Hi!
I’m starting to create a new game and trying to make the project more organized this time.
I would like to know what techniques and programs you use to organize your projects. Do you detail everything or just enter key tasks? Do you follow a set deadline or just let it go? Do you usually work at the games every day or do you take the weekends to rest?
Thank you!
Do you mean in terms of project management or code management?
For project mangement, I usually use Trello to organize tasks. I don’t go into many details and don’t set deadlines as this is just a hobby for me.
For code management, first and foremost - use git. Set the project to store everything separately (not in one file) and use git to do version tracking. That way you won’t be committing every change in one file and even multiple people can work on the same project. That’s outside of GDevelop. Within GDevelop I mostly separate as much logic as I can into extensions/behaviors, even if I don’t want to reuse it in other projects. My logic is - if it’s going to be reused, make a separate extension. If not, cram everything in one extension but different behaviors/custom objects.
Hello, Avram
I mean more in terms of project management. Your tip about git is very good. I don’t have to much experience using git, but I will research about it.
I’m testing Kanban on the AppFlowy app. But I have to admit that I think I’m going overboard with the details… something like:
And it also doesn’t seem to be the best tool for managing deadlines, considering that when you change the deadline of one card, the others aren’t automatically changed. Maybe it’s different with Trello.
Thanks for the answer!
Wait, organize? I thought we were here to make games!
Do notes jotted down on napkins and the back of receipts count??
How I stay organized. Make. Small. Projects. If the whole game fits on the back of a receipt, I’m in!
Seriously though I hope others will respond, I will be interested to learn some good systems that don’t involve a whiteboard with 3 gas receipts and a crumpled napkin taped to it, while I am trying to decipher what on earth I wrote on that mustard stain.
I like deadlines. Helps me focus. Also increases my creativity when I don’t give myself an unlimited amount of time to do something. Limitations in general provoke creativity.
This is a hobby for me (ie a fun activity I enjoy), so I work on some aspect everyday, in odd moments when I can, and I always feel like I didn’t get to spend as much time on it as I wanted.
I hope more people will respond with project management tips on productivity methods, or software they use, for instance @Rasterisko is trying Kanban and AppFlowy and @Avram uses Trello (also, great tips in your reply, Avram!), it will be nice to see a little review of the benefits and maybe some screenshots.
EDIT: Just to clarify why I give myself deadlines though this is just a hobby for me. I do that with all my hobbies. If I am knitting a sweater, I commit to x amount of rows every day. Because though it is a hobby and I do if for enjoyment, I do still want a finished sweater…
Your organization method is definitely the most sophisticated, Lucky-j! 
I would say that Appflowy is a note-taking program with some good features, such as calendar, kanban. Im trying to use the kanban inside of it, but I’m still creating the cards and trying to set deadlines. I’m still not sure if it will work well for me…
Yes. That’s a very good point. My old project didn’t have deadlines, but halfway through production I started to include them and it started to work much better.
I’m a backend software developer in a big corporation in RL, so I have plenty of deadlines already. Besides that, I’m an adult with job, wife and kid, so juggling all that with making games often means I don’t get to work on my games for weeks. So all I can guarantee is any deadlines I set will be missed (just like at my job, hehe).
Also, at any point in time I have 3-4 games actively being developed (not counting demo projects for extensions I’m making), and every other day I have a new idea for a new game, so more than often I just stop working on one of them for several months (or forever) in order to start a new one.
But if you can, sure - go for it. Having deadlines is great (as my boss would say 
), if you can commit to meet them.
Hey what? Here I thought I was the only one doing that… I guess I’m not the chosen one after all. lol.
As for organizing, though, I’m a mess. I usually just make some hastily written layout plan or roadmap or something and chop it up into bite size pieces. I’d try work on it one by one but I tend to make changes which leads me to jumping from one part of the plan to the other all the time.
It eventually becomes kinda like those charts in detective shows with a bunch of strings except there’s no chart or board or strings. Just a bunch of little notes I refer to as I plod hoping to eventually finish my project.
Yeah, I’m a mess. lol.
Definitely depends on the project, but as that’s not very helpful as an answer in itself I usually spend a shift in work (or three) day dreaming about a game idea, then when it’s slightly better than a foggy, confusing mess in my mind I’ll whip out the ol’ word document when I get home and start jotting down key points and things that are relevant to actually create the vision. Step one, basically.
Like…if I’m thinking of a shmup game I’ll think about past ones I’ve played, the things they’ve done that I like and so on, then jot down precise instructions in bullet points for what I want to do. Not only does it make a checklist of sorts but also keeps ya grounded as you work through them. Having key points early on makes it easier to form the game too, both in the mind but also in the application.
Once I’ve jotted down the things I want in the game, then I start building around it with more info - story, characters, weapons, level design, art etc. It can sometimes take weeks before GDevelop’s even opened, let alone worked on. Definitely worth it to plan, plan and plan some more though, especially in dialogue-heavy games.
…So basically a word processor is a huge asset, haha! I know that sounds proper obvious but to be fair it’s a great help. Very easy to add/delete things too, and to backup locally. I wish I could add more software ideas but that’s all I use at the moment (and probably why I ain’t released anything of note yet either lmao).
Oh, and asking about game design in forums too, not just GDevelop but other game development-related forums. There’ve been some mechanics I’ve thought about using in games that I thought were the bee’s knees, only for multiple people to post that it’s not so good, and they gave solid reasoning too. The last thing you want is to work on something and spend a long time on it when there’s a chance it could be divisive/not very fun. Getting an outside opinion is very handy when ya get tunnel vision!
In regards to deadlines, use them if you work better with them. It definitely depends on the individual, but either way I’m a staunch believer in doing a little every day rather than pausing (if possible, of course).
Yeah… the more I research about project creation, the more I realize the emphasis that people give to the need for good planning.
Exactly. I have a game stopped that was poorly planned and I didn’t check the gameplay with a prototype. The result of the first phase was a bit dull, unfortunately. 
I haven’t given up on the game yet, but now I’m trying to learn to treat games like real projects. And I’m doing that with smaller games to gain experience.
It’s a little difficult to work with deadlines when you don’t have experience. But little by little I’m starting to get a sense of how long I spend time doing some tasks. I also like the “do a little every day” approach and preferably set aside time for it, but I confess that after I started testing the deadlines I found it more motivating. But I agree with you, it’s a personal choice.
I think people dislike deadlines because they can cause stress. But if you give yourself personal deadlines and don’t have a lot riding on them (like, you don’t announce to all your family and friends x will be done by y time), deadlines can be very motivating and help you focus, without causing you the stress in case you can’t meet your deadline.
Planning can definitely be a double-edged sword however - it’s good to draw a line somewhere so you can actually start on trying things out and coding haha! Probably best to do so in chunks, but story-wise I think it’s easier to write a draft, then add to it as you make your game - ya never know when a new mechanic/interaction might pop in our head. Keep a notepad/app handy to jot ideas when you’re out and about.
It’s awesome that you’ve taken the time to notice that in your project though - using smaller experiences is 100% a good approach to things, and finding things out like this makes future development easier (hopefully). Half the battle’s knowing what and where you want your game to go, the other half is making it.
I also agree with @Lucky-j - having deadlines like they mentioned is actually pretty neat for motivation, especially without stress. I might also add that testing/creating game mechanics can be a change of pace outside of game making - that feeling of making a working charge cannon from scratch (or whichever mechanic you want haha) is a nice feeling, it also boost motivation.
That is actually my favorite part: “I wonder how I could do this” and then playing around 40 minutes on something not even related to my project, lol. I also enjoy coming up with several different ways to do the same thing, for some reason.
Another thing I enjoy is when I am working on a mechanic for my project (not just goofing off playing around with ideas) and my first try or two gives results I did not want for this project, but that are pretty cool and can be used elsewhere. I always save those.
I think you’re right, playing around with ideas gives a fun and refreshing break from the project but you’re still gaining skill and keeping the process fun.
Aye, 100% agreed! It’s the eureka moments that can really drive motivation. Having different approaches to the same result’s good too - gets the brain going and also might lead to more performant coding, always good!
Always found the best outcomes are the ‘it’s not a bug, it’s a feature!’ creations, they may be janky but they’re usually fun haha.
That’s another good point for organising - it might sound counter-productive but having a break day (or two)/doing a different bit of coding on the side can be a huge boost for the ol’ brain. Working hours and hours (days, weeks…) on the same thing’s peachy but can lead to burnout/fatigue. Had that with my first ever decent project, took a break from it, then my computer died. wasn’t a happy bunny…but that’s a story for another life.
Remember to back up your project regularly! Grab a USB stick or somethin’ and back 'em up! Haha!