game-design-doc

name	Game Design Doc
description	Capture a game's pillars, loops, and scope in a design doc the team can build from.
category	Content

Game Design Doc

Turn a concept into a design doc that names what the game is and, just as importantly, what it is not.

When to use

• A new game or major feature is greenlit.
• The team disagrees on what they are building.

Steps

1. State the fantasy: what the player feels and does.
2. Name the three pillars every decision defers to.
3. Describe the core loop and the progression around it.
4. Scope the first playable and what is explicitly out.
5. List the risks and the open questions for the operator.

Output

A design doc: fantasy, pillars, core loop, scope, and risks, following the [[Design pillars]]. The team builds against it.