Video Game Development Sprint 1 Mechanics

Basic Game Development Overview

Basic Video Game Project Home

Sprint 2

Sprint 3

Task #1: Goals for Sprint 1

Re-order your Trello tasks with the help of the section below. Make sure that functionality comes before aesthetics (eg. leave the art until you have gameplay!)

Write your Sprint 1 Goals in your development log now!

Sprint 1 Should be.......

It's time to prioritize your tasks and work out what is most important for you to get right from the start.

The temptation is to start drawing lots of sprites- DON'T!!!!!!

The most important thing is to get a Minimum Viable Product with the minimum functionality as quickly as possible.

It is perfectly OK to have developer art at this stage (in fact it's critical that you do!).

Watch the video to the left for a great explanation of MVP.

And when you understand. Re-order and prioritize your Trello tasks into the most important than the top of the list and "nice to have" lower down.

Now fill out the Sprint 1 Planning Section of your Development Log!

Task #2: Sprint 1 Development

You should use the game you developed in the tutorials as a starting point for your game. There is no point starting from a blank slate unless you really have to.

Use all your Game Development skills to try to complete as many of the tasks as you can in the next 3 weeks. Your lessons should follow a familiar routine.

Check your Trello.
Update your Trello, move tasks when done into done and select the next task. There should be one task per team member in the "Doing" list.
Do the task!
Repeat.

Your teacher should give you a countdown until "testing week". Make sure you are ready to build something for testing week and be brave: no-ones game is finished! But you've got to get others to test it to know how and where you need to adapt your plan.

From Game Maker's Toolkitgmtk.itch.io/platformer-toolkit

If you are making a 2D platformer one lesson during your sprint should be spent watching/playing this video essay. This will not only deepen your understanding of how small adjustments to a character's behavior can affect gameplay, but it also provides valuable insight into how developers craft experiences that feel intuitive and fun.

Your game should be fun to play and feel good even if you are just jumping as a square.

You should refine your jump heights, gravity, drag, and other physics until your controls feel amazing!

End of Sprint 1 Trialling and Feedback

Task #3: Publish Sprint 1 to itch.io

Uploading your game to itch.io

itch.io

itch.io is a game store/game jam site where you can upload your game to be played by the rest of the world.

If your game is not working:

Make sure the html file is named "index.html"
Make sure the "kind of project" is set to HTML
Make sure the the zip file you have uploaded is set to "This file will be played in browser"
You may also have to tick the SharedArrayBuffer support
Make sure your game is set to Public in Visibility & access

All these are in order on the Edit Project Page.

Task #4: Trial and Get Feedback

Create a google form and add it to your itch.io page as a link now!

More information below:

Feedback isn't easy

Using Google Forms is an effective method to collect valuable feedback for your game development process. Consider incorporating a feedback form alongside each sprint when you release updates. There is an example form to the right-->

At the very least, your feedback form should cover the following aspects:

Feedback as a Skill: Recognize that both giving and receiving feedback are skills that require practice. Maintain a positive and constructive approach throughout the feedback process.
Positive, Negative, and Interesting Analysis: Encourage users to share what they liked about your game, what they didn't like, and any unique or intriguing elements they noticed.
Specific Inquiries: Include targeted questions about critical aspects of your game, such as the playability of characters, appropriateness of the artwork, or any other relevant topics.
Suggested Enhancements: Encourage your audience to suggest improvements or additions they'd like to see in your game. While you may not implement every idea, this can inspire new concepts.
Optional Participation: It's crucial to respect your testers mana, preferences, and privacy by avoiding any mandatory fields in your form. Make sure that nothing in your form is marked as required, allowing users to provide feedback or share their email addresses at their discretion.
Observation of Gameplay: Actively watch people as they play your game. If you find yourself needing to assist them frequently, it suggests that your game may not effectively communicate its mechanics and objectives.
Diverse Testers: Involve individuals from your friends and family who may not typically play video games. Their fresh perspective can yield valuable feedback that you might not receive from seasoned gamers.

Example of a basic feedback google form:

Task #5: Reflect on Sprint 1

Now it's time to review our feedback, record our progress and reflect on how well, or poorly, we have gone so far.

It is OK to have had trouble! What you need to do is admit to it and adjust your plan accordingly. It's common to "pivot" and simplify your final game at this stagfe. Remove features and make your life easier. Or if things have gone well, extend your game idea and bring in some new features. Project management is about managing the good and the bad to ensure you deliver by the end of the project.

Fill out Sprint 1 Testing and Feedback now!

and

Fill out Sprint 1 Project Reflection now!

Screen to Gif

Screen to Gif is an intuitive and powerful tool for collecting short snippits of gameplay. This can be used to show cool things you have made in your development log or bugs as they happen. You can put gifs straight into your google docs!

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