Best 5 Goal Tools for Building in Public in 2024

Debugging Your Game Dev: Why Building in Public Beats Lone Wolfing

Finishing a game is tough. Countless indie projects stall before reaching the finish line, leaving developers frustrated and their ideas unrealized. While seeking feedback is valuable, a more potent catalyst for completion is consistently building in public. Why? Because public accountability lights a fire under your development process like nothing else. It pushes you to define clear goals, track your progress, and deliver results, driving you towards the finish line far more effectively than simply collecting feedback.

The "Design Bug": Unclear Goals & Accountability

Think of your stalled game project as a program riddled with bugs. One common culprit is a "design bug": unclear goals and a lack of accountability. It manifests as:

• Vague Goals: “Make a cool RPG” isn’t a goal. It’s a wish. You need specifics.
• Silent Development: Working in isolation, with no external pressure to show progress.
• Inconsistent Tracking: A scattered collection of notes or a Trello board that quickly becomes outdated.

These symptoms lead to feature creep, scope bloat, and ultimately, project abandonment.

Goal-Setting Framework Primer: SMART for Game Devs

Before diving into tools, let’s establish a framework. The SMART method, adapted for game dev, can be your guide:

• Specific: Instead of “Improve combat,” try “Implement a dodge roll mechanic with i-frames.”
• Measurable: “Complete 5 enemy AI behaviors” is measurable.
• Achievable: Be realistic about your time and resources. Don’t aim for a AAA feature set as a solo dev.
• Relevant: Goals should directly contribute to your game’s core mechanics or vision.
• Time-bound: Set deadlines. “Finish the dodge roll by Friday” adds urgency.

Tool Reviews: 5 Goal-Tracking Allies

Here are five tools, each with unique strengths, to help you build in public effectively:

1. Trello

• Price: Free (basic), paid plans available.
• Pros: Visual, flexible, easy to learn. Public boards allow transparency. Great for collaborative projects if you ever expand your team.
• Cons: Can become cluttered with large projects. Limited reporting features.
• Best Use Case: Visualizing workflow, managing tasks, and providing high-level public updates.
• Quick Start: Create a “Public Progress” board with columns like “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Testing,” and “Completed.” Share the board link on your social media.

2. Asana

• Price: Free (basic), paid plans available.
• Pros: Robust features for project management. Strong reporting and automation capabilities.
• Cons: Steeper learning curve than Trello. Can be overkill for small, solo projects.
• Best Use Case: Managing complex tasks, tracking dependencies, and generating detailed progress reports for a community forum or Discord.
• Quick Start: Set up a project for your game. Define tasks, subtasks, and dependencies. Use the “Progress” tab to generate shareable charts and timelines.

3. Notion

• Price: Free (personal), paid plans available.
• Pros: All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and more. Highly customizable.
• Cons: Can be overwhelming to set up initially. Requires time investment to learn advanced features.
• Best Use Case: Centralizing project documentation, managing tasks, tracking progress, and creating detailed devlogs.
• Quick Start: Create a “Game Dev Hub” page. Add databases for tasks, assets, and devlog entries. Embed progress bars to visually track goal completion.

4. Dedicated Journaling Tools (Game Dev Journal)

• Price: Varies (some free options available, many offer subscriptions). Ours is Free to use!
• Pros: Specifically designed for reflection and progress tracking. Encourages consistent writing habits. Great to get daily insights on productivity.
• Cons: Might require integration with other task management tools. Not always designed for public sharing directly.
• Best Use Case: Documenting your daily progress, reflecting on challenges, and generating content for devlogs. Perfect for tracking thoughts, screenshots, and videos in one place.
• Quick Start: Commit to writing a short entry (5-10 minutes) at the end of each workday. Focus on what you accomplished, what you learned, and what you plan to tackle next. Use tags to categorize entries by game mechanic, art style, etc.

5. GitHub Projects

• Price: Free for public repositories, paid for private.
• Pros: Integrates seamlessly with your code repository. Provides a transparent view of your development activity.
• Cons: Primarily code-focused. Less suitable for non-technical tasks.
• Best Use Case: Tracking code-related tasks, managing branches, and showcasing your coding progress.
• Quick Start: Create a project board in your GitHub repository. Link issues to your tasks. Use labels to categorize tasks by feature, bug fix, etc.

Fixing the Bug: Integrating Public Accountability

Here’s how to use your chosen tool to build in public:

1. Share Your Roadmap: Outline your key milestones and deadlines on social media or your devlog.
2. Regular Updates: Post weekly (or even daily) progress updates, showcasing your accomplishments.
3. Solicit Targeted Feedback: Ask specific questions about your game’s mechanics, art style, or level design. Don’t just ask “What do you think?” Frame it as “Does the jump feel responsive?”
4. Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate completed goals publicly. This builds momentum and encourages continued support.
5. Be Transparent About Challenges: Don’t hide setbacks. Share how you’re overcoming obstacles.

Refining the Integration

Don’t just set goals and forget them. Regularly review your progress, adjust your plans, and refine your workflow. Consider these steps:

• Time Tracking: Use a time-tracking tool to estimate how long tasks take and identify areas for improvement.
• Retrospective Sessions: At the end of each week, review your accomplishments and challenges. What worked well? What could you have done differently?
• Iterate on Your Workflow: Experiment with different tools and techniques to find what works best for you. The key is to find a sustainable system that keeps you motivated and on track.

Integrating these tools and practices into your daily workflow requires time and consistency.

When it comes to consistently documenting your progress and thinking through your development process, a dedicated tool is a lifesaver. Start tracking your game development progress and keep your ideas organized with our free game dev journal tool today! Game Dev Journal

Conclusion

Building in public is more than just sharing screenshots. It’s about embracing accountability, setting clear goals, and inviting your audience to be a part of your development journey. By choosing the right tools and integrating them effectively, you can debug your development process and significantly increase your chances of shipping a finished game. So, pick a tool, set some SMART goals, and start building in public today!