The Cost of Over-Planning vs. Documenting Decisions

The solo indie developer journey is a tightrope walk. You’re balancing creative vision with limited resources. Many new developers fall into the trap of over-planning, mistakenly believing that every detail must be ironed out before development begins. This often leads to analysis paralysis, where the sheer volume of hypothetical scenarios prevents any real work from starting.

The Pitfalls of Excessive Upfront Planning

Over-planning is a subtle saboteur. It masquerades as diligence but breeds stagnation. A common pitfall is scope creep, where an initially manageable idea balloons into an unfinishable behemoth due to endless “what if” additions during the planning phase. This extensive upfront planning consumes precious time and energy, often resulting in features that are discarded later or never even built. Solo developers need to be acutely aware of this, as their time is their most valuable asset.

Another trap is the illusion of control. Planning every permutation before writing a single line of code feels secure. However, development is inherently iterative and unpredictable. Real-world implementation often reveals unforeseen challenges and better solutions. Rigid plans quickly become obsolete, forcing developers to scrap weeks of theoretical work.

Documenting Decisions: A Leaner Approach

The antidote to over-planning isn’t no planning; it’s smart documentation. Instead of planning out every micro-detail, focus on capturing key decisions, design choices, and learned lessons as they occur. This practice is often referred to as keeping a game development log or a game dev journal. It’s about building a living record of your project’s evolution, not a static blueprint.

This approach is about agility and efficiency. It allows you to start building sooner, then reflect and adjust. Documenting your thought process and the reasoning behind your choices becomes a powerful feedback loop. It helps you track game development progress and remember why certain paths were chosen or abandoned.

Lessons from Veteran Indie Developers

Successful indie developers rarely follow a rigid, pre-defined master plan. Instead, they embrace flexibility and iterative development, using documentation as a guide. Consider the insights from creators of successful indie games. Many emphasize a “build, then refine” philosophy.

For instance, the developer behind Stardew Valley, Eric Barone, famously iterated on his game for years, making countless decisions and adjustments based on playtesting and his evolving vision. While he may not have kept a formal “game dev journal” in the traditional sense, his development process was inherently about constant decision-making and refinement. This iterative approach means capturing these choices is critical. A veteran indie developer understands that not every decision needs a two-hour meeting; some just need a quick note explaining the ‘why.’

Another example is the developers of Factorio. Their approach emphasizes emergent gameplay and complex systems. They didn’t foresee every interaction from day one. Instead, they built core systems, observed emergent behaviors, and then documented decisions on how to refine and expand upon those. Their frequent blog posts serve as a form of game development log, demonstrating how documenting choices helps maintain focus and track game development progress over extended periods. These examples highlight that documentation is not about planning perfection, but about learning and adapting.

What Decisions to Document (and How)

The key is to document just enough to be useful, without becoming a burden. Focus on high-level design decisions, significant technical choices, and “A-ha!” moments.

1. Core Design Pillars: What is the fundamental essence of your game? Why are you making it? Document these guiding principles. They act as a compass when you get lost in the weeds.
2. Key Feature Decisions: When you decide to include or exclude a major feature, note why. What problem does it solve? What are its risks? This prevents revisiting old arguments.
3. Technical Challenges & Solutions: Encountered a tricky bug or a performance bottleneck? Document the problem, the steps taken to diagnose it, and the final solution. This builds a valuable knowledge base for future projects.
4. User Feedback & Iterations: If you conduct playtesting, summarize the key takeaways and how you plan to address them. Documenting these changes helps you track game development progress based on external input.
5. Lessons Learned: What did you learn today? Did a certain approach fail spectacularly? Did you discover an unexpected efficient workflow? These personal reflections are gold for your future self.

Efficiency Without Losing Momentum

The thought of more “admin work” might make you groan, but documenting doesn’t need to be elaborate. Think quick, concise notes.

• Keep it accessible: Use a tool that’s easy to open and quick to write in. A simple text file, a dedicated note-taking app, or a digital journal works perfectly. The less friction, the more likely you are to use it.
• Be brief: No need for essays. Bullet points, short paragraphs, and clear headings are your friends. Focus on the core information.
• Integrate into your workflow: Make documenting a natural part of your daily routine. Before you finish for the day, spend five minutes jotting down key decisions or observations.
• Use templates (optional): For recurring entries, a simple template can streamline the process. For example, “Date: [Date], Decision: [What was decided], Why: [Reasoning], Impact: [Expected outcome].”

For a practical way to start capturing your own crucial game development decisions and reflections, begin your journey with our dedicated journaling tool: Start Journaling Your Dev Journey Here. This platform is designed to help solo developers maintain a comprehensive game dev journal, making it easier to track game development progress and organize their creative process.

The Power of Documented Insights

A well-maintained game dev journal becomes an invaluable resource. It’s not just a historical record; it’s a living feedback loop.

• Avoid Rework: You’ll prevent revisiting past problems or re-making decisions you’ve already settled. Your documented “why” will remind you.
• Maintain Focus: When scope creep whispers in your ear, your documented core design pillars will ground you.
• Accelerate Learning: By reflecting on past choices and their outcomes, you build a powerful intuition for future development. Your game development log becomes a personalized curriculum.
• Future-Proofing: When you return to a project after a break, or start a new one, your documented insights will provide a clear understanding of your previous thought processes and lessons learned.

By embracing the discipline of documenting key decisions and maintaining a consistent game development log, solo indie developers can navigate their projects with greater clarity and efficiency. This approach liberates you from the burden of over-planning, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: creating engaging games and enjoying the process.