Game Design Document (GDD) – Introducing the 2D collection game
Throughout the book, the game we’ll be creating will be defined and structured using what is known as Game Design Document (GDD). This document will serve as our point of reference as we decide how to develop the game’s core aspects. Our game is going to be pretty simple but packed with features. Most of the information written in the GDD is self-explanatory, but a few concepts might be new, so let’s start by reviewing them:
- What is the name of the game?
- This one is self-explanatory, so just don’t stress over this now! Anything as a working title will work just fine – have fun with it.
- What is the game’s core loop?
- The core loop is what makes your game an enjoyable and satisfying experience for players. It is the series of actions the player repeatedly performs to accomplish the objective.
Let’s see an example GDD filled out for the 2D collection game we’ll make throughout the book:
|
Name of Game |
Outer World |
|
What is the theme, setting, or genre? |
2D Sci-fi Platformer |
|
Summary What’s the big picture? |
An adventure game that takes the player on a journey from peaceful farming to battling robotic systems infected by an evil alien plant entity. The game takes place on an alien planet where the player’s race has established a habitat on the planet’s surface. The habitat is fully automated and maintained by robots managed by a central control system. An evil alien plant entity has infiltrated the control systems and taken over the robots individually and the central system. The goal of the alien entity is not known, but it must be stopped if the player’s race is to survive on this planet. |
|
What is the game’s unique feature? |
Multiple game modes provide a novel and exciting approach to gameplay: simulation, adventure, and shooting. |
|
What games inspired you and why? |
Metroid, Mega Man, and Stardew Valley. |
|
Describe the gameplay, the core loop, and the progression. |
Collect energy shards to clean seedlings in a space station habitat as the timer ticks down! |
Table 1.1 – GDD for the game
As needed, we’ll be adding to the GDD over time, but this will serve us well as a starting point. Yay!
This section introduced you to a simple GDD template and you learned the basic but essential questions to answer when making a remarkable game.
