This is a video many of you have been requesting for some time. I explain what a Game Design Document is, when to use it, and why. I then go over several examples in detail, outlining major elements and the reasoning behind them, to show you what professional docs look like, including the GDD for one of our own titles – The Alchemask.
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Additional Resources:
Develop.Games:
GDD Wikipedia:
GDDs of other games:
Anatomy of a Game Design Document:
One-Page Template:
Full GDD Template:
Alt Blank GDD Template:
Pozefsky Template GDD:
Mass Flux GDD:
Double Coconut GDD:
References:
Healthy Gamer + PirateSoftware:
How to Sell More Games on Steam:
BTP Pass the Game Challenge:
Design Doc Elements:
Adam Millard Elements:
Sequelitis:
Boss Keys:
Designing for Disability:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:53 Overview
00:01:48 Why Should I Listen to You?
00:02:50 What is a GDD?
00:05:39 When to use a GDD
00:08:47 Why Bother?
00:12:50 A Quick Note About Storage
00:14:34 Production Should Freeze the Document
00:16:39 First Recap
00:17:27 Intermission
00:18:26 Our Project
00:19:33 Packaging, Hook
00:21:35 Outline
00:23:34 General Pitch
00:24:59 Inspirations
00:26:37 Player Experience
00:27:37 Platform
00:27:50 Software
00:28:34 Genre
00:29:54 Target Audience
00:34:17 Concept
00:34:24 Core Loop
00:35:59 Themes
00:38:21 Primary Mechanics
00:40:45 Secondary Mechanics
00:41:26 Tertiary Mechanics
00:42:47 Combat, Puzzles, Quests
00:44:07 A Note on Mock-Ups
00:45:45 Story
00:48:48 Art
00:49:22 Design
00:52:17 Visual Effects
00:53:16 Lighting
00:54:26 Audio
00:55:54 Sound Effects
00:56:41 Voice Acting, Cinematics
00:57:51 Game Experience
00:58:00 UI
01:01:49 Controls
01:03:32 Menus
01:06:00 Diegetic Elements
01:07:36 Integration
01:09:02 Bringing It All Together
01:13:09 Conclusion
01:14:15 What’s Next?
01:15:02 Outro
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