Crash Course in Documenting Game Dev Decisions for Creative Freedom

Crash Course in Documenting Game Dev Decisions for Creative Freedom

Ever feel like you’ve painted yourself into a corner in your game dev project? You’re not alone. It often starts innocently enough, with a quick decision here, an unrecorded assumption there.

Let’s say you’re building a 2D platformer. Early on, you decide the player character will have a double jump. No big deal, right? You implement it, it feels good, and you move on. A few weeks later, you’re designing a level with intricate platforming challenges. You realize the double jump makes some sections trivial. You try to compensate with enemy placement and level geometry, but it feels forced. Now you’re stuck.

The problem? You never documented why you added the double jump in the first place. Was it for accessibility? To emphasize a certain feeling of freedom? Or was it just a cool mechanic you saw in another game? Without that context, it’s hard to make informed design decisions down the line.

Undocumented decisions breed expectations. Players expect the double jump. You expect the double jump. Your subconscious builds around it, limiting your creative problem-solving. This is the “expectation trap,” and it’s a creativity killer.

So how do you avoid this trap and unlock creative freedom? By documenting your decisions. Here’s a step-by-step approach:

Step 1: Embrace the Game Dev Journal

Think of a game dev journal as your design diary. It’s where you record not just what you did, but why you did it. This includes design choices, code implementations, art style directions, and even your emotional state during development.

Step 2: Document the “Why” Behind Every Key Decision

Don’t just say “Added double jump.” Instead, write: “Added double jump to provide players with more agency over their movement and make the game feel more forgiving. This is intended to lower the barrier to entry for new players.”

Be specific. “Implemented enemy AI that patrols a fixed path” is okay, but “Implemented enemy AI that patrols a fixed path because we need a simple enemy type to introduce players to combat mechanics early on. This is a placeholder, and we plan to add more complex AI later” is much better.

Step 3: Capture Context, Not Just Conclusions

Document the reasoning, the discussions you had with yourself (or your team), and the alternatives you considered. Did you almost go with a grappling hook instead of a double jump? Write it down! This context can be invaluable later when you’re revisiting old ideas.

Step 4: Date and Tag Your Entries

Organization is key. Use dates and tags to easily find specific decisions later. Tags like “mechanics,” “level design,” “art style,” or “AI” can be incredibly helpful.

Step 5: Regularly Review Your Journal

Set aside time each week to review your game dev journal. This isn’t just about reminiscing; it’s about identifying potential problems and opportunities. Are your decisions still aligned with your original vision? Are there any contradictions or conflicts?

For example, reviewing your double jump entry might remind you that the original goal was accessibility. Maybe a better solution now is to add an optional “assist mode” instead of fundamentally changing the core movement.

Step 6: Iterate Based on Informed Decisions

Armed with context, you can now make informed decisions about your game. You’re no longer blindly adhering to undocumented assumptions. You’re free to experiment, iterate, and explore new possibilities.

Documenting your game development process helps you to track game development progress and unlock new creative solutions. Many solo game developers use a simple text file or a spreadsheet to keep track of their decisions, but this can become overwhelming when dealing with a large or complicated project.

Indie developer, Sarah Northway of Northway Games (Fantastic Contraption, I Was A Teenage Exocolonist) uses a similar practice of documenting her decisions: “I keep a development log and always include the reasoning behind my design choices. That way, if I later decide to revert or change something, I can easily see why I made the original decision and avoid repeating mistakes.”

Common pitfalls to avoid:

• Thinking “I’ll remember that later.” You won’t. Write it down.
• Being too vague. “Improved combat” is useless. Be specific about what you improved and why.
• Treating it as a chore. Make it a habit. Even a few minutes of documentation each day can make a huge difference.
• Not reviewing your journal. The journal is only valuable if you actually use it.

Documenting your decisions is not about stifling creativity; it’s about freeing it. It’s about understanding the why behind your choices so you can make more informed decisions and avoid the expectation trap. When you track your game development progress effectively, you unlock the potential for fresh ideas and innovative solutions.

To make the game dev journal process even easier, you should leverage a tool specifically built for this task. If you’re ready to embrace creative freedom through mindful documentation, Document Your Game Dev Decisions with Ease.