Games GDD

 

An image of a yellow book on a red background (source)

For what function is GDD? 

A Game Design Document (GDD) is a blueprint for a game's design and development. 

The GDD is a way to be imaginative and record the approach to the game's development. Gonzale (1999 ) notes that before jumping into production, the important thing is to have something that explains your game project (or any other project for that matter) before jumping into production. (Gamasutra) The game should be prepared. While it is recommended that the GDD should be brief, it needs to be sufficiently comprehensive to allow game developers and artists to independently manage the production of the game while also retaining the design. 

The GDD is a blueprint similar to a mind map for how the game is going to be planned and developed. In conclusion, in order to explain your game project, the game design document is essential for creating a game and it is necessary to have it.

How do we produce one?

There are a number of instruments that could be used to produce a GDD. These include word processing software, visual tools such as Powerpoint, or modern tools such as DunDoc that are based on the web. There are benefits to both of these instruments and they are a personal preference. Many of the examples posted over the Internet are in the format of Microsoft Word. A more visual tool like PowerPoint is preferred by Romero Games(creators of Doom). Whatever instrument is used, the development of the game should be assisted in an open and transparent way.

What's supposed to be in it?

To read through information about your game design and concept, the GDD should be simple enough. Schubert (2007), who was Bioware Austin's lead designer at the time, gave a GDC talk on how to build design documentation, including some of the most important elements:

Know your target- Have a clear vision and understanding of what you want to make. Make sure your game is suitable and fits your target audience.

Keep it short.  Keep it to the point and clear, the shorter they are, the easier it is to read, write, and maintain.

Prioritize the design.  - Divide your game in order of importance e.g have a functional game. Concentrate on core mechanics and visuals, and then expand 

Illustrate. - Draw sketches of your plans that make it easier to structure and implement. Present what your game would look like as it’s important to have a clear idea of the visuals before you begin creating.

Use user stories.- Describing the game through the player’s vision (Similar to what we did in the game vision statement).

Take into account the games users, their ideas may help develop future storylines or ideas.

Invest in a good format. Take the time to structure your work so that it is easy to navigate.

Use clear terminology. Don’t over-complicate the document. Make sure language is concise and accessible.

Kill redundancy.  -Recycle your code - use variables, not hard code). Always reference the new section on your page to have a clean document. Avoid copy and pasting sections.

Capture your reasoning - why did you make the choices you made? What led to that thought process?

References

Nachen, Lennart. 2014 Communication and Game Design Documents accessed 02/11/2020 http://acagamic.com/game-design-course/communication-and-game-design-documents/

Ferns, Shaun (2020) Readings Week 06 accessed 02/11/2020 https://cdmonline.ie/multidev1/reading-week-06/ 

 Gonzalez Leandro. 2016 How to Write a Game Design Document accessed 07/26/16

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LeandroGonzalez/20160726/277928/How_to_Write_a_Game_Design_Document.php