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playbook/superpowers/RELEASE-NOTES.md

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Superpowers Release Notes

v4.0.3 (2025-12-26)

Improvements

Strengthened using-superpowers skill for explicit skill requests

Addressed a failure mode where Claude would skip invoking a skill even when the user explicitly requested it by name (e.g., "subagent-driven-development, please"). Claude would think "I know what that means" and start working directly instead of loading the skill.

Changes:

  • Updated "The Rule" to say "Invoke relevant or requested skills" instead of "Check for skills" - emphasizing active invocation over passive checking
  • Added "BEFORE any response or action" - the original wording only mentioned "response" but Claude would sometimes take action without responding first
  • Added reassurance that invoking a wrong skill is okay - reduces hesitation
  • Added new red flag: "I know what that means" → Knowing the concept ≠ using the skill

Added explicit skill request tests

New test suite in tests/explicit-skill-requests/ that verifies Claude correctly invokes skills when users request them by name. Includes single-turn and multi-turn test scenarios.

v4.0.2 (2025-12-23)

Fixes

Slash commands now user-only

Added disable-model-invocation: true to all three slash commands (/brainstorm, /execute-plan, /write-plan). Claude can no longer invoke these commands via the Skill tool—they're restricted to manual user invocation only.

The underlying skills (superpowers:brainstorming, superpowers:executing-plans, superpowers:writing-plans) remain available for Claude to invoke autonomously. This change prevents confusion when Claude would invoke a command that just redirects to a skill anyway.

v4.0.1 (2025-12-23)

Fixes

Clarified how to access skills in Claude Code

Fixed a confusing pattern where Claude would invoke a skill via the Skill tool, then try to Read the skill file separately. The using-superpowers skill now explicitly states that the Skill tool loads skill content directly—no need to read files.

  • Added "How to Access Skills" section to using-superpowers
  • Changed "read the skill" → "invoke the skill" in instructions
  • Updated slash commands to use fully qualified skill names (e.g., superpowers:brainstorming)

Added GitHub thread reply guidance to receiving-code-review (h/t @ralphbean)

Added a note about replying to inline review comments in the original thread rather than as top-level PR comments.

Added automation-over-documentation guidance to writing-skills (h/t @EthanJStark)

Added guidance that mechanical constraints should be automated, not documented—save skills for judgment calls.

v4.0.0 (2025-12-17)

New Features

Two-stage code review in subagent-driven-development

Subagent workflows now use two separate review stages after each task:

  1. Spec compliance review - Skeptical reviewer verifies implementation matches spec exactly. Catches missing requirements AND over-building. Won't trust implementer's report—reads actual code.

  2. Code quality review - Only runs after spec compliance passes. Reviews for clean code, test coverage, maintainability.

This catches the common failure mode where code is well-written but doesn't match what was requested. Reviews are loops, not one-shot: if reviewer finds issues, implementer fixes them, then reviewer checks again.

Other subagent workflow improvements:

  • Controller provides full task text to workers (not file references)
  • Workers can ask clarifying questions before AND during work
  • Self-review checklist before reporting completion
  • Plan read once at start, extracted to TodoWrite

New prompt templates in skills/subagent-driven-development/:

  • implementer-prompt.md - Includes self-review checklist, encourages questions
  • spec-reviewer-prompt.md - Skeptical verification against requirements
  • code-quality-reviewer-prompt.md - Standard code review

Debugging techniques consolidated with tools

systematic-debugging now bundles supporting techniques and tools:

  • root-cause-tracing.md - Trace bugs backward through call stack
  • defense-in-depth.md - Add validation at multiple layers
  • condition-based-waiting.md - Replace arbitrary timeouts with condition polling
  • find-polluter.sh - Bisection script to find which test creates pollution
  • condition-based-waiting-example.ts - Complete implementation from real debugging session

Testing anti-patterns reference

test-driven-development now includes testing-anti-patterns.md covering:

  • Testing mock behavior instead of real behavior
  • Adding test-only methods to production classes
  • Mocking without understanding dependencies
  • Incomplete mocks that hide structural assumptions

Skill test infrastructure

Three new test frameworks for validating skill behavior:

tests/skill-triggering/ - Validates skills trigger from naive prompts without explicit naming. Tests 6 skills to ensure descriptions alone are sufficient.

tests/claude-code/ - Integration tests using claude -p for headless testing. Verifies skill usage via session transcript (JSONL) analysis. Includes analyze-token-usage.py for cost tracking.

tests/subagent-driven-dev/ - End-to-end workflow validation with two complete test projects:

  • go-fractals/ - CLI tool with Sierpinski/Mandelbrot (10 tasks)
  • svelte-todo/ - CRUD app with localStorage and Playwright (12 tasks)

Major Changes

DOT flowcharts as executable specifications

Rewrote key skills using DOT/GraphViz flowcharts as the authoritative process definition. Prose becomes supporting content.

The Description Trap (documented in writing-skills): Discovered that skill descriptions override flowchart content when descriptions contain workflow summaries. Claude follows the short description instead of reading the detailed flowchart. Fix: descriptions must be trigger-only ("Use when X") with no process details.

Skill priority in using-superpowers

When multiple skills apply, process skills (brainstorming, debugging) now explicitly come before implementation skills. "Build X" triggers brainstorming first, then domain skills.

brainstorming trigger strengthened

Description changed to imperative: "You MUST use this before any creative work—creating features, building components, adding functionality, or modifying behavior."

Breaking Changes

Skill consolidation - Six standalone skills merged:

  • root-cause-tracing, defense-in-depth, condition-based-waiting → bundled in systematic-debugging/
  • testing-skills-with-subagents → bundled in writing-skills/
  • testing-anti-patterns → bundled in test-driven-development/
  • sharing-skills removed (obsolete)

Other Improvements

  • render-graphs.js - Tool to extract DOT diagrams from skills and render to SVG
  • Rationalizations table in using-superpowers - Scannable format including new entries: "I need more context first", "Let me explore first", "This feels productive"
  • docs/testing.md - Guide to testing skills with Claude Code integration tests

v3.6.2 (2025-12-03)

Fixed

  • Linux Compatibility: Fixed polyglot hook wrapper (run-hook.cmd) to use POSIX-compliant syntax
    • Replaced bash-specific ${BASH_SOURCE[0]:-$0} with standard $0 on line 16
    • Resolves "Bad substitution" error on Ubuntu/Debian systems where /bin/sh is dash
    • Fixes #141

v3.5.1 (2025-11-24)

Changed

  • OpenCode Bootstrap Refactor: Switched from chat.message hook to session.created event for bootstrap injection
    • Bootstrap now injects at session creation via session.prompt() with noReply: true
    • Explicitly tells the model that using-superpowers is already loaded to prevent redundant skill loading
    • Consolidated bootstrap content generation into shared getBootstrapContent() helper
    • Cleaner single-implementation approach (removed fallback pattern)

v3.5.0 (2025-11-23)

Added

  • OpenCode Support: Native JavaScript plugin for OpenCode.ai
    • Custom tools: use_skill and find_skills
    • Message insertion pattern for skill persistence across context compaction
    • Automatic context injection via chat.message hook
    • Auto re-injection on session.compacted events
    • Three-tier skill priority: project > personal > superpowers
    • Project-local skills support (.opencode/skills/)
    • Shared core module (lib/skills-core.js) for code reuse with Codex
    • Automated test suite with proper isolation (tests/opencode/)
    • Platform-specific documentation (docs/README.opencode.md, docs/README.codex.md)

Changed

  • Refactored Codex Implementation: Now uses shared lib/skills-core.js ES module

    • Eliminates code duplication between Codex and OpenCode
    • Single source of truth for skill discovery and parsing
    • Codex successfully loads ES modules via Node.js interop

  • Improved Documentation: Rewrote README to explain problem/solution clearly

    • Removed duplicate sections and conflicting information
    • Added complete workflow description (brainstorm → plan → execute → finish)
    • Simplified platform installation instructions
    • Emphasized skill-checking protocol over automatic activation claims

v3.4.1 (2025-10-31)

Improvements

  • Optimized superpowers bootstrap to eliminate redundant skill execution. The using-superpowers skill content is now provided directly in session context, with clear guidance to use the Skill tool only for other skills. This reduces overhead and prevents the confusing loop where agents would execute using-superpowers manually despite already having the content from session start.

v3.4.0 (2025-10-30)

Improvements

  • Simplified brainstorming skill to return to original conversational vision. Removed heavyweight 6-phase process with formal checklists in favor of natural dialogue: ask questions one at a time, then present design in 200-300 word sections with validation. Keeps documentation and implementation handoff features.

v3.3.1 (2025-10-28)

Improvements

  • Updated brainstorming skill to require autonomous recon before questioning, encourage recommendation-driven decisions, and prevent agents from delegating prioritization back to humans.
  • Applied writing clarity improvements to brainstorming skill following Strunk's "Elements of Style" principles (omitted needless words, converted negative to positive form, improved parallel construction).

Bug Fixes

  • Clarified writing-skills guidance so it points to the correct agent-specific personal skill directories (~/.claude/skills for Claude Code, ~/.codex/skills for Codex).

v3.3.0 (2025-10-28)

New Features

Experimental Codex Support

  • Added unified superpowers-codex script with bootstrap/use-skill/find-skills commands
  • Cross-platform Node.js implementation (works on Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Namespaced skills: superpowers:skill-name for superpowers skills, skill-name for personal
  • Personal skills override superpowers skills when names match
  • Clean skill display: shows name/description without raw frontmatter
  • Helpful context: shows supporting files directory for each skill
  • Tool mapping for Codex: TodoWrite→update_plan, subagents→manual fallback, etc.
  • Bootstrap integration with minimal AGENTS.md for automatic startup
  • Complete installation guide and bootstrap instructions specific to Codex

Key differences from Claude Code integration:

  • Single unified script instead of separate tools
  • Tool substitution system for Codex-specific equivalents
  • Simplified subagent handling (manual work instead of delegation)
  • Updated terminology: "Superpowers skills" instead of "Core skills"

Files Added

  • .codex/INSTALL.md - Installation guide for Codex users
  • .codex/superpowers-bootstrap.md - Bootstrap instructions with Codex adaptations
  • .codex/superpowers-codex - Unified Node.js executable with all functionality

Note: Codex support is experimental. The integration provides core superpowers functionality but may require refinement based on user feedback.

v3.2.3 (2025-10-23)

Improvements

Updated using-superpowers skill to use Skill tool instead of Read tool

  • Changed skill invocation instructions from Read tool to Skill tool
  • Updated description: "using Read tool" → "using Skill tool"
  • Updated step 3: "Use the Read tool" → "Use the Skill tool to read and run"
  • Updated rationalization list: "Read the current version" → "Run the current version"

The Skill tool is the proper mechanism for invoking skills in Claude Code. This update corrects the bootstrap instructions to guide agents toward the correct tool.

Files Changed

  • Updated: skills/using-superpowers/SKILL.md - Changed tool references from Read to Skill

v3.2.2 (2025-10-21)

Improvements

Strengthened using-superpowers skill against agent rationalization

  • Added EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT block with absolute language about mandatory skill checking
    • "If even 1% chance a skill applies, you MUST read it"
    • "You do not have a choice. You cannot rationalize your way out."
  • Added MANDATORY FIRST RESPONSE PROTOCOL checklist
    • 5-step process agents must complete before any response
    • Explicit "responding without this = failure" consequence
  • Added Common Rationalizations section with 8 specific evasion patterns
    • "This is just a simple question" → WRONG
    • "I can check files quickly" → WRONG
    • "Let me gather information first" → WRONG
    • Plus 5 more common patterns observed in agent behavior

These changes address observed agent behavior where they rationalize around skill usage despite clear instructions. The forceful language and pre-emptive counter-arguments aim to make non-compliance harder.

Files Changed

  • Updated: skills/using-superpowers/SKILL.md - Added three layers of enforcement to prevent skill-skipping rationalization

v3.2.1 (2025-10-20)

New Features

Code reviewer agent now included in plugin

  • Added superpowers:code-reviewer agent to plugin's agents/ directory
  • Agent provides systematic code review against plans and coding standards
  • Previously required users to have personal agent configuration
  • All skill references updated to use namespaced superpowers:code-reviewer
  • Fixes #55

Files Changed

  • New: agents/code-reviewer.md - Agent definition with review checklist and output format
  • Updated: skills/requesting-code-review/SKILL.md - References to superpowers:code-reviewer
  • Updated: skills/subagent-driven-development/SKILL.md - References to superpowers:code-reviewer

v3.2.0 (2025-10-18)

New Features

Design documentation in brainstorming workflow

  • Added Phase 4: Design Documentation to brainstorming skill
  • Design documents now written to docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>-design.md before implementation
  • Restores functionality from original brainstorming command that was lost during skill conversion
  • Documents written before worktree setup and implementation planning
  • Tested with subagent to verify compliance under time pressure

Breaking Changes

Skill reference namespace standardization

  • All internal skill references now use superpowers: namespace prefix
  • Updated format: superpowers:test-driven-development (previously just test-driven-development)
  • Affects all REQUIRED SUB-SKILL, RECOMMENDED SUB-SKILL, and REQUIRED BACKGROUND references
  • Aligns with how skills are invoked using the Skill tool
  • Files updated: brainstorming, executing-plans, subagent-driven-development, systematic-debugging, testing-skills-with-subagents, writing-plans, writing-skills

Improvements

Design vs implementation plan naming

  • Design documents use -design.md suffix to prevent filename collisions
  • Implementation plans continue using existing YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md format
  • Both stored in docs/plans/ directory with clear naming distinction

v3.1.1 (2025-10-17)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed command syntax in README (#44) - Updated all command references to use correct namespaced syntax (/superpowers:brainstorm instead of /brainstorm). Plugin-provided commands are automatically namespaced by Claude Code to avoid conflicts between plugins.

v3.1.0 (2025-10-17)

Breaking Changes

Skill names standardized to lowercase

  • All skill frontmatter name: fields now use lowercase kebab-case matching directory names
  • Examples: brainstorming, test-driven-development, using-git-worktrees
  • All skill announcements and cross-references updated to lowercase format
  • This ensures consistent naming across directory names, frontmatter, and documentation

New Features

Enhanced brainstorming skill

  • Added Quick Reference table showing phases, activities, and tool usage
  • Added copyable workflow checklist for tracking progress
  • Added decision flowchart for when to revisit earlier phases
  • Added comprehensive AskUserQuestion tool guidance with concrete examples
  • Added "Question Patterns" section explaining when to use structured vs open-ended questions
  • Restructured Key Principles as scannable table

Anthropic best practices integration

  • Added skills/writing-skills/anthropic-best-practices.md - Official Anthropic skill authoring guide
  • Referenced in writing-skills SKILL.md for comprehensive guidance
  • Provides patterns for progressive disclosure, workflows, and evaluation

Improvements

Skill cross-reference clarity

  • All skill references now use explicit requirement markers:
    • **REQUIRED BACKGROUND:** - Prerequisites you must understand
    • **REQUIRED SUB-SKILL:** - Skills that must be used in workflow
    • **Complementary skills:** - Optional but helpful related skills
  • Removed old path format (skills/collaboration/X → just X)
  • Updated Integration sections with categorized relationships (Required vs Complementary)
  • Updated cross-reference documentation with best practices

Alignment with Anthropic best practices

  • Fixed description grammar and voice (fully third-person)
  • Added Quick Reference tables for scanning
  • Added workflow checklists Claude can copy and track
  • Appropriate use of flowcharts for non-obvious decision points
  • Improved scannable table formats
  • All skills well under 500-line recommendation

Bug Fixes

  • Re-added missing command redirects - Restored commands/brainstorm.md and commands/write-plan.md that were accidentally removed in v3.0 migration
  • Fixed defense-in-depth name mismatch (was Defense-in-Depth-Validation)
  • Fixed receiving-code-review name mismatch (was Code-Review-Reception)
  • Fixed commands/brainstorm.md reference to correct skill name
  • Removed references to non-existent related skills

Documentation

writing-skills improvements

  • Updated cross-referencing guidance with explicit requirement markers
  • Added reference to Anthropic's official best practices
  • Improved examples showing proper skill reference format

v3.0.1 (2025-10-16)

Changes

We now use Anthropic's first-party skills system!

v2.0.2 (2025-10-12)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed false warning when local skills repo is ahead of upstream - The initialization script was incorrectly warning "New skills available from upstream" when the local repository had commits ahead of upstream. The logic now correctly distinguishes between three git states: local behind (should update), local ahead (no warning), and diverged (should warn).

v2.0.1 (2025-10-12)

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed session-start hook execution in plugin context (#8, PR #9) - The hook was failing silently with "Plugin hook error" preventing skills context from loading. Fixed by:
    • Using ${BASH_SOURCE[0]:-$0} fallback when BASH_SOURCE is unbound in Claude Code's execution context
    • Adding || true to handle empty grep results gracefully when filtering status flags

Superpowers v2.0.0 Release Notes

Overview

Superpowers v2.0 makes skills more accessible, maintainable, and community-driven through a major architectural shift.

The headline change is skills repository separation: all skills, scripts, and documentation have moved from the plugin into a dedicated repository (obra/superpowers-skills). This transforms superpowers from a monolithic plugin into a lightweight shim that manages a local clone of the skills repository. Skills auto-update on session start. Users fork and contribute improvements via standard git workflows. The skills library versions independently from the plugin.

Beyond infrastructure, this release adds nine new skills focused on problem-solving, research, and architecture. We rewrote the core using-skills documentation with imperative tone and clearer structure, making it easier for Claude to understand when and how to use skills. find-skills now outputs paths you can paste directly into the Read tool, eliminating friction in the skills discovery workflow.

Users experience seamless operation: the plugin handles cloning, forking, and updating automatically. Contributors find the new architecture makes improving and sharing skills trivial. This release lays the foundation for skills to evolve rapidly as a community resource.

Breaking Changes

Skills Repository Separation

The biggest change: Skills no longer live in the plugin. They've been moved to a separate repository at obra/superpowers-skills.

What this means for you:

  • First install: Plugin automatically clones skills to ~/.config/superpowers/skills/
  • Forking: During setup, you'll be offered the option to fork the skills repo (if gh is installed)
  • Updates: Skills auto-update on session start (fast-forward when possible)
  • Contributing: Work on branches, commit locally, submit PRs to upstream
  • No more shadowing: Old two-tier system (personal/core) replaced with single-repo branch workflow

Migration:

If you have an existing installation:

  1. Your old ~/.config/superpowers/.git will be backed up to ~/.config/superpowers/.git.bak
  2. Old skills will be backed up to ~/.config/superpowers/skills.bak
  3. Fresh clone of obra/superpowers-skills will be created at ~/.config/superpowers/skills/

Removed Features

  • Personal superpowers overlay system - Replaced with git branch workflow
  • setup-personal-superpowers hook - Replaced by initialize-skills.sh

New Features

Skills Repository Infrastructure

Automatic Clone & Setup (lib/initialize-skills.sh)

  • Clones obra/superpowers-skills on first run
  • Offers fork creation if GitHub CLI is installed
  • Sets up upstream/origin remotes correctly
  • Handles migration from old installation

Auto-Update

  • Fetches from tracking remote on every session start
  • Auto-merges with fast-forward when possible
  • Notifies when manual sync needed (branch diverged)
  • Uses pulling-updates-from-skills-repository skill for manual sync

New Skills

Problem-Solving Skills (skills/problem-solving/)

  • collision-zone-thinking - Force unrelated concepts together for emergent insights
  • inversion-exercise - Flip assumptions to reveal hidden constraints
  • meta-pattern-recognition - Spot universal principles across domains
  • scale-game - Test at extremes to expose fundamental truths
  • simplification-cascades - Find insights that eliminate multiple components
  • when-stuck - Dispatch to right problem-solving technique

Research Skills (skills/research/)

  • tracing-knowledge-lineages - Understand how ideas evolved over time

Architecture Skills (skills/architecture/)

  • preserving-productive-tensions - Keep multiple valid approaches instead of forcing premature resolution

Skills Improvements

using-skills (formerly getting-started)

  • Renamed from getting-started to using-skills
  • Complete rewrite with imperative tone (v4.0.0)
  • Front-loaded critical rules
  • Added "Why" explanations for all workflows
  • Always includes /SKILL.md suffix in references
  • Clearer distinction between rigid rules and flexible patterns

writing-skills

  • Cross-referencing guidance moved from using-skills
  • Added token efficiency section (word count targets)
  • Improved CSO (Claude Search Optimization) guidance

sharing-skills

  • Updated for new branch-and-PR workflow (v2.0.0)
  • Removed personal/core split references

pulling-updates-from-skills-repository (new)

  • Complete workflow for syncing with upstream
  • Replaces old "updating-skills" skill

Tools Improvements

find-skills

  • Now outputs full paths with /SKILL.md suffix
  • Makes paths directly usable with Read tool
  • Updated help text

skill-run

  • Moved from scripts/ to skills/using-skills/
  • Improved documentation

Plugin Infrastructure

Session Start Hook

  • Now loads from skills repository location
  • Shows full skills list at session start
  • Prints skills location info
  • Shows update status (updated successfully / behind upstream)
  • Moved "skills behind" warning to end of output

Environment Variables

  • SUPERPOWERS_SKILLS_ROOT set to ~/.config/superpowers/skills
  • Used consistently throughout all paths

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed duplicate upstream remote addition when forking
  • Fixed find-skills double "skills/" prefix in output
  • Removed obsolete setup-personal-superpowers call from session-start
  • Fixed path references throughout hooks and commands

Documentation

README

  • Updated for new skills repository architecture
  • Prominent link to superpowers-skills repo
  • Updated auto-update description
  • Fixed skill names and references
  • Updated Meta skills list

Testing Documentation

  • Added comprehensive testing checklist (docs/TESTING-CHECKLIST.md)
  • Created local marketplace config for testing
  • Documented manual testing scenarios

Technical Details

File Changes

Added:

  • lib/initialize-skills.sh - Skills repo initialization and auto-update
  • docs/TESTING-CHECKLIST.md - Manual testing scenarios
  • .claude-plugin/marketplace.json - Local testing config

Removed:

  • skills/ directory (82 files) - Now in obra/superpowers-skills
  • scripts/ directory - Now in obra/superpowers-skills/skills/using-skills/
  • hooks/setup-personal-superpowers.sh - Obsolete

Modified:

  • hooks/session-start.sh - Use skills from ~/.config/superpowers/skills
  • commands/brainstorm.md - Updated paths to SUPERPOWERS_SKILLS_ROOT
  • commands/write-plan.md - Updated paths to SUPERPOWERS_SKILLS_ROOT
  • commands/execute-plan.md - Updated paths to SUPERPOWERS_SKILLS_ROOT
  • README.md - Complete rewrite for new architecture

Commit History

This release includes:

  • 20+ commits for skills repository separation
  • PR #1: Amplifier-inspired problem-solving and research skills
  • PR #2: Personal superpowers overlay system (later replaced)
  • Multiple skill refinements and documentation improvements

Upgrade Instructions

Fresh Install

# In Claude Code
/plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace
/plugin install superpowers@superpowers-marketplace

The plugin handles everything automatically.

Upgrading from v1.x

  1. Backup your personal skills (if you have any):

    cp -r ~/.config/superpowers/skills ~/superpowers-skills-backup

  2. Update the plugin:

    /plugin update superpowers

  3. On next session start:

    • Old installation will be backed up automatically
    • Fresh skills repo will be cloned
    • If you have GitHub CLI, you'll be offered the option to fork

  4. Migrate personal skills (if you had any):

    • Create a branch in your local skills repo
    • Copy your personal skills from backup
    • Commit and push to your fork
    • Consider contributing back via PR

What's Next

For Users

  • Explore the new problem-solving skills
  • Try the branch-based workflow for skill improvements
  • Contribute skills back to the community

For Contributors

Known Issues

None at this time.

Credits

  • Problem-solving skills inspired by Amplifier patterns
  • Community contributions and feedback
  • Extensive testing and iteration on skill effectiveness

Full Changelog: https://github.com/obra/superpowers/compare/dd013f6...main Skills Repository: https://github.com/obra/superpowers-skills Issues: https://github.com/obra/superpowers/issues