E21 How not to Lose Your Game Vision on the Altar of "Getting Shit Done"

Building Better Games

Time and time again, we see game teams struggle with the feeling that they're not moving fast enough. Something isn't right with the game, but they don't have time to think about it because there's “so much work to do.”

These kinds of issues arise when we're focused on building stuff, rather than creating compelling experiences that resonate with players. That’s why, in today’s episode of Building Better Games, we’re focusing on value, not work!

We want to help you hone in on what true progress looks like and discover how you can create the best possible player experience using the smallest amount of stuff. Tuning in, you’ll learn why you need to abandon the GSD or “get-shit-done” approach to game development and adopt a more minimalist approach instead.

Do you want to feel more empowered to make value-based decisions that align with what your game should be? Are you looking to avoid some of the most common progress pitfalls that game developers tend to fall into? This is the episode for you!

Topics discussed in this episode:

- Defining ‘value’ and ‘stuff’ for the purposes of this conversation

- Why value is greater than the sum of its stuff

- Centering progress on player experience rather than work progress

- Making something of value versus “getting shit done”

- A look at why you need to create value and build stuff

- Why figuring out what the game should be is key

- Tips for building a production roadmap with value at its core

- Why it’s critical to communicate the player experience to your team

- Assessing the importance of each and every piece of work

- How to embrace uncertainty as a leader

- Differentiating between play tests and product reviews

- A minimalist approach to creating the best player experience

- Common progress traps that game developers fall into

- How the acronym IKIWISI can be useful here

- Advice for keeping vision and strategy top of mind

If you’d like to work with Jeff, you can connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at [e-mail].

Resources Mentioned:

The Ladder of Inference

Big Five Personality Test

Structural Dynamics

For tips on how to staff your dev team, email us at [e-mail] to set up a free 90-minute call!

For more episodes head to the Building Better Games Podlink.

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