Solving Game Feel Problems with Animation Curves

Posted by Gemma Ellison

August 3, 2025

Bridging Creativity and Discipline Through Journaling

Okay, listen up. I’m going to tell you the secret to finishing your game. It’s not talent. It’s not luck. It’s… um… well, I think it’s passion.

No, wait, passion burns out. It’s not just passion.

The real secret – the thing no one talks about – is surviving the middle. You know, that vast, unglamorous expanse between the initial spark of an idea and the final polish?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret that’s helped me. To survive and thrive in that middle ground you need a game dev journal. It sounds boring, right? Like homework. But trust me, it’s the key to unlocking your game’s potential and, frankly, keeping you sane.

Why Bother With a Game Development Log?

Think about it: How many amazing game ideas have died on the vine because the developer got lost in the weeds? They got distracted, overwhelmed, or simply forgot where they were going. A game development log is your lifeline, your map through that treacherous middle ground.

It’s more than just a diary. It’s a tool for:

Tracking your progress: Did you actually accomplish anything this week, or just stare at the screen? Seeing your accomplishments, big or small, keeps you motivated.
Organizing your thoughts: Untangle that spaghetti code in your brain by writing it down.
Identifying problems early: Spot recurring roadblocks and address them before they derail your entire project.
Maintaining consistency: It’s easy to skip a day, then a week, then a month. A journal forces you to engage with your game, even when you don’t feel like it.
Reflecting on your decisions: Why did you choose that art style? Why did you scrap that feature? Documenting your reasoning helps you learn from your mistakes (and repeat your successes).

Real-World Advice: Start Simple, Stay Consistent

The biggest mistake people make is trying to create a perfect, elaborate system from the start. Don’t. Just start. A simple text file will do.

Here’s a basic template to get you started:

Date:
Goals for today/this week:
What I accomplished:
Problems I encountered:
Solutions I tried:
Next steps:
What I learned:

Keep it short and sweet. The goal is to capture the essence of your progress, not write a novel.

Consider also:

Use screenshots and videos: A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when showcasing visual progress.
Tag your entries: This makes it easy to find specific information later. (e.g., #animation, #leveldesign, #bugfix)
Be honest: Don’t sugarcoat your struggles. Admitting your failures is the first step to overcoming them.

I forgot to mention a common pitfall, sorry. Don’t aim for daily entries. Aim for whenever you make significant progress or get stuck. Every other day or every few days might be what works for you.

Learn From Others: Indie Dev Examples

Many successful indie developers swear by journaling or devlogs. Look at how they track their progress.

Some use Trello or Jira to manage tasks and track bugs.
Others prefer public devlogs on platforms like YouTube or personal blogs.
Still others use dedicated journaling tools.

The specific tool doesn’t matter as much as the habit itself. Find what works for you and stick with it.

One thing you should know is that many successful indie devs use animation curves to breathe life into their games. It’s all smoke and mirrors, I tell you! They precisely control movement, effects, and other parameters over time. I know what you are thinking: "Animation curves are only for visual polish", right? Nope. You can use animation curves to control jump arcs, acceleration, and camera shakes!

The important thing about animation curves is that you should use discipline to guide your use of them. If you don’t have any, you can use journaling to help focus on the middle parts of game development, where the hard work is done. As you improve your game, use these new animation curves to bring your project to life, and consider tracking your progress with a game dev journal so that you can see what you changed between each iteration.

Actionable Tips: Level Up Your Journaling Game

Ready to take your game development log to the next level? Here are a few advanced techniques:

Use version control: Commit your journal alongside your code. This creates a complete record of your development process.
Automate tasks: Use scripts to generate reports or track metrics.
Analyze your data: Look for patterns in your productivity, identify bottlenecks, and optimize your workflow.

I should mention to avoid overcomplicating things. It’s very easy to start neglecting it if it takes too long to keep your game dev journal.

Embrace the Middle: Discipline is the Secret Sauce

Ultimately, the value of a game dev journal isn’t just about tracking progress. It’s about cultivating discipline. It’s about showing up, day after day, and putting in the work, even when you don’t feel like it.

I’ve even seen developers who have finished games because they set a goal to write in their journal every night at 9 PM. They don’t need to have accomplished anything, but they set a time and discipline themselves to follow through.

It’s about embracing the middle, that long, arduous journey that separates a brilliant idea from a finished game. And that’s where the real magic happens.

So, are you ready to finally finish your game? Stop dreaming and start doing. You can start tracking your game development progress today with our intuitive journaling tool. Start journaling now