Baldwin Game Design Document Template

 

Game Design Document Outline Version 0.1(draft) October 10, 2005 By Mark Baldwin Baldwin Consulting http://baldwinconsulting.org The Game Design Document (GDD) it the blueprint from which a computer or video game is to be built. As such, every single detail detail necessary to build the game must be addressed in the the document (or (or support documents). If it’s it’s not in the document, then it  probably won’t be in the game. Below you will find an outline for a generic Game Design Design Document. The problem is that no generic GDD will be able to address all the various genres for which a game may  be created. For example, consider the games games PacMan, SimCity and Doom. All three games required detailed design documents, but b ut if you think about it, those do documents cuments would be entirely different! different! As such, when using the outl outline ine below you will find find sections that will be totally totally meaningless to your game. But also, there will be sections that your  GDD requires to describe the the game. Just because it’s not in my outline, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t belong. The GDD is is a reference document. Members of the development team will constantly  be using the document to find find specific information for their specific specific needs. Consider the size such a document may grow to to in order to document every piece of the game. We don’t want the GDD to cause information overload and then become a prop under  somebody’s wobbly desk. As such it is important that you organize and format format the document to make it easy to use. Also note that some of these sections might n not ot appear  in the GDD itself but instead would appear app ear in supplemental documents such as an Art Bible or Test Plan. This helps make the overall document more manageable and readable. One last comment, a game design document is meant to be a living living document. Just as when the artist changes the design of his painting every time he takes his brush to the canvas, a computer or video gam gamee evolves as code and art are created. The GDD then then is the communication tool from which all the members of the team can follow that evolution.

 

1. Title Pa Page 1.1. Game Name – Perhaps Perhaps also add a subtitle or high concept sentence. 1.2. Copyright Copyright Inform Information ation 1.3. Version Version Number, Number, author, author, date 2. Table of Content Contentss – Make sure sure this include includess all the subsect subsections ions to make make finding finding material. If practical, hyper hyper linking the document will help here. 3. Design Histo History ry – This is is a change listing listing quickly quickly describing describing each major major version version and changes. 4. Sect Sectio ion n I - Gam Gamee Over Overvi view ew 4.1. Game Game Concep Conceptt 4.2. Featur Featuree Set Set 4.3. 4.3. Genr Genree 4.4. Target Target Audienc Audiencee 4.5. Game Flow Summary – How does the the player move through through the game. Both through framing interface and the game itself. 4.6. Look and Feel – What is the basic look and feel feel of the game? What is the the visual style? 4.7. Project Project Scope – A summary summary of the scope scope of the game. 4.7. 4.7.1. 1. Numb Number er of of loc locat atio ions ns 4.7. 4.7.2. 2. Numb Number er of le leve vels ls 4. 4.7. 7.3. 3. Numb Number er of of NPC NPC’s ’s 4.7. 4.7.4. 4. Numb Number er of weap weapons ons 4.7.5. Etc. 5. Secti Section on II - Gamepl Gameplay ay and Mechani Mechanics cs 5.1. Gamepl Gameplay ay 5.1. 5.1.1. 1. Game Game Progr Progres essi sion on 5.1.2. 5.1 .2. Missio Mission/c n/chal hallen lenge ge S Stru tructu cture re 5.1. 5.1.3. 3. Pu Puzz zzle le St Stru ruct ctur uree 5.1.4. Objectives Objectives – What What are the object objectives ives of of the the game? game? 5.1.5. Play Flow – How does does the the game flow for the the game player  player  5.2. Mechanics – What What are the the rules to the game, both implicit implicit and explicit. This is theamodel the do universe theinteract? game works Think of it as a simulation of world,ofhow all the the that pieces Thisunder. actually can be a very large section. 5.2.1. Physics Physics – How does does the the physical physical universe universe work? work? 5. 5.2. 2.2. 2. Move Moveme ment nt 5.2 5.2.2.1. Gen eneeral Mov oveemen entt 5.2.2.2. Other Mo Movement 5.2.3. Objects 5.2 5.2.3.1. Picking Up Up Ob Objects 5.2.3.2. Moving Ob Objects 5.2.4. Actions 5. 5.2. 2.4. 4.1. 1. Swi Switches ches and and But Buttons tons 5. 5.2. 2.4. 4.2. 2. Pick Pickin ing g Up, Up, Carr Carryi ying ng and and Dro Dropp ppin ing g 5.2.4.3.

Talking

 

5.2.4.4. Reading 5.2.5. Combat – If If there is is combat or or even conflict conflict,, how is this this specifical specifically ly modeled? 5.2.6. Economy Economy – What What is the economy economy of the game? How does does it work? 5.3. Screen Screen Flow Flow 5.3.1. Screen Screen Flow Chart Chart – A graphical graphical descripti description on of how each screen screen is relat related ed to every other  5.3.2. Screen Screen Descripti Descriptions ons – What What is the purpose purpose of each screen? screen? 5.3 5.3.2.1. Main Menu Screen 5.3.2.2. Options Sc Screen 5.3.2.3. Etc. 5.4. Game Options – What are the the options and how do they affect game play and mechanics? 5.5. Replaying Replaying and and Saving Saving 5.6. Cheats and Easter Easter Eggs 6. Secti Section on III III – Story, Story, Sett Setting ing and and Charact Character  er  6.1. Story and Narrative - Specific details like like scripts and cut scenes may may not be in this document but be in the Story Bible. 6. 6.1. 1.1. 1. Back Back stor story y 6. 6.1. 1.2. 2. Plot Plot Ele Eleme ment ntss 6.1. 6.1.3. 3. Game Game Progr Progres essi sion on 6.1. 6.1.4. 4. Li Lice cens nsee Cons Consid ider erat atio ions ns 6. 6.1. 1.5. 5. Cut Cut Sce Scene ness 6.1.5.1. Cut scene #1 6. 6.1. 1.5. 5.1. 1.1. 1. Acto Actors rs 6.1.5 6.1.5.1 .1.2. .2. Desc Descri ript ptio ion n 6.1.5 6.1.5.1 .1.3. .3. St Stor oryb yboa oard rd 6. 6.1. 1.5. 5.1. 1.4. 4. Sc Scri ript pt 6.1.5.2. Cut scene #2 6.1.5.3. etc. 6.2. Game Game Worl World d 6.2.1. 6.2 .1. Genera Generall look look and and feel feel of world world 6.2.6. 2.2.2. Ar1. ea #1Gene 6.2. 2.1. Generral Des Descr criipti ption 6. 6.2. 2.2. 2.2. 2. Phys Physic ical al Char Charac acte teri rist stic icss 6.2 6.2.2.3. Levels els th that us use ar area 6. 6.2. 2.2. 2.4. 4. Conn Connec ecti tion onss to othe otherr ar area eass 6.2.3. Area #2 6.2.3.1. etc. 6.3. Charact Characters ers 6. 6.3. 3.1. 1. Char Charac acte terr #1 6.3.1.1. Back story 6.3.1.2. Personality 6.3.1.3. Look   6.3.1.3 6.3. 1.3.1. .1. Physic Physical al chara characte cteris ristic ticss 6.3.1 6.3.1.3 .3.2. .2. Anim Animat atio ions ns

 

6.3 6.3.1.4. Special Abi Abilities 6. 6.3. 3.1. 1.5. 5. Rele Releva vanc ncee to to gam gamee st story ory 6. 6.3. 3.1. 1.6. 6. Rela Relati tion onsh ship ip to to othe otherr char charac acte ters rs 6.3.1.7. Statistics 6. 6.3. 3.2. 2. Char Charac acte terr #2 6.3.3. etc. 7. Sect Sectio ion n IV IV – L Lev evel elss 7.1. 7.1. Le Leve vell #1 7. 7.1. 1.1. 1. Syn ynop opsi siss 7.1.2. Introductor Introductory y Material Material (Cut scene? Mission Mission briefing?) briefing?) 7. 7.1. 1.3. 3. Obje Object ctiv ives es 7.1. 7.1.4. 4. Ph Phys ysic ical al Descr Descrip ipti tion on 7.1.5. Map 7. 7.1. 1.6. 6. Crit Critic ical al Pat Path h 7. 7.1. 1.7. 7. Enco Encoun unte ters rs 7.1. 7.1.8. 8. Le Leve vell Walk Walkth thro rough ugh 7.1. 7.1.9. 9. Cl Clos osin ing g Mate Materi rial al 7.2. 7.2. Le Leve vell #2 7. 7.3. 3. etc. etc. 7.4. Traini Training ng Level 8. Sect Sectio ion n V - Inte Interf rfac acee 8.1. Visual Visual System System 8.1. 8.1.1. 1. HUD HUD - What What co cont ntro rols ls 8.1.2. Menus 8.1. 8.1.3. 3. Rende Renderi ring ng Syst System em 8.1.4. Camera 8.1. 8.1.5. 5. Li Light ghtin ing g Mode Models ls 8.2. Control System System – How does the game player control the the game? What are the specific commands? 8.3. 8.3. Audio Audio 8.4. 8.4. Musi Musicc 8.5. Sound Sound Effect Effectss 8.6. Help Help Syste System m 9. Secti Section on VI - Artif Artifici icial al Intell Intellige igence nce 9.1. Opponent AI – The active opponent that plays plays against the game player and therefore requires strategic decision making (example, Civilization or Chess, how is it to be designed? 9.2. Enemy AI – Villains Villains and and Monsters Monsters 9.3. Non-combat Non-combat Charac Characters ters 9.4. Friendly Friendly Characters Characters 9.5. Suppor Supportt AI AI 9.5.1. 9.5 .1. Player Player and Coll Collisi ision on Detect Detection ion 9. 9.5. 5.2. 2. Pa Path thfi find ndin ing g 10. Section VII – Technical – This This may be abbreviated with most in the Technical Bible. 10.1. Target Hardware 10.2.

Development h haardware an and so software

 

10.3 0.3. Develo elopment p prrocedure ures and stan and dards 10.4. Game Engine 10.5. Network   10.6. Scripting La Language 10.7. etc. 11. Section VIII – Game Art - This may be abbreviated with most of the content in an Art Bible. 11.1. Concept Art 11.2. Style Guides 11.3. Characters 11.4. Environments 11.5. Equipment 11.6. Cut scenes 11.7. Miscellaneous 12. Section Section IX - Secondary Software Software 12.1. Editor   12.2. Installer   12.3. Update software 13. Section Section X - Management Management 13.1. Detailed Schedule 13.2. Budget 13.3. Risk Analysis 13.4. Localization Plan 13.5. Test Plan 14. Appendi Appendices ces 14.1. Asset List 14 14.1. .1.1. 1. Ar Artt 14.1. 14. 1.1.1 1.1.. Model Model an and d Text Textur uree Li List st 14.1 14.1.1 .1.2 .2.. Anim Animat atio ion n List List 14.1 14.1.1 .1.3 .3.. Eff Effec ects ts Li List 14.1 14.1.1 .1.4 .4.. Inte Interf rfac acee Ar Artt List List 14.1 14.1.1 .1.5 .5.. Cut Cut ssce cene ne Li List 14.1.2. 14. 1.2. Sound Sound 14.1. 14. 1.2.1 2.1.. 14.1 14.1.2 .2.2 .2.. 14.1 14.1.2 .2.3 .3.. 14.1.3. 14. 1.3. Music Music 14 14..1.3.1 .1.. 14 14..1.3.2 .2.. 14 14..1.3.3 .3.. 14 14..1.3.4 .4.. 14.1.4. 14. 1.4. Voice Voice 14.1 14.1.4 .4.1 .1.. 14.1 14.1.4 .4.2 .2.. 14.1.4.3.

Envi Enviro ronm nment ental al Sound Soundss Weap Weapon on Soun Sounds ds Inte Interf rfac acee So Soun unds ds Ambient “Act Action” Victory Defe efeat Act Actor #1 #1 lin lines es Act Actor #2 #2 lin lines es Etc.