Best Practices: 7 Tips for Game Dev Journaling

Imagine you’re weeks into developing a complex AI behavior for your game. You hit a wall. The enemy keeps getting stuck on corners, and you can’t remember why you chose this particular pathfinding algorithm in the first place. Sound familiar? This is where a game dev journal saves the day. Revisit past entries, understand your initial reasoning, and unlock a solution you’d forgotten.

Common Myths and Truths About Game Dev Journaling

A “game dev journal” or “game development log” isn’t just for AAA studios with massive teams. It’s a crucial tool for solo developers and students alike. Let’s debunk some myths:

Myth: Journaling takes too much time. Truth: A few minutes each day saves hours of debugging and redesign later. Myth: Only big decisions need documenting. Truth: Small design choices often have unforeseen consequences. Track everything. Myth: It’s just for code. Truth: Journaling covers art, music, marketing, and even your emotional state.

7 Tips for Effective Game Dev Journaling

Here are seven actionable tips to help you start and maintain a useful game dev journal:

1. Overcome Procrastination: Start Small

Don’t aim for perfection from day one. Start with bullet points. A sentence or two summarizing your progress, challenges, and next steps is enough. The goal is consistency, not literary brilliance.

2. Structure for Maximum Recall

Use a consistent structure for each entry. Consider these sections: * Date and Time * Task/Goal * Progress * Challenges * Solutions/Ideas * Next Steps

This structure will allow you to easily search and filter relevant entries in the future, when debugging or looking back at past creative decisions.

3. Be Specific: Avoid Vague Generalities

Instead of writing “Worked on AI,” write “Implemented A* pathfinding for enemy units. Encountered issues with corner collisions.” The more specific you are, the more helpful the entry will be later.

4. Document Your Reasoning: The “Why” is Key

Don’t just record what you did; record why. “Chose A* over Dijkstra’s algorithm because it’s more efficient for grid-based environments, despite being slightly more complex to implement.” This clarifies your thinking and prevents you from repeating mistakes.

5. Include Screenshots and Sketches

Visuals are powerful. Add screenshots of your progress, sketches of UI designs, or even photos of your whiteboard brainstorming sessions. These visual aids can spark memories and provide context that text alone can’t.

6. Tag and Categorize Your Entries

Use tags to categorize your entries by topic (e.g., “AI,” “UI,” “Level Design”). This makes it easier to find related entries later. Also consider using categories like “Bug,” “Idea,” “Milestone.”

7. Review Regularly and Turn Insights into Action

Don’t let your journal become a digital graveyard. Regularly review past entries to identify patterns, learn from mistakes, and generate new ideas. Schedule a weekly or monthly review session.

Real-World Examples from Indie Developers

Many successful indie developers swear by game dev journals. Rami Ismail, for example, famously documented the development of Nuclear Throne extensively. His detailed logs provide invaluable insights into the game’s design process and the challenges of indie development. Study published devlogs from developers you admire to see how they "track game development progress".

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Inconsistency: The biggest pitfall is starting strong and then fizzling out. Aim for short, consistent entries over long, infrequent ones. Overly Technical Jargon: Write in a way that you’ll understand months or years from now. Avoid overly technical jargon that you might forget. Ignoring Emotional State: Don’t be afraid to document your emotional state. Frustration, excitement, and burnout all impact your work. Recognizing these patterns can help you manage your workflow more effectively.

Your game dev journal is a record of your creative journey. It’s a place to track your progress, document your decisions, and learn from your mistakes.

To further streamline your game development workflow, consider using a dedicated tool. Our game dev journal tailored to your needs can help you stay organized, track progress, and turn your entries into actionable insights. It provides customizable templates, tagging features, and search functionality to make journaling easier and more effective, so try it out today!