial demonstrating physics working smoothly without setup friction (e.g., Ammo.js/physics engine integration steps). Missing for 10: explicit raycast documentation, independent hands-on confirmation of zero-config physics setup, and detail on which physics backend is bundled vs. requires separate install.

   • [claimed-docs] “The rigidbody component decides how an entity moves, the collision component gives it a physical shape, and the alpha joint component constr…”
   • [community] “THREE.js is very low-level framework, while PlayCanvas additionally to low-level engine access has game framework, which will allow you to c…”
   • [community] “I haven't used it, but I remember looking at the minified code a while back when it was first released. It looks very well done, by someone …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm a built-in Arcade Physics system providing velocity, acceleration, gravity, and collision handling out of the box, and community testimony (phaser-comm-13) lists physics as a core built-in feature, but the pack explicitly notes Arcade physics 'does have its limitations' (phaser-docs-24) and never mentions raycasting or full rigid-body dynamics (e.g., Matter.js integration) with concrete examples. Missing for 10: explicit raycast API evidence, rigid-body/Matter physics documentation, and independent confirmation of collision accuracy beyond Arcade's simplified AABB model.

   • [claimed-docs] “This will allow you to control the Sprite using the built-in physics functions, such as velocity, acceleration, gravity, etc.”
   • [claimed-docs] “It's very fast and easy to use, with lots of helper functions, but due to its nature it does have its limitations.”
   • [community] “It's a great tool if you go for a game that fits this framework - 2D, sprites, tilemaps, physics... After experimenting a little with phaser…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Rendering

1. game developerThe engine ships a modern production 3D renderer — PBR materials, global illumination or baked lighting, shadows, post-processing

   weight 3 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack documents scripting, editor collaboration, physics, MCP integration, and Gaussian splatting support, but contains no first-party or community evidence about PBR materials, global illumination/baked lighting, shadow systems, or a post-processing pipeline. Per the rules, absence of evidence for this applicable rendering-feature axis must be scored as 'none' rather than inferred from outside knowledge.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

Collaboration

1. studio leadThe project format and tooling play well with version control and multi-person teams — mergeable scenes, diffable text formats, or built-in collaboration

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas!disputedcontradicted4/10

   PlayCanvas markets real-time multi-user editing as solving merge conflicts entirely (docs-4, docs-13) rather than a diffable/VCS-friendly text format, but hands-on community reports concretely contradict the 'plays well with version control' framing: developers note the project lives on PlayCanvas's servers with 'no easy local dev environment' and that basics like 'using your own source control' are missing, with unofficial third-party tools (playcanvas-sync) needed just to sync assets locally, and uploading being a 'deal breaker' for offline/local workflows. Checkpoints (docs-5) offer some rollback safety but are not the same as git-based diff/merge tooling. missing for 10: official git-friendly/text-diffable scene format, first-party local-file sync equivalent to real VCS integration, and evidence the community-reported local-dev gap has been resolved.

   • [claimed-docs] “Multiple developers, artists, and designers can build the same scene simultaneously—no merge conflicts, no stepping on each other's toes.”
   • [claimed-docs] “With live editing, you can tweak materials, adjust positions, and even modify scripts while your application runs.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Checkpoints — Snapshot your project at any point and roll back if needed”
   • [community] “I think Playcanvas would do well to focus on the basics, like being able to export/import variables in the standard js way, being able to de…”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [community] “I'd love to be able to use their scene editor offline, uploading assets is a deal breaker.”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The evidence pack covers installation, scenes, physics, animation, and a visual Scene Editor, but nothing addresses version-control friendliness, mergeable/diffable scene file formats, or built-in multi-person collaboration tooling. While Phaser's code-first nature implies plain-text source files, there is no explicit documentation of scene file format diffability, conflict resolution, or team collaboration features for the visual editor.

   ⚑ flag

Editor

1. technical artistA full visual editor — viewport, inspector, prefabs/scene composition — is the primary way to build levels

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs confirm a full drag-and-drop visual Editor with real-time collaborative scene building, live editing of materials/positions, and checkpoint/versioning (playcanvas-docs-3, docs-4, docs-5, docs-13), which matches the viewport+scene-composition part of the story. However, no evidence explicitly documents an 'inspector' panel or a 'prefab' system by name, and community reports flag real dev-experience friction (no easy local dev, assets must be uploaded, offline editing not supported) that complicate treating the editor as the primary, frictionless build workflow. missing for 10: explicit inspector/prefab terminology and documentation, independent hands-on confirmation of prefab workflow, resolution of community-reported offline/local-dev friction.

   • [claimed-docs] “Want drag-and-drop scene building, real-time collaboration, or prefer visual tools over code”
   • [claimed-docs] “Multiple developers, artists, and designers can build the same scene simultaneously—no merge conflicts, no stepping on each other's toes.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Checkpoints — Snapshot your project at any point and roll back if needed”
   • [claimed-docs] “With live editing, you can tweak materials, adjust positions, and even modify scripts while your application runs.”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “I'd love to be able to use their scene editor offline, uploading assets is a deal breaker.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialclaimed5/10

   Phaser Studio ships an official visual Scene Editor with drag-and-drop placement, a real-time Inspector for effects/physics/animations, and scene reorganization into layers (phaser-docs-12, phaser-docs-27, phaser-docs-29), which covers viewport/inspector/scene-composition claims. However, core Phaser itself remains a code-first framework, prefab workflows are never explicitly named, and all evidence is first-party marketing with zero independent/hands-on corroboration of the editor's actual level-building workflow. Missing for 10: explicit prefab/reusable-component system documentation, independent reviews or hands-on reports of the editor, and clarity on how central this paid add-on editor is versus code-based scene building.

   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Add and configure filters visually — Glow, Shadow, Blur, Pixelate, Bokeh, ColorMatrix, Displacement and more — directly in the Scene Editor'…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Pixel art, tilemap & atlas editors * SFX & music generation”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Extensibility

1. game developerExtend and automate the editor itself — custom tools, editor scripts, plugins that manipulate scenes and assets programmatically

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed7/10

   PlayCanvas explicitly documents a scriptable Editor API module (api.playcanvas.com/editor) built 'for developers looking to... create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and systems into the PlayCanvas Editor environment,' plus an official MCP server for AI-driven automation of live Editor sessions, and community-built sync tools for local file mapping — together showing programmatic extension of the editor itself. Missing for 10: concrete example plugins/marketplace or hands-on demonstration of a third-party editor tool built with this API, and no independent review confirming ease of use for this specific API (only general dev-experience complaints exist).

   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed5/10

   Phaser's separate Editor product supports visual scene/asset manipulation (drag-and-drop, filters, inspector) and an MCP server exposes 40+ tools letting AI agents call editor-like functions to manipulate scenes/assets programmatically, which partially satisfies 'automate the editor.' However there is no evidence of a scripting/plugin API for the Editor itself (e.g., custom editor panels, extension SDK, editor-scripting language) — the MCP tools are agent-facing, not a documented developer plugin architecture. missing for 10: documented editor plugin/extension SDK, editor scripting API for custom tools, evidence of third-party editor plugins, independent hands-on confirmation of MCP tool automation reliability.

   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Add and configure filters visually — Glow, Shadow, Blur, Pixelate, Bokeh, ColorMatrix, Displacement and more — directly in the Scene Editor'…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://phaser.io/agent/mcp”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Ci

1. game developerBuild and export the project from the command line, headless, in CI — no human clicking an editor

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity4/10

   The standalone Engine is a plain npm package usable with Vite/TypeScript scaffolding, so Engine-only projects can plausibly be built and bundled headlessly via a standard `vite build` in CI (playcanvas-gh-2, playcanvas-docs-1, playcanvas-docs-7). However, PlayCanvas's primary workflow is the cloud Editor, and community reports confirm no easy local dev environment or native CLI export — code/assets live on PlayCanvas's servers, requiring third-party 'playcanvas-sync' tooling and manual tinkering to approximate a local/CI workflow (playcanvas-comm-8, playcanvas-comm-9, playcanvas-comm-10). No first-party CLI/CI build-and-export tool for Editor projects is documented anywhere in the evidence. Missing for 10: an official CLI/CI export command for Editor-based projects, documentation of headless Editor project builds, and independent confirmation that Editor-based CI pipelines work reliably.

   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use `create-playcanvas` to scaffold a Vite and TypeScript project for the Engine, React, or Web Components from one of 12 runnable starters.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “It's certainly not super obvious to setup but there are ways to use PlayCanvas with local setup... with some tinkering you can have hot modu…”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The evidence only shows an interactive CLI installer for scaffolding new projects (phaser-docs-2/21) and a separate paid Scene Editor with an MCP 'agent' for human-in-the-loop coding assistance (phaser-docs-12/13/14/27/29) — neither documents a headless build/export command or CI pipeline usage. There is no mention of a 'phaser build' CLI, bundler config, or automated export pipeline suitable for CI. Missing for 10: documented headless build/export CLI command, CI integration example, evidence that game export doesn't require the GUI editor.

   • [claimed-docs] “This CLI tool presents an interactive selection of official project templates and demo games.”
   • [claimed-docs] “This CLI tool presents an interactive selection of official project templates and demo games. Issue the command, answer some questions and t…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Server

1. game developerGame logic runs headless on servers — a dedicated-server or server-runtime build without rendering

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   The evidence pack shows PlayCanvas as a browser-focused WebGL/WebGPU engine with npm packages, Editor, and MCP server tooling, but nothing about a dedicated headless/server-runtime build without rendering for running game logic on servers. Missing for 10: any docs or GitHub evidence of a headless Node.js server build, server-side simulation mode, or rendering-free runtime.

   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence anywhere in the pack of a headless/server-runtime build of Phaser that runs game logic without a canvas/WebGL renderer; all documentation focuses on browser/CDN/npm installs, Scenes, physics, and rendering-oriented editor tooling. Headless server support is a fair question for a game framework (many engines offer it), but nothing here confirms Phaser ships one.

   ⚑ flag

Testing

1. game developerTests run headlessly — unit and integration tests of game code execute in CI against the real engine

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   No evidence of a testing framework, headless mode, or CI integration for running unit/integration tests against the PlayCanvas engine; docs cover scripting, editor, MCP server, and standalone engine usage but never mention headless test execution or CI workflows.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack mentions headless testing, CI integration, test runners, or running Phaser against a headless browser/Node environment for automated test execution — all evidence covers installation, scenes, physics, editor, and MCP tooling.

   ⚑ flag

Governance

1. studio leadThe project's governance and funding are transparent — a foundation, published finances, or a public roadmap I can plan against

   weight 1 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   No evidence of a governing foundation, published financials, or a public roadmap; PlayCanvas is run as a commercial product (subscription plans mentioned) with no transparency artifacts cited. Community comments discuss engine features and dev-experience, not governance or funding.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence pack items address governance structure, foundation status, published finances, or a public roadmap for Phaser; the evidence covers technical docs, editor/MCP features, pricing/licensing transfer, and community sentiment only. Missing for 10: any mention of a governing foundation, financial transparency/reports, or a published roadmap that a studio lead could plan against.

   ⚑ flag

License

1. studio leadThe license is permissive with no royalties or per-install fees — I keep what my game earns

   weight 3 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed7/10

   The core PlayCanvas Engine is confirmed MIT-licensed and open source ('MIT engine runtime' in playcanvas-probe-rt-2; community confirms 'the engine is open source' in playcanvas-comm-11 and playcanvas-comm-16), meaning a studio can ship and monetize games without royalties or per-install fees on the runtime itself. However, evidence also shows the hosted Editor/collaboration tooling is a paid subscription (e.g., $15/month for private projects, playcanvas-comm-4), which is a studio-tooling cost rather than a revenue royalty, so it doesn't contradict the engine's permissive licensing but adds nuance. Missing for 10: explicit vendor documentation stating 'no royalties/no revenue share' policy and independent legal/community confirmation of unrestricted commercial use terms.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [community] “It's an open source javascript game engine that is kinda like halfway between something like three.js and e.g. Unity—pretty lightweight, but…”
   • [community] “Every time I've taken a look at this engine it has always felt very limited. And with a $15/month subscription just to be able to create pri…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed7/10

   Runtime probe confirms the core Phaser engine is published under the MIT license (npm registry metadata), which is inherently permissive and imposes no royalties or per-install fees, letting studios keep 100% of game revenue. The evidence pack does not include an explicit vendor statement like 'no royalties' or 'keep what you earn,' so this is inferred from the MIT designation rather than a direct claim; separately, the paid Editor/pricing page (phaser-docs-30) mentions 'full commercial rights' and license transfer for a different, optional commercial tool, not the core engine's licensing terms. Missing for 10: an explicit first-party statement on royalty-free/no-fee terms and independent legal/community confirmation of the license text.

   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full commercial rights * Transfer your licence to any user”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Source

1. game developerRead and modify the full engine source when I hit a wall

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed8/10

   The PlayCanvas Engine is confirmed open source (MIT) and published on GitHub/npm, allowing developers to read and modify the core engine code directly, corroborated by community comment that 'the engine is open source' and runtime probes confirming the MIT license and public repo. Missing for 10: explicit contribution/build docs or a first-party statement of the license terms, and no independent hands-on account of someone actually patching engine internals.

   • [github] “Gaussian Splatting - First-class support for loading and rendering 3D Gaussian Splats”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed7/10

   Phaser's source is hosted on GitHub (phaser-gh-1, phaser-gh-2) and the runtime probe confirms it is MIT-licensed (phaser-probe-rt-1), meaning developers can freely read, fork, and modify the entire engine source when they hit a limitation. Community comments (e.g. phaser-comm-11, phaser-comm-12) even show developers digging into internals/rendering behavior, consistent with open-source access. Missing for 10: explicit documentation/tutorial on how to build from source or contribute patches, and no first-party statement framing this as a workaround path for hitting engine walls.

   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”
   • [github] “Games can be built for the web, or as YouTube Playables, Discord Activities, Reddit games, Twitch Overlays or compiled to iOS, Android, Stea…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”
   • [community] “The framework is good, however I got faster (fps wise) results using my own rendering functions on Canvas than I was getting using their ren…”
   • [community] “I just started playing with it and circular dependencies make me cringe... It's really tough to compose things with it.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Trust

1. studio leadThe pricing and license terms have a track record of stability — no retroactive changes that reprice games already shipped

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack addresses pricing/licensing history, terms stability, or retroactive repricing of shipped games; only a $15/month subscription mention and a link to the plans page appear, with no discussion of contract stability or track record.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Evidence shows current pricing/licence terms (full commercial rights, licence transfer) and confirms the core engine is MIT-licensed, but there is no evidence of a documented track record over time — no mention of past pricing changes, grandfathering policies, or community confirmation that shipped games were never repriced retroactively. Missing for 10: historical pricing-change log, explicit no-retroactive-repricing policy statement, and independent/community corroboration of licence stability over multiple releases.

   • [claimed-docs] “You can transfer any active licence or subscription to another registered Phaser user from your account page.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full commercial rights * Transfer your licence to any user”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userDo everything through the API that I can do in the UI

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialprobed6/10

   PlayCanvas exposes a scriptable Editor API (api.playcanvas.com/editor) for custom editing tools and integrations, plus an official MCP server that lets AI assistants modify project data and verify results via the viewport — going beyond a typical 'no API' game engine. However there is no discoverable REST/OpenAPI spec (404s across probed endpoints), and no documentation explicitly claims full UI-API parity; some Editor-only features (drag-and-drop scene building, real-time collaboration) are framed as UI-first conveniences without confirmed programmatic equivalents. missing for 10: an explicit parity statement/spec covering all UI actions, a formal REST/OpenAPI contract, and independent confirmation that collaborative/visual editor features are fully scriptable.

   • [claimed-docs] “The PlayCanvas Editor MCP Server connects AI assistants to an open PlayCanvas Editor session. It can modify project data and verify the resu…”
   • [claimed-docs] “This module is essential for developers looking to streamline their workflow, create custom editing tools, or integrate external data and sy…”
   • [probe] “official MCP server documented at https://developer.playcanvas.com/user-manual/editor/mcp-server/”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): PlayCanvas ships the only OFFICIAL, open, npm-published editor MCP server of the eight engines — `npm v…”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://developer.playcanvas.com/openapi.json, https://developer.playcanvas.com/swagger.json, https:…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Want drag-and-drop scene building, real-time collaboration, or prefer visual tools over code”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialprobed5/10

   Phaser is a code-first JS/TS game framework whose entire API is already scriptable (Scenes, physics, input, animations, loader), so most 'UI' interactions like the Scene Editor are optional visual layers over the same API. The official MCP server (phaser.io/agent/mcp) lets an AI agent describe intent in plain language and have it call editor-equivalent tools, supporting API-level parity with editor actions like adding filters, particle emitters, and reorganizing scenes. However, evidence doesn't confirm 100% coverage of every visual editor feature (e.g., visual filter/particle configuration, pixel art/tilemap/SFX generation tools) via the plain code API, and the MCP server itself is a separate hosted tool, not something distributed as an installable npm package with public OpenAPI/spec. missing for 10: explicit confirmation that every Scene Editor visual feature (filters, particle emitters, layers, pixel/tilemap/SFX tools) has a documented equivalent API call, independent hands-on evidence the MCP/API can fully replicate editor UI actions, and a public API spec (OpenAPI 404s) proving completeness.

   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build games from inside the editor you already use with the Phaser Game Agent MCP server.”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Give the player a double-jump and a coin counter.The jump feels floaty, make gravity stronger.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Add and configure filters visually — Glow, Shadow, Blur, Pixelate, Bokeh, ColorMatrix, Displacement and more — directly in the Scene Editor'…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Pixel art, tilemap & atlas editors * SFX & music generation”
   • [probe] “PROBE openapi: all candidate paths 404 (https://docs.phaser.io/openapi.json, https://docs.phaser.io/swagger.json, https://docs.phaser.io/api…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. ai-native userExport all of my data in open formats and leave

   weight 3 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity5/10

   The engine itself is open-source (MIT, npm-published) and PlayCanvas offers 'Download Apps for Self-hosting', plus community tooling (playcanvas-sync) to map project assets to a local filesystem, giving users a path to exit the platform with their code/engine. However, there is no first-party documentation of a comprehensive 'export all project data in open formats' feature, and community reports explicitly flag that code/collaboration data lives on PlayCanvas's servers with no easy local dev environment, undercutting a full data-portability story. Missing for 10: an official bulk data-export tool/format for scenes, assets and editor project state, and independent confirmation that exported data is fully open and complete.

   • [claimed-docs] “Download Apps for Self-hosting”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “It's certainly not super obvious to setup but there are ways to use PlayCanvas with local setup... with some tinkering you can have hot modu…”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   The axis applies to this product kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na". (na/none harmonized at arena bring-up — see pipeline/scripts/na-harmonize.ts.)

   ⚑ flag

3. ai-native userRead the product's source under an open license

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed9/10

   PlayCanvas Engine is confirmed open source (GitHub repo, MIT license, npm-published), and community commentary independently corroborates 'the engine is open source' (playcanvas-comm-11, comm-16). The full engine source is browsable on GitHub and versioned, satisfying an AI-native user's ability to read source under an open license; missing for 10: explicit license file text/OSI confirmation cited directly in evidence.

   • [github] “Gaussian Splatting - First-class support for loading and rendering 3D Gaussian Splats”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [community] “It's an open source javascript game engine that is kinda like halfway between something like three.js and e.g. Unity—pretty lightweight, but…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed8/10

   Phaser's source is hosted publicly on GitHub (github.com/phaserjs/phaser, cited in phaser-gh-1/2) and the npm package is confirmed MIT-licensed via runtime probe, satisfying the 'read source under open license' story directly. Missing for 10: an explicit first-party LICENSE file citation and independent community commentary specifically about license terms/openness.

   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”
   • [github] “Games can be built for the web, or as YouTube Playables, Discord Activities, Reddit games, Twitch Overlays or compiled to iOS, Android, Stea…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

4. ai-native userSelf-host the core product

   weight 3 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas!disputedcontradicted5/10

   The core Engine is open-source (MIT, npm-published) and documented for standalone/self-hosted use (playcanvas-docs-7, playcanvas-gh-2), but the actual PlayCanvas product most users mean—the Editor/collaboration platform—is proprietary SaaS with no self-hosting option; community reports confirm project code must live on PlayCanvas's servers with no easy local dev environment (playcanvas-comm-8, playcanvas-comm-11, playcanvas-comm-12). The 'Download Apps for Self-hosting' doc refers to exporting built apps, not self-hosting the Editor itself. Missing for 10: an official self-hostable Editor/backend, first-party self-host deployment docs for the full platform, and resolution of the community-confirmed server-lock-in for authoring.

   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [claimed-docs] “Download Apps for Self-hosting”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “I think the engine is open source; but the real appeal is using the real time collab online tool, which is proprietary and had the drawbacks…”
   • [community] “I'd love to be able to use their scene editor offline, uploading assets is a deal breaker.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed8/10

   Phaser is an MIT-licensed, open-source JavaScript library installable via npm or CDN and usable entirely within a self-managed environment (GitHub source, npm package, jsDelivr CDN) — there is no vendor-hosted runtime dependency for the core engine, so self-hosting is inherent to the product. missing for 10: explicit deployment/self-hosting guide (e.g., Docker, server config) and independent confirmation of running fully offline in production.

   • [claimed-docs] “npm install phaser”
   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser is on jsDelivr which is a "super-fast CDN for developers".”
   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Targets

1. studio leadOne project exports to desktop, mobile, and (directly or via partners) consoles

   weight 3 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Evidence shows PlayCanvas engine and Editor covering web, desktop-via-browser, and self-hosted app export, but there is no mention anywhere in the pack of console export (PlayStation/Xbox/Switch) or partner porting programs. Community commentary consistently frames PlayCanvas as a web-first/WebGL engine with no console story. missing for 10: any documentation of console export or third-party console porting partnership, evidence of desktop/mobile packaging beyond generic 'download apps', console SDK support.

   • [claimed-docs] “Download Apps for Self-hosting”
   • [community] “It is a very nice engine, specially for those focused on Web only as target.”
   • [community] “It's an open source javascript game engine that is kinda like halfway between something like three.js and e.g. Unity—pretty lightweight, but…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialcommunity5/10

   Phaser docs and GitHub state games can be "compiled to iOS, Android, Steam and native apps using 3rd party tools," covering mobile and desktop export paths, and a community report confirms a real Android .apk export at 60fps. However, there is no evidence—vendor or community—of console export capability (directly or via a documented console partner program), which is a core part of this story. Missing for 10: documented console export path or partner program, first-party tooling/guide for desktop/mobile builds beyond "3rd party tools", independent confirmation of Steam/iOS builds.

   • [claimed-docs] “compiled to iOS, Android, Steam and native apps using 3rd party tools”
   • [claimed-docs] “Games can be built for the web, or as YouTube Playables, Discord Activies, Twitch Overlays or compiled to iOS, Android, Steam and native app…”
   • [github] “Games can be built for the web, or as YouTube Playables, Discord Activities, Reddit games, Twitch Overlays or compiled to iOS, Android, Stea…”
   • [community] “This is the best JavaScript game framework. Been using it for a few years and it never let me down... created a small game and exported it t…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Web

1. web developerMy game runs in the browser with a reasonable payload — WebGL today, and a credible WebGPU story

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed8/10

   PlayCanvas is explicitly documented as a WebGL/WebGPU engine (probe-1) with a lightweight open-source runtime (npm playcanvas package, MIT license) and community corroboration that it's well-suited to lean web deployment (comm-1, comm-6, comm-13, comm-16) versus bloated alternatives. Missing for 10: no explicit payload-size benchmarks or bundle-size comparisons, and no independent hands-on confirmation of WebGPU parity/performance versus WebGL in production games.

   • [probe] “PROBE llms.txt: HTTP 200 at https://developer.playcanvas.com/llms.txt # PlayCanvas Developer Documentation > PlayCanvas is an open-source W…”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “Unreal is a bloated way to develop WebGPU projects for the web. PlayCanvas is a sensible solution if your target is web.”
   • [community] “It is a very nice engine, specially for those focused on Web only as target.”
   • [community] “THREE.js is very low-level framework, while PlayCanvas additionally to low-level engine access has game framework, which will allow you to c…”
   • [community] “It's an open source javascript game engine that is kinda like halfway between something like three.js and e.g. Unity—pretty lightweight, but…”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialcommunity4/10

   Evidence confirms browser-based rendering with WebGL (community mention of 'rendering on both Canvas and WebGL') and easy npm/CDN distribution suggesting reasonable payload, but there is no mention anywhere in the pack of WebGPU support, a WebGPU renderer, or a roadmap toward it. missing for 10: explicit WebGPU renderer/roadmap documentation, payload-size benchmarks, and independent corroboration of WebGL performance beyond one anecdotal comment.

   • [community] “The framework is good, however I got faster (fps wise) results using my own rendering functions on Canvas than I was getting using their ren…”
   • [claimed-docs] “npm install phaser”
   • [claimed-docs] “Phaser is on jsDelivr which is a "super-fast CDN for developers".”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

2. web developerThe engine installs from a package registry into my existing toolchain — a library I import, bundle, and tree-shake like any dependency

   weight 2 · round to Phaser
   PlayCanvas✓fullprobed8/10

   PlayCanvas engine is published to npm (`npm install playcanvas`, version 2.22.2, ~48k weekly downloads) as a standard ES module library, with docs on using the Engine standalone and scaffolding via create-playcanvas/Vite for standard bundler-based toolchains. Community confirms it integrates with other JS frameworks and modern web-dev workflows (HMR, bundlers), supporting tree-shakable ESM usage. Missing for 10: no explicit documentation or independent confirmation of tree-shaking behavior/bundle-size optimization guidance, and some community reports note setup isn't always straightforward.

   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Use `create-playcanvas` to scaffold a Vite and TypeScript project for the Engine, React, or Web Components from one of 12 runnable starters.”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): developer.playcanvas.com serves llms.txt plus the largest llms-full.txt of the arena (2,053,637 bytes o…”
   • [community] “You can use it in conjunction with pretty much any other JS framework available.”
   • [community] “It's certainly not super obvious to setup but there are ways to use PlayCanvas with local setup... with some tinkering you can have hot modu…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser✓fullprobed9/10

   Phaser is published as a standard npm package (`npm install phaser`), confirmed both in docs and via live registry probe (v4.2.1, MIT license, 263k weekly downloads), and includes TypeScript definitions in the package, making it importable/bundleable like any standard JS dependency. Community evidence corroborates typical toolchain use (bundling into games/apps) though tree-shaking specifically isn't explicitly discussed. Missing for 10: explicit documentation or confirmation of tree-shaking/ESM module support behavior.

   • [claimed-docs] “npm install phaser”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”
   • [claimed-docs] “Install via [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/phaser): npm install phaser”
   • [probe] “PROBE runtime (recorded 2026-09-15): `npm view phaser version` → 4.2.1 (MIT, 263,018 weekly downloads), and phaser.io/llms.txt is live as a …”
   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

1. ai-native userOpt out of telemetry and usage tracking

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   No evidence pack item addresses telemetry, analytics, or opt-out settings for PlayCanvas engine, editor, or CLI tools; the axis applies (any dev tool/platform could ship telemetry controls) but there is simply no documentation or mention of such a setting.

   ⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack addresses telemetry, usage tracking, or an opt-out mechanism for Phaser's library, CLI, editor, or MCP server offerings, despite these being product surfaces where such a policy could exist.

   ⚑ flag

Iteration

1. game developerThe edit-run loop is fast — hot reload or near-instant preview after a script change

   weight 2 · round to PlayCanvas
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity6/10

   Docs claim live editing lets you tweak materials, positions, and even modify scripts while the application is running, and community reports confirm hot-module-replacement style workflows are achievable with the local sync tooling — but multiple community sources note this setup is 'certainly not super obvious' and historically required 'tinkering,' with one report citing no easy local dev environment as a dealbreaker at the time. missing for 10: first-party benchmark or docs describing built-in near-instant reload latency, and confirmation the friction reported in community threads has been resolved.

   • [claimed-docs] “With live editing, you can tweak materials, adjust positions, and even modify scripts while your application runs.”
   • [community] “It's certainly not super obvious to setup but there are ways to use PlayCanvas with local setup... with some tinkering you can have hot modu…”
   • [community] “When I was working at a mobile game studio, we looked at this as an engine for a project. At the time we decided not to go with it since all…”
   • [community] “I recommend checking out the newly released playcanvas-sync tools which let you map your PlayCanvas project's assets to your local machine's…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   No evidence in the pack describes hot reload, live-reload dev server, or near-instant preview after script changes; only editor visual tweaks (glow/filters, drag-drop) are documented, which is not the same as a fast JS edit-run loop. The templates/CLI installation docs mention project setup but not dev-server hot reload behavior.

   ⚑ flag

Language

1. game developerThe primary scripting language is productive and fully exposes the engine API, with a debugger behind it

   weight 3 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas~partialcommunity6/10

   PlayCanvas scripting uses standard JavaScript/TypeScript (ESM `.mjs` scripts with class syntax) and the full engine can be scripted via `npm install playcanvas`, giving broad API access and a productive, familiar language; community comments (e.g. comm-13) also praise its game-framework layer atop low-level access. However, the evidence pack never explicitly documents a debugger (e.g. browser devtools breakpoints, source maps, or an IDE debug workflow) tied to scripting, and some community feedback flags dev-experience friction (playcanvas-comm-2, playcanvas-comm-3, playcanvas-comm-9) around local/offline workflows that could affect debugging setup. Missing for 10: explicit documentation of a debugger/breakpoint workflow for scripts, and confirmation that the full engine API (not just scripting hooks) is exposed without gaps.

   • [claimed-docs] “ESM Scripts (`.mjs` files) — Modern ES Module-based scripts using class syntax. Recommended for new projects.”
   • [claimed-docs] “ESM Scripts (`.mjs` files) — Modern ES Module-based scripts using class syntax. **Recommended for new projects.**”
   • [claimed-docs] “Build applications against the Engine directly. Learn how to use the Engine standalone.”
   • [github] “npm install playcanvas”
   • [community] “THREE.js is very low-level framework, while PlayCanvas additionally to low-level engine access has game framework, which will allow you to c…”
   • [community] “It's certainly not super obvious to setup but there are ways to use PlayCanvas with local setup... with some tinkering you can have hot modu…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser~partialcommunity6/10

   Phaser's primary language is JavaScript/TypeScript with full TypeScript definitions shipped (phaser-docs-4) and GitHub confirming both JS/TS support (phaser-gh-1), and community members report it as easy to learn and productive (phaser-comm-3, phaser-comm-7, phaser-comm-10). However TypeScript support is described as 'best-effort... layered onto Phaser 3 via DefinitelyTyped' rather than native (phaser-comm-8), and docs quality — key to fully exposing the API productively — is criticized as 'the worst I've seen' by one community member (phaser-comm-16) even as others praise it (phaser-comm-10). No dedicated debugger tooling (breakpoints, inspector) is documented anywhere in the evidence pack beyond standard browser JS debugging implied by using JS/TS. Missing for 10: explicit debugger/dev-tools integration documentation, native (non-DefinitelyTyped) TypeScript support, and independent confirmation that the API surface is fully exposed without workarounds.

   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Full TypeScript definitions can be found inside the types folder”
   • [community] “A year or so ago I did a lot with Phaser... man is Phaser easy to learn and easy to get more advanced in... I am a big fan of their work.”
   • [community] “I've made a couple toy projects with Phaser, after comparing other Javascript based 2d engines. Phaser is the most fully featured amongst th…”
   • [community] “Phaser 4 was announced ~four years ago and was an attempt to get the project written natively in TypeScript. It looks pretty dead in the wat…”
   • [community] “The documentation of Phaser is the worst i've seen to a popular framework. The website is very bad in the design, styling as well as content…”
   • [community] “I've spent the past 6 months building a game using Phaser and TypeScript. On the whole, it's been a great experience... one of the worst par…”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

Visual

1. technical artistBuild gameplay logic with visual scripting without writing code

   weight 2 · round drawn
   PlayCanvas—none0/10

   Evidence shows PlayCanvas scripting is code-based (ESM/.mjs JavaScript classes) and the Editor supports drag-and-drop scene building and collaboration, but there is no mention of a node-based or visual scripting system for gameplay logic comparable to Blueprints/Bolt that would let a technical artist avoid writing code.

   • [claimed-docs] “ESM Scripts (`.mjs` files) — Modern ES Module-based scripts using class syntax. Recommended for new projects.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Want drag-and-drop scene building, real-time collaboration, or prefer visual tools over code”
   • [claimed-docs] “ESM Scripts (`.mjs` files) — Modern ES Module-based scripts using class syntax. **Recommended for new projects.**”

   proof ↗⚑ flag

   Phaser—none0/10

   Evidence shows Phaser's editor (phaser.io/editor) provides visual scene/asset editing—drag-and-drop placement, animation tweaking, physics-body adjustment, filter effects—and an MCP agent that translates natural-language requests into code changes, but nothing describes a node-based or visual gameplay-logic scripting system that lets a technical artist build game logic without writing JavaScript/TypeScript code. Phaser remains fundamentally a code-first framework (phaser-gh-1, phaser-docs-4), so the 'no-code logic' capability is unevidenced.

   • [claimed-docs] “Drag and drop objects into place, tweak their animations, adjust their physics bodies, enable special effects and more as you go.”
   • [claimed-docs] “Add and configure filters visually — Glow, Shadow, Blur, Pixelate, Bokeh, ColorMatrix, Displacement and more — directly in the Scene Editor'…”
   • [claimed-docs] “Create a particle emitter, reorganise a scene into layers, rename a bunch of objects — it handles it without switching tools.”
   • [claimed-docs] “For power users, the MCP Server goes deeper. It implements over 40 specialised tools and integrates directly with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gi…”
   • [claimed-docs] “You describe what you want in plain language and your agent calls the tools for you.”
   • [github] “You can use JavaScript or TypeScript for development.”

   proof ↗⚑ flag