Game Design Document Markdown Template

GDD.md

Revision: 0.0.1

GDD Template Written by: Benjamin “HeadClot” Stanley

• Overview
  • Theme / Setting / Genre
  • Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief
  • Targeted platforms
  • Monetization model (Brief/Document)
  • Project Scope
  • Influences (Brief)
    • <Influence #1>
    • <Influence #2>
    • <Influence #3>
    • <Influence #4>
  • The elevator Pitch
  • Project Description (Brief):
  • Project Description (Detailed)
• What sets this project apart?
  • Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)
    • <Core Gameplay Mechanic #1>
    • <Core Gameplay Mechanic #2>
    • <Core Gameplay Mechanic #3>
    • <Core Gameplay Mechanic #4>
• Story and Gameplay
  • Story (Brief)
  • Story (Detailed)
  • Gameplay (Brief)
  • Gameplay (Detailed)
• Assets Needed
  • 2D
  • 3D
  • Sound
  • Code
  • Animation
• Schedule
  • <Object #1>
  • <Object #2>
  • <Object #3>
  • <Object #4>

Overview

Theme / Setting / Genre

Core Gameplay Mechanics Brief

• <Gameplay Mechanic #1>
• <Gameplay Mechanic #2>
• <Gameplay Mechanic #3>
• <Gameplay Mechanic #4>

Targeted platforms

• <Example Platform #1 Here>
• <Example Platform #2 Here>
• <Example Platform #3 Here>

Monetization model (Brief/Document)

• Monetization Type (Premium, Paid Alpha/Beta/Final, Ad Driven, Micro-transactions, Subscription, etc.)
• Link to Monetization Document (How do you plan to monetize the game?)

Project Scope

• Game Time Scale
  • Cost? (How much will it cost?)
  • Time Scale (How long will it take to make this game?)
• Team Size
  • Core Team
    • Team Member name?
      • What does he/she do?
      • Cost to employ them full time or part time
    • etc. (List as many core team members as you need to)
  • Marketing Team
    • Team Member name?
      • What does he/she do?
      • Cost to employ them full time or part time
    • Etc. (List as many marketing team members as you need to)
  • Licenses / Hardware / Other Costs
  • Total Costs with breakdown

Influences (Brief)

• Influence #1
  • Medium (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)
  • /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/
• Influence #2
  • Medium (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)
  • /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/
• Influence #3
  • Medium (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)
  • /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/
• Influence #4>
  • Medium (Television, Games, Literature, Movies, etc.)
  • /Explain why this is an influence in 1 Paragraph or less/

The elevator Pitch

[A one sentence pitch for your game.] Pretend that your were pitching your game to a executive going to the elevator. You have less than 60 Seconds.

Project Description (Brief):

[Two Paragraphs at least] [No more than three paragraphs]

Project Description (Detailed)

[Four Paragraphs or more If needs be] [No more than six paragraphs]

What sets this project apart?

• <Reason #1>
• <Reason #2>
• <Reason #3>
• <Reason #4>
• <etc.>

Core Gameplay Mechanics (Detailed)

• [Core Gameplay Mechanic #1]
  • [Details] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
  • [How it works] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
• [Core Gameplay Mechanic #2]
  • [Details] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
  • [How it works] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
• [Core Gameplay Mechanic #3]
  • [Details] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
  • [How it works] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
• [Core Gameplay Mechanic #4]
  • [Details] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/
  • [How it works] /Describe in 2 Paragraphs or less/

Story and Gameplay

Story (Brief)

[The Summary or TL;DR version of below]

Story (Detailed)

[Go into as much detail as needs be] [Spare no detail] [Use Mind Mapping software to get your point across]

Gameplay (Brief)

[The Summary version of below]

Gameplay (Detailed)

[Go into as much detail as needs be] [Spare no detail] [Combine this with the game mechanics section above]

Assets Needed

2D

• Textures
  • Environment Textures
• Heightmap data (If applicable)
  • List required data required - Example: DEM data of the entire UK.
• Etc.

3D

• Characters List
  • Character #1
  • Character #2
  • Character #3
  • etc.
• Environmental Art Lists
  • Example #1
  • Example #2
  • Example #3
  • etc.

Sound

• Sound List (Ambient)
  • Outside
    • Level 1
    • Level 2
    • Level 3
    • etc.
  • Inside
    • Level 1
    • Level 2
    • Level 3
    • etc.
• Sound List (Player)
  • Character Movement Sound List
    • Example 1
    • Example 2
    • etc.
  • Character Hit / Collision Sound list
    • Example 1
    • Example 2
    • etc.
  • Character on Injured / Death sound list
    • Example 1
    • Example 2
    • etc.

Code

• Character Scripts (Player Pawn/Player Controller)
  • Example
• Ambient Scripts (Runs in the background)
  • Example
• NPC Scripts
  • Example

Animation

• Environment Animations
  • Example
• Character Animations
  • Player
    • Example
  • NPC
    • Example

Schedule

• <Object #1>
  • Time Scale
    • Milestone 1
    • Milestone 2
    • Etc.
• <Object #2>
  • Time Scale
    • Milestone 1
    • Milestone 2
    • Etc.
• <Object #3>
  • Time Scale
    • Milestone 1
    • Milestone 2
    • Etc.
• <Object #4>
  • Time Scale
    • Milestone 1
    • Milestone 2
    • Etc.