This document provides guidance on creating a game design document. It suggests including a core statement describing the working title and genre of the game. It also recommends outlining the main features and verbs players can use. The document proposes defining the game's philosophy by describing what will be said on its tombstone. It further suggests using card sorting to identify the game's main functional areas and organizing those areas into appendices, such as for story, technical aspects, sounds, levels, and artwork. Finally, it proposes hosting the game design document on a wiki for easy editing and sharing.

1. Creating a
Game Design
Document

2. 1. The Core Statement
“Avoid missing
ball for high
score

3. Working title is a
genre game about a
situation where you have to
do stuff to achieve
victory conditions.
“Avoid missing
ball for high
score

4. 2. The Feature Set

5. Verbs, please

6. jump / travel / collect / make friends / swim / run
fly / build / defend / attack / take / cast spells / eat
drink / heal / look after / plan / dance / farm
gamble /calculate / kill / rescue / learn / develop
form alliances / jump / travel / collect / make
What do
friends / swim / run fly / build / defend / attack /
take / cast spells / eat drink / heal / look after /
players do?
plan / dance / farm gamble /calculate / kill /
rescue / learn / develop form alliances / jump /
travel / collect / make friends / swim / run fly /
build / defend / attack / take / cast spells / eat
drink / heal / look after / plan / dance / farm
gamble /calculate / kill / rescue / learn / develop
form alliances / jump / travel / collect / make
friends / swim / run fly / build / defend / attack /

7. 3. Philosophy

8. What will it say on the game's tombstone?

9. 4. Contents

10. Try Card Sorting

11. What are the main
functional areas
of the game?

12. (The functional areas
are probably related
to the main feature set.)

13. Games are organised
around verbs.

14. 5. Non-meat items

15. Put the side-dishes in
appendices.

16. Story
Technical
Sounds
Levels
Misc.
Artwork

17. 6. Put the Game Design
Document . . .

18. 6. onto a wiki.

19. Creating a Game Design Document:
Bunchberry & Fern
Find us on the web
http://gameify.org
Or on Twitter:
@gameify
Further reading and image credits:
Images - Blueprint from goatling, Too Many Hammers from Velo Steve, Cock the
hammer from Kyle May, Constipated Angel from Mugley, Container ship from
mikebaird, Card Sort from Sarah Kennon.
Further reading – Card Sorting, Creating a Game Design Document,
20 reasons to use a wiki, The process of game creation,
How to write a game design doc, A practical process for creating great
game designs,

20. Images and Inspiration
Blueprint from goatling on Flickr.
Too Many Hammers from Velo Steve on Flickr.
Cock the hammer from Kyle May on Flickr.
Constipated Angel from Mugley on Flickr.
Container ship from mikebaird on Flickr.
Card Sort from Sarah Kennon on Flickr.