The Rise of Journals: Why They Matter in Indie Dev 2024

The Rise of Journals: Why They Matter in Indie Dev 2024

Indie game development is a wild ride. It’s a constant juggling act of creativity, coding, marketing, and a healthy dose of self-doubt.

Think of your game development project as a ship navigating a stormy sea. A game dev journal is your radar, helping you spot icebergs of scope creep, feature bloat, and motivational doldrums before they sink your project.

Journaling as Project Visibility Radar

Without a consistent “visibility radar,” you’re essentially sailing blind. Small deviations from your initial vision can quickly accumulate. Unexpected problems will blindside you, and motivation plummets as the project feels increasingly out of control.

Journaling provides that much-needed radar. It forces you to regularly assess your position, chart your course, and identify potential hazards.

Setting Up Your Game Dev Journal

Your game dev journal doesn’t need to be a beautifully bound leather notebook. A simple text file, a dedicated document in your favorite word processor, or a specialized tool are all perfectly valid options.

The key is consistency. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to record your thoughts, progress, and challenges. Even 15 minutes can make a difference.

Documenting Decisions: A Shield Against Visual Identity Crisis

One of the biggest pitfalls for indie devs, particularly those using asset packs, is a lack of visual cohesion. Your game’s art style ends up looking like a Frankensteinian monster.

Here’s where detailed journaling becomes critical. For every asset pack you consider, document why you’re choosing it. Note its strengths, weaknesses, and how it fits into your overall visual direction.

For example: “Purchased ‘Stylized Forest Pack’ because it matches the low-poly aesthetic. However, the color palette is slightly brighter than the 'Medieval Buildings Pack’. Need to adjust the building textures in GIMP to achieve a consistent look.”

Without this record, you’ll find yourself months later wondering why your game looks so disjointed.

Tracking Progress: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of individual tasks. Tracking your progress in your journal helps you maintain a sense of perspective.

Record what you accomplished each session, even if it seems small. Celebrate milestones, no matter how minor. Acknowledge setbacks and identify their root causes.

Example: “Implemented character jumping. Took longer than expected due to unexpected collision issues. Investigated and found a bug in the physics engine. Fixed it! Feeling good about this progress.”

Reflecting on Challenges: Learning from Your Mistakes (and Successes)

Journaling isn’t just about recording what happened. It’s about reflecting on why it happened.

What went well this week? What could have gone better? What did you learn? How will you apply that knowledge in the future?

Consider this scenario: “Spent two days struggling with AI pathfinding. Turns out the issue was a simple typo in the navigation mesh settings. Frustrating, but a valuable reminder to double-check my code and configurations.”

Real-World Impact: Indie Dev Success Stories

Many successful indie developers swear by journaling. They use it to stay organized, focused, and motivated.

One developer credited their journal with helping them identify and eliminate a feature that was consuming a disproportionate amount of time and resources without adding significant value to the game.

Another used their journal to track their marketing efforts and identify which strategies were most effective, allowing them to focus their resources on the activities that generated the best results.

Actionable Tips for Effective Journaling

• Be specific: Avoid vague statements. Instead of “Worked on the UI,” write “Implemented the main menu UI, including options for adjusting volume and key bindings.”
• Be honest: Don’t sugarcoat your struggles. Acknowledge your failures and learn from them.
• Be consistent: Even short entries are better than no entries at all.
• Use tags: Tag your entries with relevant keywords (e.g., “AI,” “UI,” “Sound Design”) to make it easier to find specific information later.
• Review regularly: Take time each week or month to review your journal entries and identify patterns and trends.

Avoid These Common Journaling Pitfalls

• Treating it as a chore: If you view journaling as a burden, you’re less likely to do it consistently. Find a system that works for you and makes the process enjoyable.
• Being too critical: Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. Focus on learning and improving.
• Ignoring the journal: A journal is only useful if you actually refer back to it. Make it a habit to review your entries regularly.
• Trying to be perfect: Don’t worry about grammar or style. The goal is to capture your thoughts and ideas, not to write a masterpiece.

Keep Your Game On Course

Effective game development journaling is more than just jotting down notes. It’s a powerful tool for staying organized, tracking progress, documenting decisions, and reflecting on challenges. It’s your project’s visibility radar.

To further streamline your workflow and keep your game development projects on course, consider using a specialized journaling tool. We’ve created one specifically for indie devs to make tracking progress and organizing your creative process easier than ever. Start tracking your game development progress today!