Journals vs Postmortems: Indie Dev Problem-Solving

Project "Echo Bloom": A Postmortem of Missed Opportunities

We’re here to dissect “Echo Bloom,” a passion project that ultimately withered before it could bloom. This postmortem isn’t about assigning blame, but extracting lessons. The biggest takeaway? Our reliance on a final postmortem to learn from our mistakes was a critical flaw. We failed to consistently track our development progress, leaving us vulnerable to repeated errors.

The Timeline of a Demise

Let’s break down the key stages of Echo Bloom’s development and where consistent journaling could have saved us.

Stage 1: Initial Spark (Months 1-2)

The initial concept: a serene exploration game with light puzzle elements, focused on emotional storytelling. Excitement was high. We had a core mechanic we loved: manipulating the environment with sound.

The Problem: Scope creep started subtly. Ideas for intricate puzzles, multiple branching storylines, and a vast open world were excitedly thrown around. No one was documenting these discussions or evaluating their feasibility.

Journaling Solution: A simple game dev journal entry after each brainstorming session, outlining proposed features, estimated development time, and potential challenges. This would have provided a clear record of our ambitions and a basis for realistic scoping.

Stage 2: Prototyping and Feature Bloat (Months 3-6)

We dove headfirst into development, implementing every exciting idea. The core mechanic got buried under layers of unnecessary features. The narrative became convoluted, losing its emotional impact.

The Problem: Unresolved bugs piled up, particularly with the complex physics interactions between sound and the environment. We’d fix one issue, only to create two more. We were flying blind, without a clear record of what changes caused what problems.

Journaling Solution: Detailed game development log entries for each coding session. Track what was worked on, the problems encountered, the solutions attempted, and the final outcome. This would have allowed us to pinpoint the origin of bugs and avoid introducing new ones.

Stage 3: The Long Plateau (Months 7-10)

Progress slowed to a crawl. Team morale plummeted. The initial vision was lost in a maze of half-finished features and crippling bugs. Communication broke down as we argued over priorities and approaches.

The Problem: We lacked a shared understanding of the project’s current state. Different team members had different visions of what “Echo Bloom” should be. The lack of consistent communication and documentation resulted in duplicated effort and conflicting implementations.

Journaling Solution: Regular, shared journal entries focusing on team communication. Document meeting summaries, design decisions, and agreed-upon priorities. This would have fostered a shared understanding and prevented misunderstandings.

Stage 4: The Inevitable End (Months 11-12)

Faced with mounting technical debt and a lack of clear direction, we made the difficult decision to abandon the project. The postmortem revealed a litany of errors, most of which could have been avoided.

The Problem: We relied solely on the postmortem to learn from our mistakes. But by then, it was too late. The postmortem identified issues, but it couldn’t undo the damage caused by months of inconsistent development practices.

Journaling Solution: Proactive learning throughout the development process. Regularly reviewing our game dev journal would have allowed us to identify and address problems early on, before they spiraled out of control.

From Postmortem to Proactive Learning: The Power of Journaling

“Echo Bloom” taught us a painful but valuable lesson: a postmortem is no substitute for consistent journaling. A postmortem is reactive; journaling is proactive. It’s about identifying and addressing problems in real-time, rather than dissecting a failure after the fact.

Integrating journaling into your development process doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as creating a daily or weekly log where you record your progress, challenges, and insights.

Actionable Tips for Starting Your Game Dev Journal

• Choose a tool that works for you: Whether it’s a dedicated app, a simple text editor, or even a physical notebook, find a tool that you’re comfortable using.
• Be consistent: The key is to make journaling a habit. Set aside a specific time each day or week to record your progress.
• Be specific: Don’t just write “worked on the player controller.” Describe what you did, what problems you encountered, and how you solved them.
• Be honest: Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes or challenges. Journaling is a safe space for reflection and learning.
• Review regularly: Take the time to review your journal entries periodically. Look for patterns, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate your successes.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Treating it like a chore: View journaling as an opportunity for reflection and learning, not a burden.
• Being too general: Vague entries are useless. Be specific and detailed.
• Focusing only on successes: Don’t shy away from documenting your failures. They’re valuable learning opportunities.
• Not reviewing your entries: Journaling is only effective if you take the time to review and reflect on your entries.

Learning from your mistakes is vital for improvement, and now is the best time to start recording your wins and losses so that you can refine your process. By using journaling tools, you can enhance how you track your game development progress. Try game dev journaling today!