A Game Dev's Saving Grace | Make a Game Design Document
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- A game design document is a powerful tool. In the world of game development, it's a way to keep track of your game design progress, while also acting as a point of reference during the development of your game. Using a game design document, our indie team actually turned what started out as a game jam game into what's now a nearly complete indie release.
In this video, Hookscrap Designer Jack and I will explain how you can benefit from a game design doc, and what you need to know when making one. This video will be useful for game developers of all levels of experience, and I hope you find it helpful!
📖 Chapters 📖
0:00 Intro
0:55 What Even is a Game Design Doc (GDD)?
1:15 What a GDD can Mean for Your Game
2:00 Advice for Making a Game Design Doc
2:11 There's no Right Way to Make One
3:13 Research the MDA Framework
5:21 Ask Questions About Every Choice You Make
5:49 Learn to be a Technical Writer
6:19 Final Note
7:00 Recap
7:22 Outro
HOOKSCRAP DEVLOG: • Space Roguelike? | HOO...
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This “Hookscrap” game looks pretty neat! 😄
The people who made it have a pretty sussy logo tho 😳
This video is awesome, very happy it popped up on my recommended sidebar :)
I work as the social media manager at Akupara Games, an indie games publisher, and always love seeing more of the actual game creation/pitching side! Subbed, keep up the grind and I'm sure more will love your content :)
Hey thank you so much, I see you joined the Hookscrap Discord as well. Let's keep in touch! Glad you love the content!
A game design doc is essential, how could anyone not make one? This is so natural, if anybody is interested in game design they write one for fun before being able to make a game.
I don't know who you are, but you got a friend now
Well I do say my name in the first 5 seconds. 😉
@@gomakegames I mean i subbed
Nice insightful video! We found it super helpful to work on a proper GDD while looking to improve our Game Jam game. Hookscrap looks very cool!
It's cool seeing how much a GDD has benefitted others. Seems to me we have a similar story with our projects!
I use OneNote to track my living game design documents. I re-write the small ones as often as I can because I want it to read better but also don't re-read the doc before re-writing so I can freshly make the same game and maybe have a better idea then I don't have to rewrite the section I just write it differently. Only works for the smaller ones or early ones though. The reason that I use one note is because you can do sections, and nested sections, and then pages in the sections, and then nested pages in those. So as it develops the display that shows the sections on my OneNote looks just like my development hierarchy. Sometimes I will be away from home and have an idea so I whip out my phone and code it right into OneNote then when I get home copy/paste and see if it runs right it's kinda like a minigame teaching me better understanding of code and capturing those spur of the moment ideas at the same time.
I have a problem with not writing down any ideas, and eventually forgetting them. You've got me beat there!
@@gomakegames I had that problem for years and made nothing in that whole time. The other problem with OneNote is you write down too much and editing it can be a pain.
Gamedesign documents can have positive as well as negative effects. positive: Keeping scope and vision in check, explaining mechanics and gameplay to everyone on a team, as a general reference. Negativ: over defining a game too early on paper, thus missing out on potentially better ideas.
The best time to write such a document is AFTER an initial phase of gathering ideas and making/testing playable prototypes.
When it comes to full production, its good to be available.
Very well made video man! Hookscrap looks really cool as well!
Thank you thank you! More on the way!
Can you give an example of a good GDD by showing snippets of Hookscraps GDD?
Great video !
I agree about the importance of a good document... or rather documents, plural.
Personally, I use Notion to create wikis with links between several documents.
I prefer that to one big monolithic document.
The advantage is that I can organize my thoughts more clearly and by categories.
I have documents for scenario, game design, art, programming... And they all reference each other if I ever need to understand the challenges that links them.
I think your case really highlights the point that, like my good friend Jack said, there really is no RIGHT way to make a GDD. I definitely see the value in splitting up a GDD - it can be large document and sometimes consolidating all of that information into one document can be overwhelming. I'm glad you found a method that works for you!
I'd love to chat more on the Community Discord Server (link in description)! DEV ON! 👾
Couldn't agree more !
I think they are as many ways to make a GDD as they are gamedev.
It's always important to experiment and find something that works for you or your team.
I'll check your discord
Great video!
200th subscriber!🎉. Really helpful video
It makes me happy knowing others find it so valuable! Thanks for the sub 👑
Nice video!btw Do you think people who have not studied game design will have disadvantages in game development?
Well Mr Stranger, you've got your self an New subscriber :)
Happy to not be a stranger, let's get better acquainted on the Discord Server! Link's in the description!
Please tell me you have a podcast about game Development. The part at 2:02 tells me it'd be great
I do not, but definitely something for me to consider moving forward! Glad you enjoyed the format.
yo, howd this get into my recommendde
Good Video Keep Going!
Great video, although I find game design documents as you described too ridged for a good development schedule. Having a more loose design with well implemented tests can help speed things along and allow you to make changes easier.
Oh yeah you're absolutely right, really no two GOD'S are gonna be the same.
Your point of testing and prototyping I feel is even more crucial than putting together a GDD; something I hope to cover in a future vid!
Hey I know these guys!
I worked as a technical writer professionally....I can attest that it is incredibly important and equally as boring.
:) hi
Hey!
UA-cam dead