Beginner to Pro: Learning Feature Cutting via Dev Journaling

Posted by Gemma Ellison

August 5, 2025

Beginner to Pro: Learning Feature Cutting via Dev Journaling

Feature cutting. Nobody likes it. It feels like admitting failure. But mastering it is the difference between shipping a polished, focused game and drowning in a sea of half-finished mechanics. The secret? Consistent dev journaling.

Why is cutting features so hard? It’s an emotional thing. We get attached. We pour time and energy into these “pet” features, even if they don’t truly serve the core game. Then comes the sunk cost fallacy: “I’ve already spent so much time on this, I can’t just throw it away!”

This leads to feature creep. Unfocused development dilutes your vision and bloats your project. More features don’t equal a better game. Often, it’s the opposite. A tightly designed, well-executed core loop will always trump a sprawling mess of half-baked ideas.

And let’s be honest about the financial implications. Every unnecessary feature is costing you time and money. Time spent implementing, testing, and debugging. Money spent on assets, tools, and maybe even contractors. All for something that might not even make the final cut.

So, how do we get better at cutting features? By treating it as a skill, honed through consistent and honest evaluation. That’s where dev journaling comes in.

Here’s a step-by-step journaling technique to help you objectively evaluate your features:

Step 1: The Feature Inventory

Start by listing every feature you’re currently working on or planning to implement. Don’t hold back. Get it all out there. This is your raw material. An example for a platformer could be:

Double Jump
Wall Slide
Enemy A: Basic Melee
Enemy B: Ranged Attack
Collectable Coins
In-Game Shop
Cutscene A

Step 2: Impact Assessment

For each feature, ask yourself: “How significantly does this impact the core game loop and player experience?” Rate it on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being “absolutely essential” and 1 being “nice-to-have but easily removed.”

Double Jump: 5
Wall Slide: 3
Enemy A: Basic Melee: 4
Enemy B: Ranged Attack: 3
Collectable Coins: 2
In-Game Shop: 1
Cutscene A: 2

Be brutally honest. Don’t inflate scores because you like a feature. Focus on its actual contribution to the overall game.

Step 3: Effort Estimation

Now, estimate the remaining effort required to fully implement and polish each feature. Think in terms of time (hours, days, weeks) or resources (asset creation, programming).

Double Jump: 0 (Already Implemented)
Wall Slide: 2 Days
Enemy A: Basic Melee: 1 Day
Enemy B: Ranged Attack: 3 Days
Collectable Coins: 5 Days (Including UI)
In-Game Shop: 2 Weeks
Cutscene A: 1 Week

Consider not just the initial implementation, but also the time needed for testing, bug fixing, and balancing.

Step 4: Core Loop Fit

This is where you examine how well each feature integrates with your core game loop. Does it enhance the core gameplay? Or does it distract from it? A good question to ask yourself is, “If this feature wasn’t in the game, would anyone miss it?”

Double Jump: Integral to movement and exploration.
Wall Slide: Adds verticality and combo potential.
Enemy A: Basic Melee: Provides necessary challenge.
Enemy B: Ranged Attack: Overlaps with Enemy A; may complicate combat.
Collectable Coins: Feels tacked-on; doesn’t meaningfully impact progression.
In-Game Shop: Detracts from the flow of the platforming.
Cutscene A: Exposition dump; disrupts the player’s momentum.

Write down your reasoning. Explain why you think a feature fits or doesn’t fit.

Step 5: The Cut List

Now, armed with your impact assessment, effort estimation, and core loop analysis, identify features that are candidates for the chopping block.

Look for features with:

Low impact scores
High effort estimations
Poor core loop fit

In our example, the In-Game Shop and Cutscene A are prime candidates. Collectable Coins could also be reconsidered. Enemy B has a lower priority than Enemy A.

Don’t be afraid to kill your darlings. It’s better to have a smaller, more polished game than a sprawling, unfocused one.

Step 6: Journaling the “Why”

This is the most crucial part. For each feature you cut, write down your reasoning in your dev journal. Explain why you made the decision. What were the factors that influenced your choice?

“Removed the In-Game Shop because it felt out of place in a fast-paced platformer. The effort required to implement it properly outweighed the potential benefit.”

“Scrapped Cutscene A because it disrupted the player’s momentum and didn’t add significant value to the story.”

This documentation is invaluable. It helps you understand your design process, avoid repeating mistakes, and justify your decisions to yourself (and potential team members).

Step 7: Iterate

Feature cutting isn’t a one-time event. It’s an ongoing process. As your game evolves, revisit your feature list and re-evaluate. New features may emerge, and existing features may need to be re-evaluated.

The key is to stay focused on your core vision and be willing to make tough choices.

The process outlined above might seem tedious, but it’s necessary for making informed decisions.

Streamlining this process will save you time and keep you more organized. Using a dedicated tool for dev journaling will greatly assist you. Consider using our journaling tool to level up your game dev process. It will give you a structured way to track your progress, stay consistent with your devlogs, and organize your creative process. Happy developing!