Scoping for one person.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH HONESTLY
How many hours per week you actually have How long you can sustain that What you can make, and what you must acquire
WHAT TO MULTIPLY YOUR ESTIMATE BY
Three, at minimum.
WHY
Estimates for creative work are unreliable, and solo work has no slack.
WHAT TO CHOOSE
A game whose content requirements you can meet alone.
WHAT THAT RULES OUT
Large worlds Many unique characters Extensive voiced content Anything requiring a discipline you cannot do or buy
WHAT IT FAVOURS
Systems-driven games, where depth comes from interaction rather than content Limited art requirements Short play sessions Reusable mechanics
WHAT TO DECIDE EARLY
What is essential, and what is desirable.
WHAT TO WRITE DOWN
That distinction, so later decisions are easier.
WHAT TO BUILD FIRST
The thing that must work for the game to exist.
WHAT TO DEFER
Menus, settings and polish, until the game is proven.
WHAT TO NEVER DEFER
Saving, if the game requires it.
WHY
It shapes architecture, and retrofitting it is painful.
