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Tips for Starting and Finishing Your Game
It is easy to start a game project but even the most seasoned developers often have trouble finishing what they started. Many developers find themselves full of great ideas but unable to stick to one long enough to see it through. Here are some tips to get you over the hump in your first project:
Start Small:
If you are working on your first ever game, it's best to start with an idea that is small scale. Many new developers have ambitious ideas for their games. It is probably a better idea to start with a more manageable concept that you can build upon as your skills improve. Start small and then build your MMO after you have a few projects under your belt.
Build Around a Core Concept or Mechanic:
Keep your game conceptually focused, and it will become much easier to get it off the ground. Consider what gives your project its identity. Is it a clever mechanic? Is it the story or vibe of your game? Allow that to inform the rest of your design decisions. Building around that one idea will prevent you from losing sight of the identity and direction of your game.
Don't Overscope:
Even with a manageable and focused concept, it can be easy to overscope. Maybe your core game flow is almost done, and you want to add multiplayer, post-processing effects, or a bunch of new mechanics. Refrain from adding too many complications so that you can finish the game at ease.
Hold Yourself Accountable:
By setting a deadline, you are saying to yourself that you plan to finish this project. Setting a deadline also prevents you from fixating on your project at the expense of your other ideas.
Show It to Your Friends:
Make something that you feel comfortable showing to other people. You wouldn’t let your closest friends play a game with a bunch of bugs, no sound effects, and a broken user interface, would you? Make sure your game is completed to the point that you would let a friend play it without worrying.
Finishing a project—even a small project—is a challenge. Keep yourself on track, and you’ll be sure to get it done.
Game on,
PBJ, Jox Digital Educator
info@jox.digital
A Jox Thought: From weapon fixes to glitches in battle royale games, will we continue to see how this genre builds upon itself with storylines or will we see a new trend?
It's about a circle closing until there is one person left. The Mario Party genre (i.e. Fall Guys) knows how to bring people together, too. Don't lose that in sight.
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