Learn what it takes to collaborate on a video game by creating a design document.

1. Collaboration
How to play well with others

2. Collaboration
● Working with a team is hard
● Everyone needs to:
o have the same vision
o know what they are in charge of doing
o have a task to work on
o know who to ask for direction
o know where to store the code (svn, github, etc.)
● How can we accomplish this effectively?

3. Game Design Document

4. What is a Game Design Doc
● “A GDD must teach everyone who reads it how the
game that you’re talking about works.”
● “In order to do this, you need to explain not just the
mechanics, but also how the game’s objects
(characters, enemies, puzzles, weapons, environment,
and so on) interact with each other, what your game is
about, and how it looks.”

5. What a GDD Looks Like

6. Parts of a GDD
● Introduction
o Concept
o Summary
o Features / ideas
● Gameplay
o First 5 minutes
o Gameflow
o Victor conditions
● Art / Sound
● Game Specific

7. Introduction

8. Concept
● Acts as the introduction to the GDD
● Should briefly introduce what the game is about
● Think of it as the high level concept of your game
● Guidelines:
o 1 or 2 paragraphs max
o Avoid any technical aspects or details about the
game

9. Summary
● Detailed description of the game
● Describe
o Core mechanics
o Secondary mechanics
o Player progression and goals
o Game narrative / setting

10. Features / Ideas
● Keep a running list of all the neat ideas and features
you would love to put into the game that would make it
great
● Best to do this as a bulleted list
● Rank each feature / idea

11. Gameplay

12. First 5 Minutes
● Describe what the game looks / feels like as soon as it
loads up
● Describe
o What the player is shown
o How the player knows what to do
o What information is presented to the player
o How the player interacts with the game
o Etc.

13. Gameflow
● Diagram how the player progresses through the game
● A flow chart is often used

14. Victory Conditions
● Describe how the player wins / losses

15. Art / Sounds

16. Art
● Describe what you will need art for (characters, menu
screens, buttons, etc.)
● Describe the HUD
● Show
o Examples of what the interface or graphics could
look like (for inspiration)
o Sketches

17. Sound
● Describe what you will need sound for (background
music, effects, etc.)
● Describe what style of sounds you are looking for

18. Technical Aspects

19. Game Specific
● Controls
● Level Design
● Enemies
● Plot
● Characters
● AI
● Code repository

20. Credit
● http://gamedev.tutsplus.com/tutorials/business/git-and-
github-for-game-developers/
● http://gamedev.tutsplus.com/tutorials/business/around-
the-world-making-international-collaborations-work/
● http://hub.tutsplus.com/articles/effectively-organize-
your-games-development-with-a-game-design-
document--active-10140
● http://gamedev.tutsplus.com/articles/business-
articles/working-with-other-gamedevs/

21. Additional Reading/Viewing
● http://gamedev.tutsplus.com/tutorials/game-design/the-
many-ways-to-show-the-player-how-its-done-with-in-
game-tutorials/
● Extra Credits: Tutorials
101https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCPcn-Q5nKE
● Extra Credits: Starting Off
Righthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFU4tjMndi4