How to Make a Game Part 1: Introduction and concept



Hello and welcome to my blog.

I've created this blog site with the intent to help and motivate every aspiring game developer to start and finish developing their games. I'll be uploading weekly, and I'll share my experience in developing my own first game.

Pre-production

How to Make a Game is a series about the steps that you need to take to create your first game. In this post, I will focus on the pre-production phase of the game development process. This is the process of the initial planning for the project.

First, you need to decide what the concept of your game is. You can do it by answering the following questions:

  1. What is the core idea behind the game?
  2. What is the genre of the game?
  3. What are the unique mechanics of the game?
  4. Who is the target audience?
  5. What platform will you publish it on?
  6. Who are the characters, story, and setting?
  7. How long will it take to develop, and what tools will you use?

Game Design Document (GDD)

In the pre-production phase, you create the GDD for the project where you answer the questions above. The GDD is a dynamic document. It's continuously updated and refined as the game's concept develops. Here you can find a Google Docs template with short descriptions and examples that you can copy and use: GDD Template. A GDD will help you stay on track while you develop the game. I recommend spending about a week or two filling out the template and outlining all the points about your game. You can use the GDD of the game I work on here: GDD.

Prototyping

Based on the GDD, you create the prototype for your game. The prototype is crucial to help you identify whether or not your game concept is fun and viable. It is a test that checks the gameplay, mechanics, and user experience. It also helps sniff out potential issues. It usually uses placeholder graphics and simple assets in order to focus on the mechanics and gameplay. You can use paper designs in the beginning that will be added to your game engine later. I will spend between 2 weeks and a month in the prototyping phase of my game, and I'll be sharing my progress with you soon.


Till next time,

Gamedev Noob.


Title image designed by vectorjuice / Freepik