Typical Timeline and Workflow for Developing a Small Indie Game in Unity
1. Pre-Production
Pre-production involves brainstorming, conceptualizing, and planning your game. Key activities include:
- Concept Development: Define the game idea, its goals, and unique selling propositions.
- Scope Definition: Determine the scope of the game. For indie projects, it’s crucial to keep the scope manageable.
- Design Document: Draft a game design document (GDD) to outline game mechanics, story, art style, and other essential elements.
- Prototype Development: Create a basic prototype to test core mechanics using Unity’s fast iteration capabilities.
2. Production
Production is where the bulk of development takes place:
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- Asset Creation: Develop 2D/3D assets, animations, and audio. Unity’s Asset Store can be a valuable resource for indie developers.
- Core Development: Implement game mechanics using C# scripts in Unity. Utilize Unity’s extensive libraries and tools to speed up development.
- Level Design: Create and integrate levels. Use Unity’s scene management tools to structure and load levels efficiently.
- Testing: Perform continuous testing to catch and fix bugs early. Use Unity Test Runner for automated tests and manual playtesting.
3. Post-Production
Post-production focuses on refinement and release:
- Polishing: Optimize game performance, fix remaining bugs, and refine gameplay mechanics.
- Beta Testing: Conduct closed beta tests to gather feedback and make final adjustments.
- Marketing and Release: Create a marketing plan, set up store pages (e.g., Steam, itch.io), and release your game.
- Post-Launch Support: Update the game based on player feedback and fix any post-launch issues.
The timeline can vary greatly, but a small indie game may take anywhere from a month to a year or more, depending on resources and scope. Unity’s flexible workflows and community support can significantly aid in reducing development time.
