defold-assets-search

name	defold-assets-search
description	Searches the Defold Asset Store for community libraries and extensions. Use BEFORE writing custom modules for pathfinding, RNG, UI, save/load, localization, tweening, input handling, etc. Helps find, compare, and install Defold dependencies.

Defold Asset Store Search

Search the Defold community Asset Store to find existing libraries instead of writing custom code.

When to use

ALWAYS search the Asset Store first when a task requires functionality like:

• Pathfinding (A*, navigation)
• Random number generation
• UI components / GUI frameworks
• Save/load systems
• Localization / i18n
• Tweening / easing
• Input handling / gestures
• Camera control
• Screen management
• Event systems
• Dialogue / narrative systems
• Physics helpers (AABB, raycasting)
• Any other reusable game module

Procedure

Step 1: Generate and search the index

The index file is .agents/skills/defold-assets-search/assets/dependencies_index.tsv. If it already exists and is less than 24 hours old, use it directly. Otherwise, regenerate it by running python .agents/skills/defold-assets-search/scripts/generate_index.py from the project root. The TSV columns:

id  title  author  description  tags  stars  api  example_code  manifest_url  latest_zip

Use Grep to search the generated TSV file by keyword with literal: true for single keywords, or Rust-style regex alternation keyword1|keyword2 (no backslashes before |) for multiple keywords. Search not only the user's exact terms but also synonyms and related words (e.g., RNG → random, i18n → localization, tween → easing, pathfinding → A*). Entries are sorted by stars (descending).

Step 2: Research candidates in depth

For each candidate found in Step 1 (up to top 5 by stars):

1. Skip scene3d — this module is deprecated and should NOT be suggested.
2. If the example_code column has a URL, fetch the URL to study the library's README, usage examples, and features.
3. If the api column has a URL, fetch it too for API details.
4. Use the gathered information to understand what each library actually does and how it compares to alternatives.
5. If you need more details (all available versions, sub-dependencies, etc.), fetch the manifest_url from the index.

Step 3: Present candidates to the user

After studying all candidates, show the user 2-3 best candidates with:

• Title, author, stars count
• Brief description based on your research (not just the short TSV description)
• Key features / pros / cons
• Your recommendation and reasoning

Ask the user which one to use, or recommend the best one.

Step 4: Install the dependency

1. The latest_zip column contains the dependency URL to add to game.project.
2. Open game.project and add the URL to the [project] dependencies field (comma-separated list).
3. Run the defold-project-setup skill to download the dependency into .deps/.
4. Tell the user: "In the Defold editor, go to Project → Fetch Libraries to sync."
5. After the dependency is downloaded, scan its folder in .deps/ for .script_api files and .lua modules to learn the full API. Use this to show usage examples or suggest how to apply the library in the context of the user's original request.

Community defaults

These libraries are the de facto standard choices in the Defold community:

Need	Library	Author
GUI framework	Druid	Insality
Screen management	Monarch	Björn Ritzl
General-purpose utilities (especially flow and broadcast)	Ludobits	Björn Ritzl
OS/window functions	DefOS	Brian Kramer
Ready-made render script with shadows & post-processing	Light and Shadows	Igor Suntsev
High-quality 2D downscale (UI, sprites)	Sharp Sprite	Indiesoft LLC

Camera — a separate camera library is NOT needed. The built-in Defold camera component and its API already cover all common use cases.

Prefer these over alternatives unless the user has a specific reason to choose otherwise.

Notable authors and libraries

Author	Known for	Libraries
Insality	Best-in-class Lua modules with detailed API docs	Druid (UI), Panthera (animation), Defold-Event, Defold-Saver, Defold-Tweener, Defold-Lang, Defold-Log, Defold-Token, Defold-Quest, Decore
Björn Ritzl	Defold core team, prolific contributor	Monarch (screens), Orthographic (camera), Gooey (GUI), Rich Text, Defold-Input, DefTest
Selim Anaç	High-performance native extensions	A* Pathfinding, DAABBCC (AABB tree), PCG Random, Graph Pathfinder, Tile Raycast
Brian Kramer	Practical game utilities	DefOS, DefSave, DefMath, DefGlot, DefBlend
Roman Silin	3D game tools	Illumination, Kinematic Walker, Operator (camera), Narrator (Ink), TrenchFold
Indiesoft LLC	Visual effects and platform tools	Hyper Trails, Sharp Sprite, YaGames, ResZip, Dissolve FX, SplitMix64