shader-programming Skill (gamedev-skills) for Claude Code: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes Claude write game shaders from engine-neutral basics, with GLSL examples and HLSL equivalents.

Installs: 8.7K; on skills.sh
Stars: 6.4K; on GitHub
Files: 1; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

Ask Claude for a shader or a visual effect. The skill makes it work through the pipeline stage by stage: vertex versus fragment, coordinate spaces, UV math, and a few cheap tricks such as mix, step and smoothstep instead of branches. It includes GLSL snippets for tint, scrolling UVs, dissolve and a fresnel rim, plus a pitfalls list.

It teaches portable fundamentals. For exact engine syntax it points to the separate godot-shaders skill or your engine's material docs. When glslangValidator or naga are already installed, it tells the agent to validate shader source with them before visual testing.

Good for

Game developers writing vertex and fragment shaders
Artists adding tint, dissolve, outline, rim light or vignette effects
Anyone translating a shader idea between GLSL and HLSL or between engines

Install shader-programming

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the shader-programming skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

claude plugin marketplace add gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills
claude plugin install disciplines@awesome-gamedev-agent-skills

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Pick one route. The disciplines plugin holds this skill with the other cross-engine skills (15 skill paths in its marketplace entry). The gamedev plugin installs the router and every skill: the README says 77 skills plus a router, and its marketplace entry lists 78 paths. The marketplace entries list skills only, and the repo tree has no hooks or .mcp.json. The skills CLI needs Node.js 22.20 or newer (README). The skills CLI and folder routes install only this skill, with its references/effects.md.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Write game shaders from cross-engine fundamentals — the vertex→fragment pipeline, coordinate spaces, UV math, and common 2D/3D effects (tint, UV scroll, dissolve, outline, fresnel rim, vignette) in GLSL with HLSL equivalents. Use when the user mentions shaders, fragment/pixel shader, vertex shader, UV, GLSL, HLSL, or effects like dissolve, outline, or rim light.

Sections in SKILL.md

When to use
Core workflow
Patterns
1. Fragment basics: sample, tint, and combine
2. Scrolling UVs (animated texture) — frame-rate independent
3. Dissolve (threshold a noise map, glow the edge)
4. Fresnel rim light (3D) — brighten glancing angles
Pitfalls
References
Related skills

Key facts

Author: gamedev-skills (repo owner; the README names a maintainer)
License: Apache-2.0 (LICENSE file)
Installs on skills.sh: 8,660 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 6,427 for the whole gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Oct 28, 2026
What it includes: 2 files including SKILL.md: references/effects.md. No scripts
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass; Socket: pass; Snyk: pass (Nov 2, 2026)
Part of: The disciplines plugin (15 skill paths) and the gamedev plugin (78 paths in the marketplace; the README says 77 skills plus a router)
Needs: SKILL.md lists no requirements; glslangValidator or naga are used for checking only if already installed

What it includes

Know the stage, track spaces, drive effects with UVs and time, then validate
Prefers mix, step and smoothstep over if. Passes data via uniforms and varyings.
Try: “Write a dissolve shader for my sprite”
Read · Core workflow, 7 steps
glslangValidator for GLSL, naga for WGSL, if already installed
For Godot .gdshader files it says to open the project in Godot, which has no standalone validator for them.
Runs code · Validate shader source
Sample a texture and multiply by a color
Pattern 1, in GLSL with an HLSL note.
Write · Fragment basics: tint
Add time times speed to the UV and wrap with fract
Pattern 2. Uses a time uniform, not a per-frame accumulator.
Write · Scrolling UVs
Threshold a noise map and glow the edge
Pattern 3. It includes a WRONG example that leaves glowing specks at amount 0.
Write · Dissolve
Brighten glancing angles for a silhouette glow
Pattern 4. Normal and view direction must be in the same space and normalized.
Write · Fresnel rim light
9 common mistakes
Mixed coordinate spaces, unnormalized normals, flipped V, heavy branching, discard, reversed smoothstep, mobile precision, GLSL vs HLSL names, WebGPURenderer in three.js.
Read · Pitfalls list
Outline, vignette, color grading, GLSL to HLSL table, engine notes
Also notes for Godot, Unity ShaderLab/HLSL and Unreal material nodes.
Read · references/effects.md

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It may run validators on your shader files
Step 6 of the workflow runs glslangValidator or naga only when the tools are already available. github.com
The plugin routes add many skills
The gamedev plugin lists 78 skill paths and the disciplines plugin 15. The marketplace entries list skills only, and the repo tree has no hooks or .mcp.json. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only mode. Use version control.
Sign-in and keys	SKILL.md names no account or key.
Scopes	Writes shader source files (.frag, .wgsl, .gdshader) in your project May run glslangValidator or naga on them when already installed

Questions

What does the shader-programming skill do?

It makes your agent write and explain game shaders using engine-neutral basics. It covers the vertex and fragment pipeline, coordinate spaces, UVs and common effects in GLSL with HLSL equivalents.

How do I install it in Claude Code?

Use the install box at the top of this page. The repo README documents a Claude Code plugin for everything, a disciplines plugin that includes this skill, and the skills CLI.

Does it work in the Claude app?

Yes. The repo's INSTALLATION.md documents a Claude.ai route: turn on Code execution and file creation, zip the skill folder and upload it under Customize, then Skills. It lists Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans.

Will it write Godot, Unity or Unreal shaders?

It teaches portable concepts. For exact Godot syntax SKILL.md points to a separate godot-shaders skill, and for Unity and Unreal to the engine's material docs. Those are not installed by this skill.

Does it need any tools installed?

SKILL.md lists no required tools. When glslangValidator or naga are already installed, it tells the agent to use them to check shader source.

Is it safe?

It bundles no scripts. It leads your agent to write shader files in your project and, if the validators are installed, to run them on those files. Our advice: review the generated files as with any code.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills
Folder: skills/disciplines/shader-programming

gamedev-skills/awesome-gamedev-agent-skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 4

shader-programming SKILL.md · github.com
awesome-gamedev-agent-skills README · github.com
marketplace.json · github.com
github.com · github.com