Why Journaling Beats GDMs for Indie Game Design Clarity

Why Journaling Beats GDMs for Indie Game Design Clarity

Staring at a blank screen, trying to remember why you made a specific design choice six months ago? We’ve all been there. But what if, instead of sifting through a sprawling, outdated Game Design Document, you could flip through a personal journal and instantly recapture your thought process?

Let’s say you’re struggling with the movement speed of your game’s protagonist. Frustrated, you crack open your game dev journal. Skimming back a few weeks, you find an entry detailing your initial experiments. You see notes on playtester feedback, the rationale behind your decision to prioritize weighty movement over twitch reflexes, and even a sketch illustrating the feeling you were aiming for. Suddenly, the solution clicks. You remember the feeling you were chasing, not just the numbers.

This is the power of journaling: capturing the why behind your design.

GDMs vs. Journals: A Clash of Titans

Traditional Game Design Documents (GDMs) have long been the standard for outlining game mechanics, levels, and overall vision. But for indie developers, especially solo devs or small teams, GDMs often become more of a burden than a benefit.

Consider the time investment. Creating a comprehensive GDM can take weeks, time that could be spent actually building your game. And how often does a GDM truly reflect the final product? Iteration is inherent to game development. Mechanics change, levels are redesigned, and the core vision evolves. GDMs, by their very nature, struggle to keep pace. They quickly become outdated, requiring constant revisions that eat into valuable development time. This can cause friction between team members, if you are working with a group of people, and can lead to lost information when decisions are made without updating the document.

The result? A document that nobody wants to read, let alone update.

Journaling Supports Iterative Design

Journaling offers a more agile and insightful approach. It’s a dynamic record of your creative journey, capturing your thoughts, experiments, and decisions as they unfold. Instead of a rigid blueprint, it’s a living document that adapts to the ever-changing landscape of game development.

Game development is an iterative process, so you need to be able to keep up! A journal allows you to make changes on the fly.

Here’s why journaling works for indie game design:

• Captures the "Why": GDMs focus on the what – what features to include, what mechanics to implement. Journals delve into the why – why you made those choices, what problems you were trying to solve, and what feelings you were aiming to evoke.
• Promotes Reflection: Regularly reviewing your journal entries allows you to identify patterns, learn from your mistakes, and refine your design process.
• Facilitates Brainstorming: A journal becomes a safe space for exploring ideas, no matter how outlandish. You can freely experiment without the pressure of creating a polished document.
• Enhances Problem-Solving: When faced with a design challenge, reviewing past entries can spark new insights and reveal previously overlooked solutions.
• Reduces Cognitive Load: Offloading your thoughts and ideas into a journal frees up mental space, allowing you to focus on the task at hand.

How to Effectively Journal for Game Development

Ready to ditch the GDM and embrace the power of journaling? Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Choose Your Medium: Physical notebook, digital document, or dedicated journaling app – the choice is yours. The key is to pick a medium that you’ll actually use consistently.
2. Establish a Routine: Set aside dedicated time each day or week for journaling. Even 15 minutes can make a difference.
3. Embrace Different Entry Types: Don’t limit yourself to dry descriptions. Experiment with different types of entries:
   • Brainstorming: Freely explore new ideas, mechanics, and features. Don’t censor yourself!
   • Problem-Solving: Document design challenges and potential solutions. Break down complex problems into smaller, manageable steps.
   • Reflection: Review past decisions, analyze playtester feedback, and identify areas for improvement.
4. Use Prompts to Get Started: Facing writer’s block? Use these prompts to kickstart your journaling session:
   • What were my biggest challenges today?
   • What did I learn from playtesting?
   • What are my goals for tomorrow?
   • What am I most excited about in my game?
   • What am I most worried about?
5. Organization is Key: Develop a system for organizing your entries. Use tags, categories, or keywords to easily find relevant information. Date each entry!

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Inconsistency: The biggest pitfall is failing to journal consistently. Make it a habit, even on days when you feel like you haven’t made much progress.
• Perfectionism: Don’t strive for perfect grammar or writing. The goal is to capture your thoughts, not to create a literary masterpiece.
• Lack of Focus: Avoid rambling aimlessly. Use prompts to stay on track and ensure that your entries are relevant to your game’s development.

To continue on your path of finding design clarity, try out our helpful digital journal for free with a 7-day free trial of our new journaling tool to see how it can streamline your game design process.