Vertical Slice Setup Problems and Their Fixes

The Siren Song of the Vertical Slice

The initial excitement of creating a polished vertical slice is undeniable. It promises a tangible glimpse into your game’s potential, fueling optimism and driving ambition. However, many new developers misinterpret this early progress, assuming the speed of their vertical slice directly translates to their full game development pace. This article will expose why vertical slices can be misleading and how to properly set yours up for accurate project planning.

Myth Debunked: “My Vertical Slice Pace is My Full Game Pace!”

The illusion of speed in a vertical slice is potent. You’re operating with a highly focused scope, unburdened by technical debt, and often side-stepping less “fun” development tasks. This concentrated effort creates a deceptive feeling of rapid progress.

What’s often overlooked are the hidden costs. The vertical slice typically doesn’t account for extensive bug fixing, content creation at scale, robust backend systems, marketing, localization, platform-specific optimizations, or long-term testing. Building a full game requires an art asset pipeline that supports hundreds, if not thousands, of assets, a complexity far beyond a small slice. In hindsight, many teams realize their vertical slice development speed was an anomaly, not a benchmark.

Core Problem Areas & Their Fixes

Problem 1: Over-Polishing a Small Feature Set

You spent three weeks making one jump animation perfect. That’s great for a portfolio, but it doesn’t prove the viability of a full game’s mechanics or overall fun.

Fix: Your primary goal in a vertical slice is to prove core mechanics and the fun factor, not pixel-perfect polish. Define “good enough” for this stage. Time-box polish rigorously and prioritize functionality over fidelity.

Problem 2: Ignoring “Unsexy” Development Tasks

Where’s your plan for comprehensive error logging? Or a scalable save system? You’ve got a cool combat loop, but did you consider how 50 unique items will be managed in an inventory?

Fix: A vertical slice should incorporate foundational systems, even if basic. While you don’t need a fully-fledged database for items, you should establish a clear data structure and pipeline for their future implementation. Demonstrate that you’ve thought about scaling.

Problem 3: The “Magic Number” Fallacy (Underestimating the Full Game)

“If this level took two weeks, the full game’s ten levels will take twenty weeks.” This is a common and dangerous miscalculation.

Fix: The first 80% of your game is often the easiest; the final 20% takes 80% of the time. The initial setup and core loop are disproportionately faster than the iterative refinement, bug crushing, and content generation for an entire experience. Build in significant buffer time for these unseen complexities.

Problem 4: Lack of Documentation and Knowledge Transfer

You’re a solo dev, so you think documentation is for bigger teams. But can you remember every decision you made about that collision system six months from now?

Fix: Document everything, even for yourself. Detail your design choices, technical challenges, and solutions. This is your personal knowledge base, preventing you from re-solving the same problems later or forgetting crucial details. A well-maintained game dev journal can be invaluable here.

Problem 5: Scope Creep Within the Slice Itself

You started with one enemy type, but now you have three, plus a boss, and a whole new weapon system. Your “slice” is becoming a mini-game.

Fix: Define your vertical slice scope with extreme precision before starting. Treat it like a contract with yourself. Every feature proposed for the slice should directly serve the purpose of proving the core gameplay loop and market viability, nothing more.

Ensuring Your Vertical Slice Truly Informs Your Project

To avoid these pitfalls, meticulously plan your vertical slice. Focus on the minimum viable experience that proves your core concept is fun and feasible. Resist the urge to add features beyond this initial goal.

Crucially, track your game development progress diligently. Maintain a game dev journal or game development log. This isn’t just for showing off; it’s for learning. Record how long tasks actually take versus your estimates. Document unexpected blockers, technical breakthroughs, and the evolution of your design ideas. This detailed record will give you realistic data to project future development times.

By logging your hours and tasks, you start building a personal database of your development efficiency. This data will be far more reliable for predicting future project timelines than the feeling of speed you get from a concentrated vertical slice. It forces you to confront the reality of track game development progress beyond just playable builds.

To help you manage this crucial part of your development process, we’ve built a dedicated tool. Start documenting your journey today and build an accurate picture of your true development pace with our game dev journal. This will empower you to make informed decisions and set realistic expectations for your full game.