When to Use Kanban Instead of Scrum for Solo Devs

Solo Game Dev: Kanban is Your Secret Weapon (Not Scrum)

As a solo game developer, you’re juggling art, code, design, and marketing. You’re a one-person army. So, should you use Scrum or Kanban to manage your projects? For most solo devs, the answer is Kanban. Let’s explore why.

Many solo game developers struggle with project management and tracking their progress. Using a game dev journal is a powerful solution to stay organized and motivated. A consistent game development log helps you reflect on what’s working (and what isn’t) and adjust your strategy accordingly. This small, consistent action leads to big outcomes.

Why Kanban Wins for Solo Devs

Scrum, with its rigid sprints and defined roles, works best for teams. Solo development is inherently unpredictable. Inspiration strikes at odd hours, bugs pop up unexpectedly, and that “small” feature suddenly demands a complete rewrite. Kanban thrives in this dynamic environment.

Kanban’s flexibility lets you adapt to shifting priorities. No more forcing features into a sprint just because the calendar says so. You pull tasks as you’re ready, focusing on what’s most important right now. This approach helps solo devs maintain momentum and avoid the crushing feeling of falling behind a rigid schedule.

Common Pitfalls (and How Kanban Helps)

Solo projects are prone to two major traps: scope creep and lack of focus. Kanban offers tools to combat these.

• Scope Creep: That initial idea balloons into a sprawling epic. Kanban’s visual board makes the scope visible. As new ideas arise, add them to the backlog, but consciously decide if they’re truly essential.
• Lack of Focus: Jumping between tasks leads to half-finished features and burnout. Kanban’s “Work in Progress” (WIP) limits force you to focus. By limiting the number of tasks you’re actively working on, you complete them faster and see tangible progress.

Building Your Solo Kanban Board

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a Kanban board tailored for indie game development:

1. Start Minimal: Don’t overcomplicate it. Begin with three columns: “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done.”
2. Break Down Tasks: Decompose large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. “Implement Combat System” becomes “Create Basic Player Attack,” “Implement Enemy AI,” “Add Hit Points,” etc.
3. Visualize Your Workflow: Put each task on a sticky note (physical or digital) and place it in the “To Do” column.
4. Limit WIP: This is crucial. Start with a WIP limit of 1 for the “In Progress” column. Focus on finishing one task before starting another.
5. Pull, Don’t Push: When you finish a task, pull the next one from “To Do” into “In Progress.” Don’t start new tasks simply because you feel like it.
6. Move to "Done": Celebrate those small victories! Moving a task to “Done” provides a sense of accomplishment and keeps you motivated.

As you get more familiar with the process, you can add more columns to refine your workflow. Consider columns like “Testing,” “Review,” or “Blocked.”

Iteration and Adaptation

Kanban is about continuous improvement. Regularly reflect on your process and adapt your board and WIP limits as needed. Experiment to find what works best for you.

• Daily Stand-up (Solo Edition): Take a few minutes each day to review your board. What did you accomplish yesterday? What are you working on today? Are there any roadblocks?
• Weekly Retrospective: At the end of each week, ask yourself: What went well? What could be improved? Did you consistently meet your WIP limits? Adjust your approach based on your answers.

Examples in Action

Many successful indie developers swear by Kanban. They use it to manage everything from game development to marketing and community management. They also keep a detailed game development log.

For example, one developer used Kanban to track the creation of art assets. They broke down each asset into smaller tasks like “Concept Art,” “Modeling,” “Texturing,” and “Integration.” By limiting their WIP to one asset at a time, they avoided getting bogged down in multiple incomplete projects.

Another developer used Kanban to manage bug fixes. They created a “Bug Backlog” column and prioritized bugs based on severity. By focusing on the most critical bugs first, they ensured a stable and enjoyable player experience.

Staying Organized and Motivated with a Game Dev Journal

Beyond Kanban, a game dev journal can further enhance your solo development workflow. Use it to document your progress, brainstorm ideas, and track challenges. Regularly updating your game development log allows you to analyze your habits, identify bottlenecks, and refine your process.

A consistent game dev journal makes it easier to stay on track and avoid burnout. Documenting your daily accomplishments – even small ones – creates a positive feedback loop that keeps you motivated. Plus, when you’re stuck on a problem, reviewing your journal entries can spark new ideas or remind you of solutions you’ve used in the past.

Top Mistakes to Avoid When Keeping Devlogs

• Inconsistency: Sporadic updates are useless for spotting problems and maintaining motivation. Set a realistic schedule and stick to it.
• Too Vague: “Worked on combat” isn’t helpful. Instead, log “Implemented basic enemy AI using state machine. Needs tweaking for aggro range.”
• Ignoring Failures: Don’t just record successes. Document failures, what you learned, and how you adapted. This is invaluable for future projects.
• Not Tagging/Categorizing: A giant wall of text is hard to search. Tag entries with relevant keywords (e.g., #combat, #AI, #UI) for easy retrieval.
• Not Reflecting: Don’t just describe what you did, but also why you did it, and how it went.

Kanban: Your Path to Completion

Kanban empowers solo game developers to stay organized, focused, and motivated. It’s a flexible system that adapts to the unpredictable nature of indie game development. Paired with a game dev journal, you have a powerful combination to increase your chances of completing your game and avoiding burnout.

Ready to take control of your game development journey? Try our game development journal tool and start tracking your progress today! Start Your Free Game Dev Journal Now