---
title: "Worker jobs: API"
package: "@phaser-ae/jobs"
tier: Pro
version: 3.0.0-4
released: 2026-10-14
updated: 2026-10-19
description: "Work yards for colony and production games, where workers fetch inputs, work them at sites and haul the outputs, with reservations, roles, skills and shared tools."
url: https://phaser.io/packs/jobs/api
site: Phaser - https://phaser.io
---

# Worker jobs: API

`@phaser-ae/jobs` — Work yards: workers fetch inputs, work them at sites and haul outputs, with reservations, roles, skills, shared tools and a foreman.

## The pack

### `jobs`

```ts
function jobs(): Pack<{ jobs: JobsApi }>
```

Work yards: workers who haul, work and deliver repeatable jobs, with reservations, roles, skills and tools.

## Helpers

### `createForeman`

```ts
function createForeman(yard: Yard, options: ForemanOptions = {}): Foreman
```

A foreman for a yard.

### `createYard`

```ts
function createYard(def: YardDef): Yard
```

Open a yard. Throws, with every fault, on a yard `validateYard` refuses.

### `greystoneYard`

```ts
function greystoneYard(options: { workers?: number; blocks?: number; bricks?: number; deadline?: number } = {}): YardDef
```

Greystone: quarry stone and cut it into blocks on the west bank; dig clay, fell wood and fire bricks on the east;
load both onto the barge downstream, over the one bridge. Masons cut faster, porters carry more and walk faster,
and only masons cut stone.

### `mark`

```ts
function mark(map: readonly string[], ch: string): [number, number]
```

The first cell holding a character on a map. Throws if there is none.

### `oakshieldYard`

```ts
function oakshieldYard(options: { workers?: number; planks?: number; tools?: number; deadline?: number } = {}): YardDef
```

Oakshield: fell timber, saw planks, mine and smelt ore, forge tools, and load the wagon with an order of planks
and tools. Workers do every job at normal pace; one saw and one hammer are shared.

### `planPriorities`

```ts
function planPriorities(yard: Yard, wants: Stock): Record<string, number>
```

The priorities that wants call for, by job.

### `validateYard`

```ts
function validateYard(def: YardDef): string[]
```

Check a yard. Every fault, or empty when it can be run.

## Constants

### `YARD_TICK`

```ts
const YARD_TICK: number
```

Seconds a fixed step lasts.

## Types

### `Foreman`

```ts
interface Foreman
```

A foreman.

- `act(dt: number): void` — Run on by `dt` seconds; every `every` seconds the priorities are set again.
- `plan(): Record<string, number>` — The priorities the wants call for now, by job.

### `ForemanOptions`

```ts
interface ForemanOptions
```

How a foreman decides.

- `every?: number` — Seconds between plans. Default 1.
- `wants?: () => Stock` — Want levels by item, asked for at each plan. Default: 3 for what the yard's goal store is short of, 0 for what it has enough of.

### `JobsApi`

```ts
interface JobsApi
```

What the pack adds to the game as `game.jobs`.

- `create(def: YardDef): Yard` — Open a yard.
- `validate(def: YardDef): string[]` — Check a yard: every fault, or empty.
- `foreman(yard: Yard, options?: ForemanOptions): Foreman` — A foreman who sets a yard's priorities from what is wanted.
- `plan: typeof planPriorities` — The priorities wants call for.
- `presets: { oakshield: typeof oakshieldYard; greystone: typeof greystoneYard }` — The yard presets.
- `mark: typeof mark` — Find a letter on a map.
- `tick: number` — Seconds a fixed step lasts.

### `Stock`

```ts
type Stock = Record<string, number>
```

Named whole quantities.

### `Task`

```ts
interface Task
```

What a worker is doing: on the way to pick up, on the way to the site, working, on the way to deliver, or putting
things back after being called away.

- `job: string` — Id of the job.
- `phase: 'pickup' | 'site' | 'work' | 'deliver' | 'return'` — Which stage they are at: going to pick up, going to the site, working, going to deliver, or putting things back.
- `cargo: Stock` — What they carry.
- `elapsed: number` — Seconds of work done, at their skill.
- `made: boolean` — Whether the outputs have been made.
- `back: string | null` — Where, when returning, the cargo goes.

### `WorkerState`

```ts
interface WorkerState
```

A worker as they are.

- `id: string` — The worker's id.
- `name: string` — Display name: the worker's `name`, else its id.
- `x: number` — Where they are, in cells (a cell's centre is at its index plus a half).
- `y: number` — Vertical position in cells, in the same units as `x`.
- `role: string` — The role they take jobs in: `'any'`, `'rest'` or a job's role.
- `ready: boolean` — Whether they take work.
- `reason: string` — Why they are not working, or `''`.
- `task: Task | null` — What they are doing now, or null when idle.
- `route: { to: [number, number]; points: { x: number; y: number }[]; i: number } | null` — The walk in progress, or null: the cell they are heading for, the points to walk through (cell centres) and the index of the next point.

### `Yard`

```ts
interface Yard
```

A yard.

- `readonly def: YardDef` — The definition the yard was opened with; workers hired since are not in it.
- `readonly state: YardState` — The live state; change it only through the yard's methods.
- `readonly width: number` — Columns of cells in the map.
- `readonly height: number` — Rows of cells in the map.
- `readonly tick: number` — Seconds a fixed step lasts.
- `walkable(x: number, y: number): boolean` — Whether a cell can be walked.
- `role(worker: string, role: string): string | null` — Set a worker's role; one on a job of another role is called off it.
- `priority(job: string, priority: number): string | null` — Set a job's priority (a whole number; 0 pauses it).
- `cancel(worker: string): string | null` — Call a worker away from their task: what they carry goes back where it belongs.
- `ready(worker: string, ready: boolean, reason?: string): string | null` — Let a worker take work, or stand them down with a reason (calling off their task).
- `consume(store: string, stock: Stock): string | null` — Take stock out of a store, if it is there and not reserved.
- `give(store: string, stock: Stock): string | null` — Put stock into a store, if there is room.
- `hire(worker: YardWorker): string | null` — A new worker.
- `dismiss(worker: string): string | null` — A worker leaves; what they carry is put straight back.
- `whyNot(job: string, worker?: string): string` — Why nobody takes a job just now (`''` if somebody could). With a worker, why that worker cannot.
- `reserved(store: string, item: string): number` — Inputs held in a store for pickups under way.
- `room(store: string): number` — The room in a store, less what is promised to it.
- `route(from: [number, number], to: [number, number]): { x: number; y: number }[]` — A walking route between cells as points (cell centres are at index plus a half); empty if there is none.
- `step(dt: number): void` — Run on by `dt` seconds, in fixed steps.
- `drain(): YardEvent[]` — What has happened since the last drain (the latest 512).
- `snapshot(): YardSave` — A plain copy of the whole yard, to save as JSON.
- `restore(save: YardSave): void` — Replace the yard's state with a snapshot's, taken from a yard opened with the same definition. Pending events are dropped.

### `YardDef`

```ts
interface YardDef
```

A yard: its map, a row of characters per row of cells (the `blocked` characters cannot be walked), its stores,
workers, jobs and tools, and what it must deliver to be won.

- `map: string[]` — Rows of characters, one per row of cells and all the same length; a character in `blocked` cannot be walked.
- `blocked?: string` — The characters that cannot be walked. Default `'#~^T'`.
- `stores: YardStore[]` — The stores.
- `workers: YardWorker[]` — The workers at the start; more can be hired later.
- `jobs: YardJob[]` — The jobs on offer.
- `tools?: Stock` — How many of each tool there are.
- `goal?: { store: string; stock: Stock }` — Won once this store holds this stock.
- `deadline?: number` — Lost if the goal is not met within this many seconds. Default no limit.

### `YardEvent`

```ts
type YardEvent = | { kind: 'assign'; worker: string; job: string } | { kind: 'pickup'; worker: string; job: string } | { kind: 'made'; worker: string; job: string } | { kind: 'deliver'; worker: string; job: string; outputs: Stock } | { kind: 'cancel'; worker: string; job: string } | { kind: 'returned'; worker: string } | { kind: 'hire'; worker: string } | { kind: 'leave'; worker: string } | { kind: 'won' } | { kind: 'lost' }
```

Something that happened.

### `YardJob`

```ts
interface YardJob
```

A job, repeated for as long as it can be: take `inputs` from `from`, work them at `at` for `time` seconds (divided
by the worker's skill), and carry `outputs` to `to`. A job with no inputs goes straight to its site.

- `id: string` — Unique id among the jobs; priorities and `whyNot` name jobs by it.
- `name?: string` — Display name for the presenter; the rules never read it.
- `role: string` — The role it belongs to.
- `skill?: string` — The skill it needs. Default the role.
- `from?: string` — The store its inputs come from; needed when it has inputs.
- `at: [number, number]` — The cell it is worked on.
- `to: string` — The store its outputs are carried to.
- `inputs?: Stock` — What it takes from `from`, whole numbers by item. Default none.
- `outputs: Stock` — What it makes and carries to `to`, whole numbers by item; it must make something.
- `time: number` — Seconds of work at normal skill (1), above 0; a worker with skill 2 takes half as long.
- `tool?: string` — A shared tool it needs while it is worked.
- `priority?: number` — 0 pauses it; higher comes first. Default 1.
- `goal?: number` — No more once `to` holds this many of each output, counting what is on its way. Default no limit.
- `capacity?: number` — Workers at its site at once. Default 1.

### `YardSave`

```ts
interface YardSave
```

A yard saved as plain JSON.

- `state: YardState` — The state at the moment of saving.
- `carry: number` — Seconds of run time not yet spent in a fixed step.
- `hired: YardWorker[]` — Workers hired since the yard opened.

### `YardState`

```ts
interface YardState
```

Where the yard stands. Plain JSON.

- `ticks: number` — Fixed steps run.
- `time: number` — Seconds run.
- `stores: Record<string, Stock>` — What each store holds.
- `workers: WorkerState[]` — Every worker in the yard now.
- `priorities: Record<string, number>` — Each job's priority by job id: 0 pauses it, higher comes first.
- `delivered: Stock` — Everything delivered so far.
- `won: boolean` — Whether the goal has been met.
- `lost: boolean` — The deadline passed with the goal not met.

### `YardStore`

```ts
interface YardStore
```

A store: where things are kept, on which cell, and how many things it holds in all.

- `id: string` — Unique id among the stores; jobs name stores by it.
- `name?: string` — Display name for the presenter; the rules never read it.
- `at: [number, number]` — The cell it stands on, as [column, row]; must be open ground.
- `capacity: number` — Most things it can hold in all, a whole number of 0 or more.
- `stock?: Stock` — What it holds at the start, whole numbers by item; default empty. Its total may not exceed `capacity`.

### `YardWorker`

```ts
interface YardWorker
```

A worker.

- `id: string` — Unique id among the workers.
- `name?: string` — Display name; default the id.
- `at: [number, number]` — The cell they start on.
- `skills?: Stock` — How well they do each skill: 1 is normal pace, 2 twice as fast, 0 or missing not at all. Without skills they do every job at normal pace.
- `speed?: number` — Cells a second. Default 2.5.
- `carry?: number` — How many things they carry at once. Default 4.
- `role?: string` — The role they take jobs in: `'any'` (the default) takes every job, `'rest'` none, and a job's role only those.

---

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