Game Development in an Hour a Day: My 12-Week Roadmap

Submitted by Rob on

Phase 1: Planning & Learning(weeks 1-3)

  1. Week 1
    1. Day 1-2: Define game concept
      1. outline game idea, mechanics, audience
      2. sketch basic game flow and game loop
    2. Day 3-7: Set up development environment
      1. install engine and other tools
      2. get familiar with engine interface and features
  2. Week 2: Learn Basics
    1. Day 8-9: follow a few beginner tutorials
      1. Complete a few tutorials from the game engine.
    2. Day 10-13: Experiment with simple mechanics
      1. Recreate basic game mechanic(Char movements, collisions)
    3. Day 14: Review & Reflect
      1. Write down what I've learned, challenges faced, and solutions to those challenges
  3. Week 3: Prototype Development
    1. Day 15-17: create simple prototype
      1. Implement basic version of game mechanics
    2. Day 18-20: test and iterate
      1. Play-test prototype, identify issues, make improvements
    3. Day 21: Document Progress
      1. Summarize what works, what doesn't and next steps.

Phase 2: Development (Weeks 4-8)

  1. Week 4: Expand the prototype
    1. Day 22-24: Add New features
      1. Implement additional mechanics or features 
    2. Day 25-27: Refine Game Mechanics
      1. Fine-tune features for better game play experience
    3. Day 28: Review & Plan Next Steps
      1. Evaluate progress and adjust plans if needed.
  2. Week 5: Art & Sound Integration
    1. Day 29-31: Basic Art Creation and Integration
      1. Simple art to start with(placeholders are fine).
    2. Day 32-33: Sound Effects and Music
      1. integrate basic sound effects and music
    3. Day 34-35: Test & Adjust
      1. Test how art and sound affect game-play, make adjustments.
  3. Week 6: Polish Core Game-play
    1. Day 36-40: Focus on Polish
      1. Refine the game-play loop, adjust difficulty, improve controls.
    2. Day 41: Document progress
      1. Record what's been improved and what's still needed.
  4. Week 7: Build Additional Levels/Content
    1. Day 42-46: Create Additional Levels/Content
      1. Design and implement additional levels or game content.
    2. Day 47-48: Test Levels
      1. Play-test new content, adjust for balance and pacing - change order of levels.
    3. Day 49: Review & Plan Next Steps
  5. Week 8: Finalize MVP(Minimum Viable Product)
    1. Day 50-53: Final Adjustments
      1. Make final tweaks to mechanics, art, and sound? Not The game-play stuff since those are already play tested. 
    2. Day 54-55: Bug Fixing
      1. Focus on identifying and fixing bugs.
    3. Day 56: Final Play-test & Review
      1. Conduct a thorough play-test and prepare for the next phase.

Phase 3: Testing & Feedback(Weeks 9-10)

  1. Week 9: Internal Testing
    1. Day 57-60: Test with Friends/Peers
      1. Share the game with a small group(Family) for feedback.
    2. Day 61-62: Analyze Feedback
      1. Gather and analyze feedback, identifying areas for improvement.
  2. Week 10: Final Adjustments
    1. Day 63-65: Implement Feedback
      1. Make changes based on feedback received.
    2. Day 66-68: Polish & Optimize
      1. Focus on final polishing and optimization.
    3. Day 69-70: Prepare for Release
      1. Get the game ready for a soft release or demo.

Phase 4: Release & Post-Release(Week 11+)

  1. Week 11: Soft Release
    1. Day 71-73: Release MVP
      1. Launch game or demo small audience.
    2. Day 74-75: Gather Feedback
      1. Monitor feedback and initial reactions.
  2. Week 12: Post-Release Updates
    1. Day 76-80: Bug Fixes & Updates
      1. Address any post-release issues and make necessary updates
  3. Week 13+: Plan Future Updates
    1. Start planning for additional content, features, or next project