GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT (GDD)

(YOUR PROJECT NAME HERE)

(Project image here)

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW

Game Concept & general ............................................................................................................................... 6

Genre................................................................................................................................................................... 6
2D, 3D, VR, AR, other .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Single-Player or Multiplayer ................................................................................................................................ 6
Scope of Game & Levels? Word Partioning needed?.......................................................................................... 6
Hardware Requirements ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Platroms & Distribution: PC, Apple, IOS, Android, Xbox, Playstation, … ............................................................. 6
Solo Dev or Team? Team Roles? ......................................................................................................................... 6
Languages............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Game brainstorm notes ................................................................................................................................. 7
Software needed: game engine, 3D, music, texturing ...................................................................... 8
Game Engine ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
3D Model software ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Music Software ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Texturing Software .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Extra/Other Software .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Version Control .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Git? ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Networking .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Servers ................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Other ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Controls .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
Control: input, keyboard, gamepad, controller, … ............................................................................................ 10
Input / Keystrokes ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Timeline .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
Game Concept ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Game Prototyping ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Game Blockout .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Level Design ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Alpha ................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Beta ................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Soft Launch ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
Release Date ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

2
Target audience .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Story .................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Start/Intrigue..................................................................................................................................................... 13
Main .................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Part 2 ................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Part 3 ................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Ending/Plot........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Sequel Teaser? .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Game mission .................................................................................................................................................. 14
Game flowchart ............................................................................................................................................... 15
Mechanics .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Physics ................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Player tutorial / help system ...................................................................................................................... 18
Player Character ............................................................................................................................................. 19
Combat ............................................................................................................................................................... 20
NPC’s / AI .......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Boss fights ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Main Villain ....................................................................................................................................................... 22
NPCS .................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Boss Fights Environment ................................................................................................................................... 22
Powerups ........................................................................................................................................................... 23
Economy: Coins, Collectables, … .............................................................................................................. 24
Blueprints .......................................................................................................................................................... 25
User Interface (UI) ................................................................................................................................................. 26
Color Scheme .................................................................................................................................................... 26
HUD ingame ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Main Menu ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Options Menu ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Pause Screen ..................................................................................................................................................... 26
Win Screen ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Lose Screen ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
Inventory ........................................................................................................................................................... 27
Scorekeeping ..................................................................................................................................................... 27
Rankings Screen ................................................................................................................................................ 27
extra UI .............................................................................................................................................................. 27

3
Game rules: How to win / How to lose .................................................................................................. 28
How to win ........................................................................................................................................................ 28
What happens when the player wins ................................................................................................................ 28
How to lose ....................................................................................................................................................... 28
What happens when the player loses ............................................................................................................... 28
General Game Rules .......................................................................................................................................... 28
Quests ................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Cheat codes / Easter eggs .......................................................................................................................... 30
Level Design & Game Art ............................................................................................................................ 31
Environment: type of landscape / rooms .......................................................................................................... 31
interactable vs static objects ............................................................................................................................. 31
2D/3D models ................................................................................................................................................... 31
Decals ................................................................................................................................................................ 31
Levels: amount / different areas / training level............................................................................................... 31
Sky Atmosphere / Weather ............................................................................................................................... 31
Sound Design ................................................................................................................................................... 32
Music ................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Ambient Audio .................................................................................................................................................. 32
Sounds Effects ................................................................................................................................................... 32
Other ................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Player bounds / Blocking volumes ........................................................................................................... 33
Visual representation or blocking volumes ....................................................................................................... 33
Where / Location .............................................................................................................................................. 33
Particle effects / VFX ..................................................................................................................................... 34
Particle Effects................................................................................................................................................... 34
VFX .................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Other effects ..................................................................................................................................................... 34
Cinematics / Cutscenes / Splash screens ............................................................................................. 35
Saving / Loading / Checkpoint system .................................................................................................. 36
Testing & debugging ..................................................................................................................................... 37
Packaging frequency & Methods ............................................................................................................... 38
Marketing ........................................................................................................................................................... 39
Budget ............................................................................................................................................................... 39
Free Marketing options ..................................................................................................................................... 39
Paid Marketing options ..................................................................................................................................... 39
Game/Marketing Release Platforms ................................................................................................................. 39

4
 Marketing Funnel .............................................................................................................................................. 39
Trailer ................................................................................................................................................................ 39
Website ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Social media ...................................................................................................................................................... 39
Community building .......................................................................................................................................... 39
Advantages vs competitors ............................................................................................................................... 39
Free Keys / Playertesters? ................................................................................................................................. 40
Pricing Model .................................................................................................................................................... 40
Events & Conventions ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Risk Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 40
Press .................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Legal / Licences / Royalties ................................................................................................................................... 41
Sources ............................................................................................................................................................... 42
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................................... 43
Game Design Document ................................................................................................................................... 43
Other ................................................................................................................................................................. 43
Notes ................................................................................................................................................................... 44

5
GAME CONCEPT & GENERAL

GENRE

2D, 3D, VR, AR, OTHER

SINGLE-PLAYER OR MULTIPLAYER

SCOPE OF GAME & LEVELS? WORD PARTIONING NEEDED?

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

PLATROMS & DISTRIBUTION: PC, APPLE, IOS, ANDROID, XBOX, PLAYSTATION, …

SOLO DEV OR TEAM? TEAM ROLES?

LANGUAGES

6
GAME BRAINSTORM NOTES

7
SOFTWARE NEEDED: GAME ENGINE, 3D, MUSIC, TEXTURING

GAME ENGINE

3D MODEL SOFTWARE

MUSIC SOFTWARE

TEXTURING SOFTWARE

EXTRA/OTHER SOFTWARE

8
VERSION CONTROL

GIT?

NETWORKING

SERVERS

OTHER

9
CONTROLS

CONTROL: INPUT, KEYBOARD, GAMEPAD, CONTROLLER, …

INPUT / KEYSTROKES

Input Action Keyboard / Mouse Extra input?

Movement WASD
Turn/Look Mouse
Jump Space
Sprinting Shift
Interact E

10
TIMELINE

GAME CONCEPT

GAME PROTOTYPING

GAME BLOCKOUT

LEVEL DESIGN

ALPHA

BETA

SOFT LAUNCH

RELEASE DATE

11
TARGET AUDIENCE

12
STORY

START/INTRIGUE

MAIN

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

ENDING/PLOT

SEQUEL TEASER?

13
GAME MISSION

14
GAME FLOWCHART

15
MECHANICS

16
PHYSICS

17
PLAYER TUTORIAL / HELP SYSTEM

18
PLAYER CHARACTER

19
COMBAT

20
NPC’S / AI

21
BOSS FIGHTS

MAIN VILLAIN

NPCS

BOSS FIGHTS ENVIRONMENT

22
POWERUPS

23
ECONOMY: COINS, COLLECTABLES, …

24
BLUEPRINTS

25
USER INTERFACE (UI)

COLOR SCHEME

HUD INGAME

MAIN MENU

OPTIONS MENU

PAUSE SCREEN

WIN SCREEN

26
LOSE SCREEN

INVENTORY

SCOREKEEPING

RANKINGS SCREEN

EXTRA UI

27
GAME RULES: HOW TO WIN / HOW TO LOSE

HOW TO WIN

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PLAYER WINS

HOW TO LOSE

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PLAYER LOSES

GENERAL GAME RULES

28
QUESTS

29
CHEAT CODES / EASTER EGGS

30
LEVEL DESIGN & GAME ART

ENVIRONMENT: TYPE OF LANDSCAPE / ROOMS

INTERACTABLE VS STATIC OBJECTS

2D/3D MODELS

DECALS

LEVELS: AMOUNT / DIFFERENT AREAS / TRAINING LEVEL

SKY ATMOSPHERE / WEATHER

31
SOUND DESIGN

MUSIC

AMBIENT AUDIO

SOUNDS EFFECTS

OTHER

32
PLAYER BOUNDS / BLOCKING VOLUMES

VISUAL REPRESENTATION OR BLOCKING VOLUMES

WHERE / LOCATION

33
PARTICLE EFFECTS / VFX

PARTICLE EFFECTS

VFX

OTHER EFFECTS

34
CINEMATICS / CUTSCENES / SPLASH SCREENS

35
SAVING / LOADING / CHECKPOINT SYSTEM

36
TESTING & DEBUGGING

37
PACKAGING FREQUENCY & METHODS

38
MARKETING

BUDGET

FREE MARKETING OPTIONS

PAID MARKETING OPTIONS

GAME/MARKETING RELEASE PLATFORMS

MARKETING FUNNEL

TRAILER

WEBSITE

SOCIAL MEDIA

COMMUNITY BUILDING

ADVANTAGES VS COMPETITORS

39
FREE KEYS / PLAYERTESTERS?

PRICING MODEL

EVENTS & CONVENTIONS

RISK ANALYSIS

PRESS

40
LEGAL / LICENCES / ROYALTIES

41
SOURCES

42
BIBLIOGRAPHY

GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT

Feel free to use this GGD to build your own game or any other project for
personal and commercial use. Credits or attribution are not required but
appreciated.
Copyright © Buvesa Game Development. All rights reserved.

OTHER

43
NOTES

44