Top 5 Free Docs to Balance Dev: A Habit Story
From Scope Creep to Sanity: My Indie Dev Documentation Journey
I used to dread documentation. Seriously. As a solo indie game developer, my brain was wired for making – coding, designing, creating. Documentation felt like a chore, a necessary evil I’d put off until the bitter end. “I’ll remember it later,” I’d tell myself. Famous last words.
The results? Predictable chaos. Scope creep ran rampant. Features ballooned out of control. I’d spend hours debugging code I’d written weeks ago, completely baffled by my own logic. My passion project was slowly turning into a source of anxiety.
That’s when I realized I needed to change. I needed to build a habit of documenting. It wasn’t just about making the game; it was about making it well, and remembering why I made it the way I did. Here’s how I did it, using five free tools, and the difference it made.
Before: Feature Bloat and Burnout
My game, “Pixel Dungeon Raiders,” started as a simple roguelike. I had a core loop, some basic enemies, and a rough idea of the meta-progression. But as development went on, new ideas kept popping up. “Wouldn’t it be cool if…?” became my mantra.
Without documentation, these “cool ideas” became a tangled mess. I’d start implementing a new feature, only to realize it clashed with existing systems. I’d spend days refactoring code, undoing previous changes, and generally running in circles.
My Trello board was a jumbled list of tasks, lacking any clear prioritization or dependencies. My code was sparsely commented, relying on my (flawed) memory. The result? Burnout. I was working harder, not smarter, and the game suffered.
The Transformation: Five Free Tools for a Balanced Dev Life
The turning point was when I accepted that documentation wasn’t separate from development; it was part of it. I integrated documentation into my daily workflow, leveraging five free tools to stay organized and focused.
Trello: The Living Design Doc. I transformed my chaotic Trello board into a living design document. Each card represented a specific feature, with detailed descriptions, sketches, and linked resources. I used labels to track priority, status, and dependencies. This helped me visualize the entire project, identify potential conflicts early on, and keep the scope in check.
Tip: Instead of just listing tasks, use Trello to define the purpose of each feature. Why are you adding it? What problem does it solve?
Notion: The Bug Tracker and Knowledge Base. Notion became my central hub for all things related to the game. I created a database to track bugs, feature requests, and design notes. I also used it to document my coding practices, game mechanics, and level design principles. Having everything in one place made it easy to find information quickly and stay organized.
Tip: Use Notion’s templates to create structured documents. This saves time and ensures consistency.
Google Docs: The Narrative and Worldbuilding Bible. For all the text-heavy stuff – character backstories, lore, dialogue, plot outlines – Google Docs was invaluable. I could easily collaborate with writers, share documents with playtesters, and track revisions.
Tip: Use Google Docs’ built-in version history to revert to previous versions if you make a mistake.
Google Sheets: The Data-Driven Design. Games rely heavily on data. Google Sheets became my go-to tool for managing spreadsheets, balancing stats, and creating item databases. By keeping everything in a spreadsheet, I could easily tweak values, perform calculations, and visualize data trends.
Tip: Use formulas and charts to analyze your data and make informed design decisions.
VS Code (or your IDE of choice): The Inline Documentation Hub. Good commenting is vital. Every function, class, and key algorithm got a clear and concise explanation. I used docstrings to generate documentation automatically. This not only helped me remember what my code did but also made it easier for others (or my future self) to understand it.
Tip: Use code snippets to quickly generate common comment blocks.
After: Focused Development and a Clear Vision
The impact of these changes was profound. I was no longer drowning in a sea of undefined tasks and half-baked ideas. I had a clear roadmap, a well-documented codebase, and a renewed sense of purpose. Scope creep became a thing of the past. Feature bloat was under control.
My Trello board kept me focused on the most important tasks. My Notion page allowed me to quickly track bugs and iterate on designs. Google Docs and Sheets gave me the tools to flesh out the game’s narrative and balance its mechanics. And good commenting within VS Code gave me greater peace of mind about my codebase.
Most importantly, I was enjoying the development process again. I was spending less time firefighting and more time creating.
The Power of a Game Dev Journal
Building these documentation habits drastically improved my workflow, but I realized something was still missing. I needed a way to reflect on my progress, capture my thoughts and feelings, and track my learnings. That’s when I started keeping a game dev journal.
A game dev journal isn’t just about logging bugs and task completion. It’s a place to explore your design decisions, analyze your successes and failures, and stay motivated during challenging times. It’s a personal space to document your journey, your creative process, and your growth as a developer.
Tracking your game development progress consistently is like having a conversation with your past self. It helps you avoid repeating mistakes, build on successful patterns, and stay aligned with your original vision. Many indie developers swear by maintaining a daily or weekly devlog, not only for marketing purposes but also as a tool for self-reflection and motivation.
Are you ready to transform your game development workflow and achieve a better balance between documentation and active creation?
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