Organizing Your Post-Mortem Notes Without Overwhelm
Organizing Your Post-Mortem Notes Without Overwhelm
Solo game development is a journey filled with discovery, challenge, and constant learning. A crucial, yet often overlooked, part of this process is the post-mortem. It is where you reflect on a completed project, dissecting what worked, what didn’t, and why. However, many developers find their post-mortem notes quickly transform into an overwhelming pile, rendering them useless. This article will guide you through transforming those notes into an organized, actionable resource, fostering thoughtful pivoting without self-judgment.
Building a Consistent Game Dev Journal Habit
The foundation of effective post-mortem analysis begins with a consistent journaling habit. Waiting until a project is complete to reflect on it means losing valuable, in-the-moment insights. Instead, integrate regular, short journaling sessions into your development routine. This allows you to track game development progress as it happens, capturing the nuances of your decisions and their immediate impacts.
Dedicate 10-15 minutes at the end of each development day, or at least a few times a week, to jot down observations. This doesn’t need to be an exhaustive report; focus on key breakthroughs, unexpected challenges, and any changes in your approach. This consistent “game dev journal” practice ensures that your data for post-mortems is fresh and comprehensive.
Categorizing Your Observations for Clarity
Once you have a consistent journaling habit, the next step is to categorize your observations. This prevents a chaotic jumble of notes and allows for easier analysis during a formal post-mortem. Think of your notes as raw data waiting to be structured.
Create distinct categories for your entries. Common categories include “Design Decisions,” “Technical Challenges,” “Player Feedback (if applicable),” “Workflow Optimizations,” and “Emotional State/Motivation.” This simple structure transforms a long list of thoughts into an organized archive.
Breaking Down Observations into Actionable Steps
Raw observations are useful, but they become powerful when transformed into actionable steps. During your regular journaling sessions, ask yourself: “What did I learn from this, and what can I do differently next time?” This shifts your mindset from mere documentation to proactive improvement.
For instance, if you note “Combat system felt clunky,” the actionable step might be “Research different combat mechanics for next prototype” or “Integrate more fluid animations earlier in the dev cycle.” These concrete steps become a roadmap for future projects. This process of identifying specific, manageable actions from your reflections is key to sustained growth.
Celebrating Small Wins and Recognizing Progress
The game development journey can be long and challenging, making it easy to focus solely on problems. Your game dev journal should also be a place to celebrate small wins. Acknowledging progress, even minor breakthroughs, is vital for maintaining motivation and avoiding burnout.
When you overcome a tricky bug, implement a new feature successfully, or receive positive feedback, document it. This positive reinforcement within your “game development log” helps balance the critical analysis, fostering a more sustainable and enjoyable development process. Recognizing these wins reinforces good habits and reminds you of your capabilities.
Identifying Recurring Patterns for Future Projects
One of the most valuable aspects of an organized post-mortem is the ability to identify recurring patterns. These patterns highlight persistent strengths and weaknesses across your projects. By consistently reviewing your “game dev journal” entries, you can spot tendencies that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Are you consistently underestimating the time required for art assets? Do you frequently encounter similar debugging issues? Recognizing these patterns allows for thoughtful pivoting in your approach to future projects. For example, if you consistently struggle with balancing mechanics, you might dedicate more pre-production time to prototyping different balance iterations.
Leveraging Your Game Dev Journal for Thoughtful Pivoting
The ultimate goal of an organized post-mortem process is to enable thoughtful pivoting. This isn’t about self-judgment or dwelling on mistakes; it’s about learning and adapting. Your categorized, actionable notes provide the data needed to make informed decisions about your next steps.
When a project concludes, your already-structured journal makes the post-mortem process much smoother. You can easily review all “Technical Challenges” from the entire development cycle, or all “Design Decisions” that led to positive outcomes. This structured reflection empowers you to make data-driven changes to your workflow, design philosophy, and even your choice of tools for subsequent projects.
To help you structure this process and keep your insights accessible for future reference, consider using a dedicated journaling tool. Our Game Dev Journal is designed specifically for solo developers to track game development progress, organize notes, and easily identify patterns. It provides the framework to turn scattered thoughts into a powerful learning resource, helping you pivot thoughtfully and build better games without the overwhelm.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Post-Mortem Analysis
Several pitfalls can derail your post-mortem efforts. One common issue is procrastination; putting off reflection makes details fade and biases creep in. Another is focusing solely on negative aspects, which can lead to demotivation.
To avoid these, commit to your regular journaling schedule. Ensure your notes capture both successes and failures, maintaining a balanced perspective. Also, resist the urge to assign blame; instead, focus on objective analysis and solutions. Your game dev journal is a tool for learning, not for self-criticism.
By consistently documenting your journey, categorizing your observations, breaking them into actionable steps, celebrating your wins, and recognizing recurring patterns, you transform your post-mortem notes from a daunting pile into an invaluable asset. This organized approach to your “game development log” empowers you to learn from every project, pivot thoughtfully, and ultimately, become a more effective and resilient game developer.