Top 7 Questions for Game Dev Post-Mortem Journaling

Top 7 Questions for Game Dev Post-Mortem Journaling

Finishing a game is a marathon, not a sprint. But what happens after you cross the finish line? Do you immediately jump into the next project, or do you take the time to reflect on the journey? Many indie developers skip this crucial step, missing out on valuable learning opportunities. This is where post-mortem journaling comes in.

Imagine Sarah, a solo developer who spent two years creating her passion project, a pixel art RPG. She released it to middling reviews and disappointing sales. Initially, she felt defeated, ready to abandon game development altogether. But then, she decided to try something different: a post-mortem journal.

Instead of just listing what went wrong (marketing, scope creep, etc.), she dove deep, answering tough questions about her process, her decisions, and her expectations. This honest reflection revealed that while her art was praised, the core gameplay loop was repetitive, and the story lacked focus. She also realized she spent too much time polishing features nobody noticed, while neglecting crucial marketing efforts.

Sarah used these insights to drastically change her approach to her next game. She focused on a tight, engaging gameplay loop, prioritized marketing early on, and wasn’t afraid to kill features that weren’t working. Her second game was a modest success, and she credits her post-mortem journaling for the turnaround.

Post-mortem journaling isn’t just about identifying mistakes; it’s about turning failures into iterative steps forward and successes into repeatable processes. It’s about embracing imperfection in your process. This “studio retrospective” tone, with a sharp point, will help you unlock hidden lessons.

Here are seven questions to guide your game dev post-mortem journaling and avoid surface-level analysis:

1. What Were Your Initial Assumptions, and Were They Valid?

This goes beyond just stating your initial vision. What did you assume about your target audience? The market? The difficulty of specific tasks?

Common Pitfall: Vague assumptions like “people like RPGs.”

Better: “I assumed players would be willing to grind for hours to upgrade their characters based on the popularity of similar games. This turned out to be wrong; playtesters found it tedious.”

2. What Consistently Drained Your Motivation, and Why?

Identifying motivation killers is critical. Was it tedious level design? Bug fixing? Social media marketing?

Common Pitfall: Blaming external factors like “lack of time.”

Better: “I consistently avoided level design because I hadn’t developed a clear system for creating engaging encounters. This led to procrastination and burnout.”

3. Where Did You Spend the Most Time, and Was it Justified?

Time is your most valuable resource. Analyze where it went. Did you spend weeks polishing a menu system that nobody noticed, while core gameplay suffered?

Common Pitfall: Focusing on “fun” tasks at the expense of important ones.

Better: “I spent three weeks creating a complex animation system, but only a small percentage of players actually appreciated it. I should have focused on improving the combat mechanics instead.”

4. What “Best Practices” Didn’t Work for You, and Why?

Every developer has their own style and workflow. Just because a particular technique works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Common Pitfall: Blindly following advice without considering your specific needs.

Better: “Agile development felt stifling for a solo project. The constant sprints and stand-ups felt like unnecessary overhead. A more flexible, iterative approach worked better for me.”

5. What Did You Learn About Yourself as a Developer?

This is where the real growth happens. Did you discover a hidden talent? A crippling weakness?

Common Pitfall: Avoiding introspection.

Better: “I learned that I’m excellent at creating compelling characters but struggle with designing engaging combat systems. This will inform my future projects.”

6. What Unexpected Hurdles Did You Face, and How Could You Have Anticipated Them?

Hindsight is 20/20, but try to learn from your mistakes. Were there warning signs you missed?

Common Pitfall: Attributing problems to “bad luck.”

Better: “I underestimated the complexity of implementing online multiplayer. I should have prototyped this feature earlier in the development cycle to identify potential issues.”

7. What Small Changes Would Have Made a Big Difference?

Focus on actionable insights. What specific changes could you implement in your next project to improve your process and outcome?

Common Pitfall: Focusing on sweeping, unrealistic changes.

Better: “Implementing a basic version control system from the start would have saved me countless hours of frustration when I accidentally overwrote important files.”

Remember, brutal honesty is key. Don’t sugarcoat your failures or inflate your successes. The goal is to learn and grow.

Regular journaling during development can also be incredibly valuable. Keeping a game development log allows you to track your progress, identify potential problems early on, and maintain consistency. A well-maintained game dev journal is a powerful tool for any indie developer.

If you are new to journaling or find it challenging to structure your thoughts, our Game Dev Journal Template can provide a framework to get you started. It includes pre-defined prompts and sections to help you track your progress, reflect on your decisions, and identify areas for improvement. It’s designed to help you turn your game development journey into a structured learning experience.

Stop repeating the same mistakes and start learning from your experiences. Start journaling today.