5 Underrated Tools for Sharing Dev Progress You Should Try

"Player: ‘Hey, I love the new movement mechanic you added to the character, it feels so much more fluid!’

Designer: 'Really? That’s great to hear! We tweaked it based on feedback from the last dev stream where someone mentioned the old movement felt a bit clunky. Your input helped us prioritize that change.’"

The Power of Shared Progress for Indie Devs

Sharing your game development progress is more than just marketing; it is a critical practice for learning, gathering feedback, and building a passionate community. Many indie and beginner developers often fall into the trap of inconsistent sharing or failing to showcase actual progress effectively. This can lead to missed opportunities for valuable player insights and a lack of connection with potential fans.

Regularly sharing your journey, from concept art to playable builds, transforms your development process into an iterative dialogue. It helps you clarify your own thoughts, identify overlooked issues, and even discover new features you hadn’t considered.

5 Underrated Tools for Sharing Dev Progress You Should Try

1. Itch.io Devlogs

Itch.io is renowned for hosting indie games, but its integrated devlog feature is an often-underutilized gem for sharing progress. It offers a straightforward way to post updates, screenshots, and even early builds directly to your game’s page.

How-To Guide:

1. Create an Itch.io account and set up a new game project.
2. Navigate to your game’s dashboard and select “Devlog.”
3. Click “New post” to start writing your update.
4. You can embed images, GIFs, and videos directly into your post using the editor.
5. Publish your devlog post to make it visible on your game page and to your followers.

Real-world Indie Example: “Celeste” frequently used Itch.io devlogs in its early stages to share art concepts and gameplay snippets, building anticipation.

Learning and Outreach Benefits: Itch.io devlogs allow you to centralize your game’s information, making it easy for interested players to follow your journey. The comment section facilitates direct interaction and feedback, helping you refine game mechanics or narrative elements.

2. Imgur Albums

While often used for general image sharing, Imgur’s album feature is excellent for curating visual progress in an organized, easily shareable format. It avoids the clutter of social media feeds and allows for detailed descriptions.

How-To Guide:

1. Go to Imgur.com and click “New post.”
2. Drag and drop multiple images or GIFs to create an album.
3. Add a title and descriptions to each image, explaining the development step or feature shown.
4. Optionally, add tags for discoverability.
5. Click “Post to community” or choose to keep it hidden and just share the direct link.

Real-world Indie Example: A solo developer might create an Imgur album detailing the evolution of a character model, from concept sketches to the final in-game render.

Learning and Outreach Benefits: Imgur albums provide a clean, visual timeline of your progress. Sharing a single link allows players to see a comprehensive overview without endless scrolling, making it ideal for forums or Discord servers where you want to present detailed visual updates.

3. Google Docs for Design Diaries

Google Docs offers a simple, collaborative way to maintain a “game dev journal” or “game development log” that is easily shared for feedback on specific design choices. It’s not just for text; you can embed images and links too.

How-To Guide:

1. Create a new Google Doc and title it something like “Game Title Dev Diary.”
2. Write entries detailing your design decisions, challenges, and solutions.
3. Embed screenshots or concept art directly into the document.
4. Click “Share” and set permissions to “Viewer” or “Commenter” for community feedback.
5. Share the link in your community spaces.

Real-world Indie Example: An indie team might share a Google Doc outlining their thoughts on a new level design, inviting community members to add comments directly on specific paragraphs or images.

Learning and Outreach Benefits: Using a Google Doc as a “game dev journal” helps you track game development progress in a highly detailed way. It forces you to articulate your design rationale, which often reveals flaws or areas for improvement. Shared access also enables targeted feedback on specific aspects of your design, invaluable for iteration.

4. Loom for Quick Video Explanations

Loom is a free screen recording tool that allows you to quickly record your screen, webcam, and microphone, then instantly get a shareable link. It is perfect for explaining complex mechanics or showing off animated features that static images cannot convey.

How-To Guide:

1. Download and install the Loom desktop app or use the browser extension.
2. Open your game or development environment.
3. Click the Loom icon, choose your recording area (full screen, window, custom), and enable your microphone.
4. Record a short video explaining a new feature, a bug fix, or a design iteration.
5. Loom automatically uploads the video and provides a shareable link.

Real-world Indie Example: A developer could record a Loom video demonstrating a new combat system, explaining the player’s options and the AI’s reactions.

Learning and Outreach Benefits: Video explanations help players understand intricate details that are hard to convey in text or images. The act of verbally explaining your work often clarifies your own understanding, helping you identify areas that might be confusing or incomplete. It also provides a personal touch, allowing your community to connect with you directly.

5. Trello Boards for Visual Roadmaps

Trello, a flexible project management tool, can be adapted to serve as a public-facing visual roadmap of your game’s development. You can organize tasks into lists (e.g., “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Done”) and use cards for individual features, bugs, or milestones.

How-To Guide:

1. Go to Trello.com and create a new board for your game.
2. Add lists representing different stages of development.
3. Create cards for specific features, tasks, or updates.
4. On each card, add descriptions, attach screenshots, GIFs, or links to other resources.
5. Make the board public by going to “Menu” > “More” > “Settings” > “Change Privacy” > “Public.”
6. Share the board link with your community.

Real-world Indie Example: An indie studio might use Trello to show players what features are being worked on next, what’s been completed, and even allow them to vote on future priorities.

Learning and Outreach Benefits: A public Trello board provides transparency and helps manage player expectations by showing them what you are currently focused on. For you, it serves as a visual “track game development progress” tool, reinforcing accountability and helping you maintain focus. It can also foster community engagement by letting players see the path ahead.

Beyond the Tools: Integrating Feedback and Iteration

Simply sharing your progress is only half the battle; actively soliciting and processing feedback is where the true magic happens. Encourage specific comments on your shared updates. For instance, instead of just posting a new screenshot, ask “What do you think about the new UI layout? Is anything unclear?”

The act of preparing to share your work often forces you to reflect deeply on your progress. This self-reflection frequently uncovers areas for improvement, helps you articulate your design philosophy, and documents your thought process for future reference. This documentation is invaluable for staying organized and avoiding repeated mistakes. To truly maximize the learning and outreach benefits of sharing, it is vital to reflect on your progress, document challenges, and plan your next steps. For a structured approach to keeping a game dev journal and staying consistent with your devlogs, consider leveraging a dedicated tool. Learn how to better track game development progress and organize your creative process with our comprehensive guide at gamedev.journaltool.com/journal.