Switching from Winging It to Journaling: Game Dev Pros & Cons

Posted by Gemma Ellison

August 5, 2025

“Game development is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. Journaling helps you track that perspiration, so you can actually find the inspiration.” – Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac)

Are you an indie game developer constantly battling scope creep, feature bloat, and that nagging feeling of burnout? You’re not alone. Many of us start out “winging it,” jumping headfirst into coding and art without a clear plan or, more importantly, a way to reflect on our progress. It’s time to talk about the power of the game dev journal.

Why Keep a Game Dev Journal?

A game dev journal is more than just a diary. It’s a structured way to track your progress, analyze your decisions, and ultimately, become a more efficient and effective developer. It’s a game development log where you can externalize your thoughts and see the bigger picture.

But is it worth the effort? Let’s break down the pros and cons.

Pros of Game Development Journaling

Combats Scope Creep: Documenting your initial design intentions and revisiting them regularly helps you stay focused. When a shiny new feature idea pops up, check your journal. Does it align with your core vision, or is it a distraction?
Reduces Feature Bloat: By tracking the rationale behind each feature, you can more easily identify unnecessary additions. A feature might sound cool, but if it doesn’t solve a real problem or enhance the player experience, your journal will remind you why you initially decided against it.
Prevents Burnout: Reflecting on your accomplishments, both big and small, boosts morale. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind, but a journal provides a tangible record of your progress. Seeing how far you’ve come can be incredibly motivating.
Improves Problem-Solving: Journaling about technical challenges forces you to articulate the problem clearly. This process alone can often lead to insights and potential solutions.
Enhances Design Decisions: Documenting your design process, including your reasoning and the alternatives you considered, allows you to revisit and refine your ideas later. You’ll also learn from your past mistakes and avoid repeating them.
Better Team Communication (If Applicable): If you’re working with a team, sharing excerpts from your journal can improve transparency and understanding. It helps everyone stay on the same page regarding design choices and project goals.
Provides Material for Devlogs: Struggling to come up with content for your weekly devlog? Your journal is a goldmine! Sharing your challenges, solutions, and design thought processes makes for engaging and informative updates.

Cons of Game Development Journaling

Time Investment: Let’s be honest, journaling takes time. But think of it as an investment that pays off in increased efficiency and reduced stress in the long run.
Requires Discipline: Starting is easy, but staying consistent can be a challenge. You need to make journaling a habit, even on days when you don’t feel like it.
Potential for Overthinking: It’s possible to get bogged down in analysis paralysis. Don’t let your journal become a source of anxiety. Focus on documenting your progress and learning from your experiences, not on achieving perfection.
Risk of Neglect: An unused journal is useless. If you aren’t reviewing and acting on the information you’re logging, it’s just wasted effort.

Setting Up Your Game Dev Journal

Whether you prefer a digital or physical journal is a matter of personal preference.

Digital: Tools like Notion, Google Docs, Obsidian, or even a simple text file can work. The advantage is easy searchability and the ability to include screenshots and code snippets.
Physical: A notebook and pen can be surprisingly effective. The act of writing by hand can be more conducive to reflection.

Regardless of your choice, the key is to find a system that works for you and stick with it.

Game Dev Journal Prompts

Here are some prompts to get you started:

Today’s accomplishments: What did you achieve today, no matter how small?
Challenges encountered: What obstacles did you face, and how did you overcome them?
Design decisions: What design choices did you make, and why? What alternatives did you consider?
Technical solutions: How did you solve a specific technical problem? Document the code or process.
New ideas: What new features or mechanics came to mind?
Lessons learned: What did you learn today that will help you in the future?
Action items: What are your priorities for tomorrow?
Overall project status: How is the project progressing? Are you on track?

Journaling in Action: Real-World Examples

Imagine you’re developing a platformer and you’re stuck on designing a challenging level. Without a journal, you might blindly iterate, wasting hours on ideas that don’t work.

With a journal, you can:

Document your initial design goals for the level.
Sketch out different layouts.
Note the specific challenges players should face.
Record your thought process as you experiment with different enemy placements and platforming mechanics.

Later, when you’re reviewing your journal, you might notice a recurring theme: you’re focusing too much on making the level difficult instead of fun. This insight can lead you to a more enjoyable and rewarding design.

Another example: you’re struggling with team communication. You can use your journal to:

Reflect on recent interactions.
Identify patterns of miscommunication.
Brainstorm strategies for improving your communication style.
Document the results of your experiments.

By tracking your progress and analyzing your behavior, you can become a more effective communicator and improve team dynamics.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Don’t Aim for Perfection: Your journal is a tool for learning and growth, not a literary masterpiece. Don’t worry about grammar or style. Just get your thoughts down on paper (or screen).
Be Specific: Vague entries like “Worked on the game today” are useless. Instead, focus on specific tasks and challenges.
Regularly Review Your Journal: The real value of journaling comes from reviewing your past entries and identifying patterns and insights.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment: Try different journaling styles and prompts to find what works best for you.

Start Journaling Right Now

The best time to start journaling was yesterday. The second best time is now. Don’t wait until you’re feeling overwhelmed or lost. Start small, be consistent, and let your journal guide you on your game development journey.

Ready to give it a try? Our simple and effective journaling tool is designed to help you track your game development progress and stay organized. Sign up today and unlock your full potential! Try our Journaling Tool today!