How to Avoid Pitfalls in Indie Game Documentation

How to Avoid Pitfalls in Indie Game Documentation

Ever stared blankly at your own code, wondering “Why did I do that?” Or perhaps you’re hunting for a specific art asset, only to realize you have no idea where it is, or what its final purpose was. This is the “future you” problem, a silent killer of indie game development motivation and efficiency. The cost of poor documentation isn’t just external; it’s the wasted hours, the re-doing of work, and the soul-crushing feeling of getting stuck on old problems you already “solved.”

Documentation isn’t just for others or for some mythical publisher. It’s an investment in your sanity and your project’s success. It’s a game development log, a game dev journal, and a way to track game development progress. Think of this as overheard advice from a GDC hallway chat, breaking down how to document your game throughout its lifecycle.

Stage 1: Pre-Production – Laying the Foundation (Your Game’s Blueprint)

Common Pitfall: Jumping straight into coding without a clear plan. This often leads to feature creep and a lack of coherent vision down the line.

Actionable Advice:

• Concept & Vision Document: Define the core idea, target audience, and unique selling points. What’s the elevator pitch for your game?
• High-Level Design Document: Outline core mechanics, art style, and sound direction. Keep it concise, a living document, not an encyclopedia.
• Tooling & Tech Stack Decisions: Document why you chose Unity over Unreal, or Figma over Photoshop. Future you will thank you when debugging compatibility issues.
• Naming Conventions: Establish clear rules for code variables, asset files, and scene names early on. Consistency saves countless headaches later.

“Future You” Benefit: Prevents scope creep and ensures everyone (even just you) remains on the same page from day one. This initial blueprint is vital for keeping your project on track.

Stage 2: Early Development – Building the House (The Daily Grind)

Common Pitfall: Assuming you’ll remember why you implemented a complex system or made a specific design choice. Memory is fallible, especially under pressure.

Actionable Advice:

• Code Comments (Sensible, Not Excessive): Focus on the “why” behind complex logic, not just the “what.” Explain architectural decisions or tricky algorithms.
• Asset Management Notes: For every texture, model, or sound file, note its origin, intended use, and any specific requirements. Where did that free asset come from? What are its license restrictions?
• Design Iteration Logs: Document why you changed a mechanic, what previous versions looked like, and the rationale for the current iteration. This helps prevent revisiting old, discarded ideas.
• Daily Devlogs/Journal Entries: A quick summary of what you worked on, challenges faced, and solutions found. This helps you track game development progress and provides a valuable historical record. Consider using a dedicated game dev journal tool to keep these entries organized and easily searchable. It makes reviewing your progress and understanding past decisions much simpler. For a robust solution that helps you keep your daily game development log consistent and organized, check out our game dev journaling tool.

“Future You” Benefit: Reduces debugging time, streamlines asset management, and prevents re-treading old ground. These regular entries are your lifeline to past decisions.