Cover these pointers for your first draft GDD

working on game design doc., use this fill in template. 379#

Hey Friends,

I have been working with indie folks on their game concept, wanted to share the GDD fill-in template I have been using with them for documenting their ideas.

FYI, replace the italic placeholders with your details, and delete guidance notes before sharing externally.



0. DOCUMENT META
» Project Title: [WORKING TITLE]
» One-line Logline: [“X is a Y where Z.”]
» Version / Last Updated: [v0.1 — 24 Oct 2025]
» Primary Contacts: [PRODUCER, DESIGN LEAD, TECH LEAD, ART LEAD]
» Confidentiality: [INTERNAL USE ONLY]

Revision History (repeat as needed)
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] | Version: [X.Y] | Author: [NAME] | Notes: [WHAT CHANGED]



1. GAME OVERVIEW
1.1 Title & Game Summary: 2–3 sentences that capture the fantasy, player promise, and core loop.

1.2 Genre & Comparable Titles
» Genre/Sub-genre: [E.G., ACTION-ROGUELITE, SOCIAL PUZZLE]
» Comparable Games: [TITLE A], [TITLE B]
» What we’ll borrow/avoid from each: [NOTES]

1.3 Platforms & Target Audience (repeat per platform)
» Platform: [IOS / ANDROID / PC / CONSOLE / WEB]
» Input: [TOUCH / CONTROLLER / KEYBOARD & MOUSE]
» Age Rating: [E.G., 12+]
» Regions: [E.G., NA / EUROPE / INDIA]
» Accessibility Notes: [COLOR-BLIND MODE, TEXT SIZE, ETC.]

1.4 Key Selling Points (USPs)
» USP 1: [TEXT]
» USP 2: [TEXT]
» USP 3: [TEXT]

1.5 Success Criteria / KPIs
» FTUE Conversion %: [TARGET, E.G., 70%+]
» Retention D1/D7/D30: [E.G., 40% / 15% / 5%]
» Avg. Session Length: [E.G., 8–10 MIN]
» ARPU/ARPDAU: [TARGET]
» Any sub-genre benchmarks or notes: [TEXT]



2. CORE GAMEPLAY MECHANICS
2.1 Core Loop & Key Mechanics
» Describe the loop in 3–5 steps (e.g., Explore -> Fight -> Loot -> Upgrade -> Repeat).
» Loop diagram (link or file): [URL/FILE]

2.2 Objectives & Win/Lose Conditions
» Primary Objective: [TEXT]
» Short-Term Goals: [TEXT]
» Mid-Term Goals: [TEXT]
» Long-Term Goals: [TEXT]
» Lose/Fail States: [TEXT]

2.3 Player Actions & Control Scheme (list key actions)
» Action: [MOVE] | Mobile: [VIRTUAL STICK] | Controller: [L-STICK] | PC: [WASD + MOUSE]
» Action: [PRIMARY ATTACK] | Mobile: [TAP] | Controller: [RT] | PC: [LMB]
» Action: [SECONDARY] | Mobile: [HOLD] | Controller: [RB] | PC: [RMB]
» Other actions: [INVENTORY, INTERACT, DODGE, ETC.]

2.4 Progression & Difficulty Curve
» Player Progression: [LEVEL/XP, UNLOCKS, TECH TREE]
» Difficulty Ramps: [HOW AND WHEN IT INCREASES]
»Failure Recovery: [CHECKPOINTS, ASSISTS, CATCH-UP]



3. NARRATIVE (IF APPLICABLE)
3.1 Story Summary & Key Events
» Story Overview (1–2 paragraphs): [TEXT]
» Key Beats (5–7 bullets): [TEXT]

3.2 World-Building & Characters (repeat per character)
» Name: [TEXT]
» Role/Archetype: [MENTOR / RIVAL / ALLY / ETC.]
» Motivation: [WHAT THEY WANT]
» Arc: [HOW THEY CHANGE OVER TIME]

3.3 Tone & Themes
» Tone: [E.G., HOPEFUL SCI-FI / COZY MYSTERY / DARK COMEDY]
» Themes: [KEY THEMES]

3.4 Optional Narrative Elements
» Dialogue Style: [TEXT]
» Lore/Codex: [YES/NO]
» Branching Choices/Endings: [YES/NO; HOW MANY; IMPACT]



4. MECHANICS & SYSTEMS
4.1 Combat / Challenge System
» Inputs/Timings: [TEXT]
» Damage/Defense Model: [FORMULA OR RULES]
» Enemy Archetypes: [LIST BY ROLE/BEHAVIOR]
» Status Effects: [LIST, DURATION, COUNTERS]

4.2 Progression Systems
» Levels/Ranks/Mastery: [HOW IT WORKS]
» Soft Caps/Hard Caps: [WHERE AND WHY]
» Unlock Cadence: [PER SESSION / PER DAY / MILESTONES]

4.3 Abilities / Items / Crafting (repeat per entry)
» Name: [TEXT]
» Unlock Requirement: [LEVEL/QUEST/CURRENCY]
» Cost: [CURRENCY / TIME / MATERIALS]
» Effect: [WHAT IT DOES]
» Counters: [HOW IT’S BALANCED]

4.4 Economy Design
» Currencies: [LIST HARD/SOFT CURRENCIES]
» Sources (Earnings): [LIST PER CURRENCY]
» Sinks (Spends): [LIST PER CURRENCY]
» Notes on Balance/Inflation/Abuse Prevention: [TEXT]

4.5 Interaction Systems
» Environmental Interactions: [SWITCHES, PHYSICS, HAZARDS]
» Puzzles/Locks: [RULES, HINTS]
» Dialogue/NPC Vendors: [RULES, MENUS]
» Social Features: [FRIENDS, GUILDS, TRADING—IF ANY]

4.6 AI & NPC Behavior
» State Model: [PATROL / CHASE / ATTACK / FLEE / IDLE]
» Perception: [VISION, HEARING, CONES, RANGES]
» Scaling: [DIFFICULTY OR LEVEL-BASED TUNING]

5. VISUAL & AUDIO DESIGN
5.1 Art Direction
» Style: [TOON-SHADED / LOW-POLY / SEMI-REALISTIC]
» Palette: [PRIMARY HEX VALUES, LIGHT/DARK MODES, CONTRAST TARGETS]
» Character/Asset Specs: [POLY BUDGETS, TEXTURE SIZES, RIGGING]

5.2 UI/UX
» Key Screens: [FTUE, LOBBY, STORE, INVENTORY, SETTINGS]
» Layout/Wireframe Notes: [FLOW AND HIERARCHY]
» Accessibility: [SUBTITLES, DYSLEXIC-FRIENDLY FONTS, REMAPPABLE CONTROLS]

5.3 Audio
» SFX/OST Direction: [MOOD WORDS, TEMPO, DIEGETIC/NON-DIEGETIC]
» Interactive Music: [LAYERS, STINGERS, COMBAT/RELAX STATES]
» VO Needs: [LANGUAGES, FILE SPECS]

6. LEVEL DESIGN
6.1 Level List & Goals (repeat per level)
» Level Name/ID: [TEXT]
» Biome/Theme: [TEXT]
» New Mechanic Introduced: [TEXT]
» Core Challenge: [TEXT]
» Estimated Duration: [MINUTES]

6.2 Pacing & Difficulty
» Onboarding -> Mastery -> Expert: [NOTES]
» Choke Points/Rest Beats: [WHERE/WHY]

6.3 Environmental Storytelling & Props
» Landmarks/Signposting: [HOW PLAYERS ORIENT]
» Breadcrumbs/Hazards: [PLACEMENT PRINCIPLES]

6.4 Tutorials & FTUE
» Stepwise Onboarding: [STEPS]
» Fail-Safe Hints: [WHEN/HOW]
» Skippable Tips: [YES/NO]

7. MONETIZATION (IF APPLICABLE)
7.1 Business Model (select): F2P / Premium (price: [USD]) / DLC or Season Pass / Subscription

7.2 IAP Catalogue (repeat per SKU)
» SKU Name: [TEXT]
» Price Tier: [STORE TIER]
» What Players Get: [VALUE]
» Sink Synergy: [HOW IT CONNECTs TO SPENDS]
» Fairness/Compliance: [POLICIES, AGE-RATING, REGIONS]

7.3 Ads (F2P)
» Formats: [REWARDED, INTERSTITIAL, BANNER, APP-OPEN]
» Placements: [WHERE/WHEN]
» Frequency Caps/Cooldowns: [RULES]
»Opt-in Rewarded Design: [REWARD TABLE]

7.4 Live Ops Plan
» Events Cadence: [WEEKLY/MONTHLY]
» Battle Pass Structure: [TIERS, DURATION, VALUE]
» Offers/A-B Tests: [WHAT AND WHY]
» Economy Monitoring: [METRICS, GUARDRAILS]

8. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

8.1 Engine & Tooling
» Engine/Version: [UNITY / UNREAL / GODOT + VERSION]
» Build Pipeline: [CI/CD, BRANCHING MODEL]
» Source Control: [GIT/PLASTIC/OTHER]
»Key Tools/SDKs: [LIST]

8.2 Performance Targets (repeat per platform)
» Platform: [IOS / ANDROID / PC / CONSOLE / WEB]
» FPS Target: [E.G., 60]
» Minimum Device Spec: [TEXT]
» Max Build Size: [MB/GB]
»Other Notes: [THERMALS, MEMORY, BATTERY]

8.3 Platform Features
» Achievements/Trophies: [YES/NO]
» Platform Login/Cloud Saves: [YES/NO]
» Haptics: [YES/NO]
» Storefront Requirements: [CHECKLIST]

8.4 Multiplayer (if any)
» Model: [P2P / AUTHORITATIVE SERVER / DEDICATED GAME SERVER]
» Regions: [LIST]
» Tick Rate/Update Strategy: [VALUES]
» Netcode: [PREDICTION, INTERPOLATION, MATCHMAKING, PARTY/LOBBY]
» Security: [ANTI-CHEAT, RATE LIMITS, SERVER AUTHORITY ON CURRENCY/INVENTORY]

8.5 Data & Telemetry
» Analytics Events/Funnels: [KEY EVENTS]
» Privacy Compliance: [GDPR / CCPA / OTHERS]
» Data Retention: [POLICY]
»Crash Logging: [TOOLS/PROCESS]

9. PRODUCTION PLAN

9.1 Milestones & Timeline
» Pre-Production (X weeks): pillars, loop prototype, art test, schedule, risk log
» Vertical Slice (X weeks): one polished loop, KPI-ready
» Alpha (X weeks): content complete, feature-locked
» Beta (X weeks): bug-fix, balance, certification prep
»Launch (X weeks): go-live, L1 hotfix

9.2 Team & Responsibilities (RACI)
» Role: [PRODUCER] | R/A/C/I: [X/ /X/X]
» Role: [DESIGN LEAD] | R/A/C/I: [X/ /X/X]
» Role: [TECH LEAD] | R/A/C/I: [X/ /X/X]
» Role: [ART LEAD] | R/A/C/I: [X/ /X/X]
» Add others as needed: [QA LEAD, BACKEND, LIVE OPS]

9.3 Budget Overview (high level)
» Design: [N FTE / N MONTHS] | Est. Cost: [$]
» Engineering: [N FTE / N MONTHS] | Est. Cost: [$]
» Art: [N FTE / N MONTHS] | Est. Cost: [$]
» Audio: [N FTE / N MONTHS] | Est. Cost: [$]
» QA: [N FTE / N MONTHS] | Est. Cost: [$]
» Live Ops (Year 1): [RESOURCING] | Est. Cost: [$]

9.4 Risks & Mitigations (example format)
» Risk: [NETCODE STABILITY] | Likelihood: [M] | Impact: [H] | Owner: [TECH LEAD] | Mitigation: [LOAD TESTS, PHASED ROLLOUT]

9.5 QA & Compliance
» Test Plan: [UNIT, INTEGRATION, PLAYTESTS]
» Platform Certifications: [CHECKLIST]
» Age Ratings: [ESRB/PEGI/LOCAL]

9.6 Localization & Accessibility
» Languages: [LIST]
» Process: [INTERNAL/EXTERNAL, TOOLS]
» Font Fallback/RTL: [YES/NO]
» VO Handling: [DUBS/SUBS]

APPENDICES

» References and Inspiration: [LINKS, SCREENSHOTS]
» Concept Art and Style Frames: [THUMBNAILS OR LINKS]
» Flowcharts and State Diagrams: [GAME FLOW, STORE FLOW, ECONOMY GRAPH]
» Glossary: [DEFINE GENRE/STUDIO TERMS]

Feel free to poke holes in it.
Cartic P
/ iCartic.com