Game Design Document (GDD) | Game Testing All in One (Game Development Series)

This is the document that everyone involved with the game comes to for an understanding of the game's details.

Different parts of the document will take shape over time. You won't be ready to write final dialogue on the first day of product development, for example, but you should know how many characters you'll be asking the art team to create. Similarly, you won't have a detailed level walkthrough on day one, but you should know what will happen in each level, what equipment the player will start with, and what new toys he'll acquire.

What's important for you to realize is that at some point, you'll need to document all the following information. Keep it current. Failure to maintain an up-to-date game design document (or, more accurately, set of documents) will cause team members to waste their time creating features whose specifications have been altered , or that may no longer be needed at all.

You'll notice that a change list is not included as part of this document. While it's important to keep a change list for many documents ( especially formal agreements between companies), it's hard enough to get people to read the current design document, much less slog through information that's out-of-date. Instead, see the final document in this appendix, which contains a separate change list and project archives.

The following game design doc template can be used for an action game, and it can be modified for games in other genres as needed. Please note that many of the "lists" should actually be maintained as linked spreadsheets or tables. Also note that the order of the sections is somewhat arbitrary; you should order the sections in your own GDD in the way that makes most sense to you.

See Chapter 5 for additional notes about developing and maintaining the game design document.

Game Name
1. Copyright Information
Table of Contents
SECTION I: PROJECT OVERVIEW
1. Team Personnel (with contact information for each individual)
  1. Production Team
    1. Producer
      1. Office phone
      2. Home phone
      3. Cell phone
      4. Email
    2. Assistant Producer
      1. Same contact info as above
    3. Etc.
  2. Design Team
    1. Design Lead
    2. Level Designer #1
    3. Writer #1
    4. Etc.
  3. Programming Team
    1. Tech Lead
    2. Additional Programmers
  4. Art Team
    1. Art Lead
    2. Additional Artists
  5. QA Team
    1. QA Lead
    2. Additional Testers
  6. External Contractors
    1. Mocap Company
      1. Contact Name
      2. Contact Phone Number
      3. Company Address
    2. Composer
    3. Sound Effects House
    4. CGI house
    5. Voice Director
    6. Etc.
2. Executive Summary
  1. High Concept
  2. The Hook
  3. Story Synopsis and Setting
  4. Genre & Scope (such as number of missions or levels)
  5. Visual Style (2D? 3D? Isometric? etc.)
  6. Engine (and editor?)
3. Core Gameplay (What does the player do ?)
  1. Single-player
  2. Co-op?
  3. Multiplayer?
4. Game Features
  1. Gameplay innovations
  2. Advances in AI
  3. Artistic techniques and achievements
  4. License tie-ins (if applicable )
  5. Other features that will make this game better than others like it on the market
5. Project Scope
  1. Number of distinct locations
  2. Number of levels/missions
  3. Number of NPCs
  4. Number of weapons
  5. Number of vehicles
  6. Etc.
6. Target Audience
7. Delivery Platform(s)
SECTION II: STORY, SETTING, AND CHARACTER
1. Story
  1. Back story
  2. In-game story (What happens during the game)
2. Environments
  1. Area #1
    1. General description
    2. Physical characteristics
    3. List of levels that take place in this area
  2. Area #2
  3. Etc.
3. Characters
  1. Player Character(s)
    1. Personality
    2. Back story
    3. "Look"
    4. Special abilities
      1. Ability #1
        
        When it's acquired
        
        How the player invokes it
        
        Effect it has on the world
        
        Graphic effect that accompanies it
      2. Ability #2
      3. Etc.
    5. Weapon set
    6. Regular animations
      1. Walk, run, climb, roll, swim, crouch , crawl, idle, etc.
    7. Situation-specific animations
    8. Statistics (if applicable)
  2. Allies
    1. Ally #1
      1. Personality
      2. Relationship to player character
      3. Back story
      4. "Look"
      5. Special abilities
      6. Weapon set
      7. Regular animations
      8. Situation-specific animations
      9. Statistics
    2. Ally #2
    3. Etc.
  3. Bad Guys
    1. Ultimate bad guy
      1. Personality
      2. Relationship to player character
      3. Back story
      4. "Look"
      5. Special abilities
      6. Weapon set
      7. Regular animations
      8. Situation-specific animations
      9. Statistics
    2. Sub-bosses
    3. Grunts
  4. Neutrals
    1. World NPCs
      1. NPC#1
        
        Attitude towards player character
        
        Function in the game
        
        Animation set
      2. NPC#2
      3. Etc.
      4. Level Flow (A flowchart that summarizes the action of each level, and the cutscenes or mission briefings [if any] that take place between them)
SECTION III: COMBAT
1. Weapons
  1. Weapon #1
    1. General description and most effective use
    2. When it is first acquired
    3. Art (if available)
    4. Statistics (for both primary and secondary fire)
      1. Type of ammunition
      2. Shots per clip
      3. Fire rate
      4. Reload rate
      5. Damage inflicted
      6. Range
  2. Weapon #2
  3. Etc.
2. Spells
  1. Spell #1
    1. Description
    2. When it is first acquired
    3. How the player invokes it
    4. Statistics
      1. Range
      2. "Refire rate"
      3. Damage
      4. Area of effect
  2. Spell #2
  3. Etc.
3. Inventory Items/Gadgets
  1. Item #1
    1. Brief physical description of the object
    2. When it is first acquired
    3. What it does
    4. Art (if available)
    5. How the player equips it
    6. Statistics
  2. Item #2
  3. Etc.
4. Powerups
  1. Powerup #1
    1. Brief physical description of how the object is represented in the world
    2. When it is first acquired
    3. Art (if available)
    4. What it does
    5. Statistics
      1. Effect
      2. Duration
  2. Powerup #2
  3. Etc.
5. Melee (hand-to-hand) combat (if applicable)
  1. Attacks
  2. Defensive moves
  3. Combos
6. Vehicles (if applicable)
  1. Capacity
  2. Speed
  3. Armor
  4. Weaponry
  5. Combat statistics
  6. Etc.
SECTION IV: CONTROLS
1. PC Keyboard/Mouse Commands
  1. Default keys for movement controls
    1. Move forward
    2. Move backward
    3. Strafe left
    4. Strafe right
    5. Jump
    6. Etc.
  2. Default keys for using weapons
    1. Primary fire
    2. Alt-fire
    3. Reload
    4. Previous weapon
    5. Next weapon
    6. Etc.
  3. Inventory access and manipulation
  4. Menu access
2. Console Platform #1
  1. A picture of the controller explaining what each button does
  2. Movement controls
  3. Weapon controls
  4. Action controls
  5. Combos
  6. Force-feedback options
3. Console Platform #2
4. Etc.
SECTION V: INTERFACE
1. The Camera
  1. Standard view
  2. Alternate views
  3. Player-controllable options
2. HUD
  1. Worldview (what the player sees)
  2. Status information
    1. Health
    2. Energy
    3. Armor
    4. Weapon equipped
    5. Ammo remaining
    6. Mission objectives?
  3. Crosshairs (targeting reticule)
  4. Radar or proximity map?
3. Menus
  1. Game screen flow diagrams (schematic of how all the game's various screens are accessed)
  2. Start Menu
    1. Install
    2. Play game
    3. Explore CD (bonus features)
    4. Uninstall
    5. Quit
  3. Main Menu
    1. Single-Player
      1. Load game
      2. Save game
      3. Play training level
      4. Set difficulty level
    2. Co-op
    3. Multiplayer
      1. Connection instructions
      2. Character/team selection
  4. Game Menus
    1. Remap player controls
    2. Display (video)
    3. Audio
    4. Music
    5. Map
    6. Advanced
    7. Help screen
    8. Quit
  5. Inventory Menu
  6. Credits
SECTION VI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
1. NPC #1
  1. Statistics
    1. Field of view
    2. Range of view
    3. Etc.
  2. Internal states & the triggers that change them
    1. Idle
    2. Guarding an area
    3. Patrol
    4. Follow
    5. Search
    6. Etc.
  3. Movement
    1. Pathing
  4. Combat decisions
    1. Friend/foe recognition
    2. Targeting decisions
    3. Attack with ranged weapon
    4. Attack with melee weapon
    5. Take cover
    6. Team-based decisions
    7. Etc.
2. NPC #2
3. Etc.
SECTION VII: DETAILED LEVEL/MISSION DESCRIPTIONS
1. Level #1
  1. Synopsis
  2. Introductory material (Cutscene? Mission briefing?)
  3. Mission objectives (player goals)
  4. Physical description
  5. Map
  6. Enemy types encountered in-level
  7. Weapons/powerups available
  8. Level walkthrough, including scripted sequences and non-interactive scenes. This should also include any puzzles the player must solve, as well as the solutions to those puzzles.
  9. Closing material (Cutscene? Debriefing? Statistics menu?)
2. Level #2
3. Etc.
SECTION VIII: CUTSCENES
1. Cutscene #1
  1. List of actors
  2. Description of setting
  3. Storyboard thumbnails
  4. Script. This should be done in screenplay format, as if you were writing a movie. Include the action, suggested camera angles, location descriptions, etc. You must also include all lines of dialogue that are to be recorded or displayed on the screen.
2. Cutscene #2
3. Etc.
SECTION IX: SCORING, CHEATS, EASTER EGGS, & BONUSES
1. Score
  1. How score is tracked
  2. How score is communicated to the player
2. Cheats (God mode, all weapons, etc.)
  1. Cheat #1
    1. What it does
    2. How it's activated by the developer
    3. How it's unlocked by the player
  2. Cheat #2
  3. Etc.
3. Easter Eggs/Bonus Material
  1. Easter Egg #1
    1. What it is
    2. How it's activated/unlocked
  2. Easter Egg #2
  3. Etc.
SECTION X: GAME MODES
1. Single-player
2. Split-screen/coop (if applicable)
3. Multiplayer game types (if applicable)
  1. Gametype #1 (such as "Capture the Flag")
    1. Description of gameplay
    2. Min/max # of Players
    3. Rules
    4. Respawning
      1. Delay
      2. Respawn locations
      3. Default weapons
    5. Victory conditions
    6. Scoring
    7. Maps
  2. Gametype #2
  3. Etc.
SECTION XI: ASSET LIST
1. Art
  1. Model & Texture List
    1. Characters
      1. Player character
        
        Undamaged
        
        Damaged
      2. Allies
      3. Bad guys
      4. Neutrals
    2. Weapons
      1. Weapon #1
      2. Weapon #2
      3. Etc.
    3. Equipment/Gadgets
      1. Item #1
      2. Item #2
      3. Etc.
    4. Environmental Objects
      1. Object #1
      2. Object #2
      3. Etc.
  2. Animation list
  3. Characters
    1. Character #1
      1. Move #1
      2. Move #2
      3. Etc.
    2. Character #2
    3. Etc.
  4. Weapons
    1. Weapon #1
      1. Firing animation
      2. Reload animation
      3. Projectile in flight animation (if appropriate)
  5. Destructible or animated objects in the world
    1. Object #1
    2. Object #2
    3. Etc.
  6. Effects list
    1. Weapon effects list
      1. Firing effects
      2. Hit effects
      3. Etc.
    2. Environmental effects
      1. Decals
      2. Smoke
      3. Sparks
      4. Fire
      5. Explosions
      6. Etc.
  7. Interface Art List
    1. Icons
    2. Buttons
    3. Menus
    4. Windows
    5. Etc.
2. Sound
  1. Environmental Sounds
    1. Walking/running sounds on different surfaces
    2. Foley sounds of character actions within the game
    3. Explosions
    4. Doors opening and closing
    5. Etc.
  2. Weapon Sounds
    1. Weapon #1
      1. Firing sound
      2. Hit sound
      3. Reload sound
    2. Weapon #2
    3. Etc.
  3. Interface Sounds
    1. Various clicks, beeps, etc., as the player maneuvers through the menus.
    2. Alert/acknowledgment sounds as the player picks up objects or his game state changes.
3. Music
  1. Ambient
    1. Loop #1 + duration
    2. Loop #2
    3. Etc.
  2. "Action"
    1. Loop #1 + duration
    2. Loop #2
    3. Etc.
  3. "Victory" loops
  4. "Defeat" loops
  5. Cutscene music
    1. Piece #1
      1. General description of mood and accompanying action
      2. Duration
    2. Piece #2
    3. Etc.
4. Voice
  1. Actor #1 lines
    1. Line #1. Each line in the game must have a unique identifying filename. This will help both the recording process and localization. Don't forget to include various screams, yells, grunts, laughs, and other "non-word" lines.
    2. Line #2
    3. Etc.
  2. Actor #2 lines
  3. Etc.
SECTION XII: LOCALIZATION PLAN
1. Languages with full text and voice localization
2. Languages with text localization only
3. Text to be localized
  1. In-game text
  2. Game interface text
4. Voice to be localized
  1. (See "Voice" section of asset list above)
SECTION XIII: MAJOR EVENT PLANNING
1. Trade Shows
  1. Trade Show #1
    1. Date
    2. Materials needed for event
    3. Demo description and specifications
  2. Trade Show #2
  3. Etc.
2. Special Publicity Events
  1. Event #1 (such as "Editors Day" to show off game)
    1. Date
    2. Description of event
    3. Materials needed for event
    4. Demo description and specifications
  2. Event #2
  3. Etc.
3. PR/Marketing Support
  1. Date when concept art will be available
  2. Date when first screenshots will be available
  3. Plan for creating additional screenshots throughout project
  4. Plan for making team available for interviews
  5. Etc.
4. Sales Team Support
  1. Projected date of first "sell-sheet"
  2. Demo loop for retail outlets
  3. Other materials
  4. Etc.
5. Prerelease Demo
  1. Date
  2. Scope
  3. Content
SECTION XIV: TECHNICAL SUMMARY
1. Single-Player
  1. PC
    1. Minimum system requirements
    2. Recommended system requirements
    3. Number of characters viewable at once
    4. Max # polys per character
    5. Max # polys per level
  2. Console Platform #1
  3. Etc.
2. Multiplayer
  1. Type of connectivity (Splitscreen? LAN? Online?)
  2. Max # simultaneous players
  3. Client-server? Peer-to-peer?
  4. Etc.
SECTION XV: MISCELLANEOUS
1. Acronyms used in this document
2. Definition of terms
SECTION XVI: REFERENCES
1. Games
2. Movies
3. Books
4. Art