Vertical Slice

Evaluate the Scope

Lock Down Your Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Prioritize your design goals and organize your designs into the following categories:

• Musts: Essential Features and Content. The MVP.
• Shoulds: "Value-Adders". Important, but can be postponed until after MVP is finished.
• Coulds: "Nice to Haves", but are not necessary for the game.
• Won'ts: Unnecessary designs.

Can You Make this Game?

• Do you have the technnical skills to make the game? If not, where will you get them?
• How long will it take to make this game?
• Can your team execute this game idea and create a finished product in the desired production timeframe?
• How much time and money would it take to make the game?

Avoid Design Pitfalls

Avoid Perfecting Your GDD

• The GDD is a living document and should contain the most recent design of the game as it will serve as a reference during development.
• A game's design is always subject to change. You don't know if a design works until you make it. Verify your designs as quickly as possible through rapid prototyping.

Avoid Feature Creep

• Don't continuously add new features and content to the game's design over the course of development.
• Focus on achieving the game's Minimum Viable Product before adding additional content.

Resources