My Game
I decided to work on a clicker game since I am new to this engine and wanted to create something simple while I am learning GDevelop. I have created a previous post which I will link right below here, so feel free to read if you have time or are just interested.
In my first two days, I feel like I have added a good amount of functionality to the game and it is starting to feel fun to interact with. That is when I realized I needed to slam on the breaks and start thinking about the project more in depth and create a more solid gameplan for future development. That is when I started introducing other software into my workflow. Here are some of the software that I will be using. I know its a little overkill, but I want to give it a honest and full shot. Plus, it is super fun for me to do all this anyway.
Software
Google Docs: Game Design Document
The good old trusty game design document, it is pretty much the games blueprint of sorts. This is a place for all of the details and information on the game that I need while I work. Of course it is a living document so it will often get changed and updated. I am adding in all my features, story, technical details, flowcharts, and more into this document. I love writing these things out because it helps me think about the features and the game as a whole.ClickUp: Tasks & Productivity
This is a great tool that I highly recommend to anyone working on a project. There are other alternatives that I have used in the past which are just as good if not better, but for this project I chose this software. I can work on a task in small bites that I can manage and tackle them one by one and easily. Amazing tool and it helps me visually see and change all the tasks to the project as well as sorting by progress, type and more. Its very powerful and I know it will benefit me and the development of my game greatly.
Google Forms: Feedback & Hours Logged
I have started writing a basic form out to give to play testers for feedback on my game. This is crucial to the project as I can learn more about how people feel, act, and think about the game and its current features. I will be utilizing this a lot when I have a prototype build ready to be handed out.I am also using google forms as a way to track how much development time I am putting into the game. I have it laid out for a whole week and I log my hours in myself. Google forms has a way to see the data pretty good and it is just something I want to know for myself and anyone interested.
Keep it simple
I am always reminding myself that I need to keep the graphics and art as basic as I can for now until I feel the game is working enough for a prototype. Keeping it simple makes me focus more on the functionality of the game rather than wasting a ton of development time on art, music and other aesthetics that could be potentially never be used.
Future Additions
I have plans so far to add a couple more features in the following week. Some of the key features I am going to work on are,- A dedicated Merchant Scene to purchase things like upgrades
- The HUD being able to move across scenes easily
- Updating the Game Design Document with new content (Story, Theme, Gameplay Loops, etc…)
- Experience System
- And hopefully have time for more…
Conclusion
I am having a ton of fun making this project and I am learning a lot about the game engine. Its seems that it is good at being able to quickly create prototypes in a small amount of time. I am excited for the future of this game even knowing how small and simple it is.I hope anyone that got to the bottom of this long post has enjoyed it or even learned something new. So, thank you so much for sticking around and I appreciate it!