Game Design Document Step-by-Step Guide (with free Notion template)

Picture this: You’ve got a million cool ideas for your game, but how do you organize them into a plan that actually makes sense? That was me not too long ago. I went on a deep-dive research spree, going through a few GDD from successful games, and pieced together a template that anyone can use.

As a beginner in the world of game design, I was intimidated by all the Do’s and Don’t in writing my first GDD. Now, I’m no guru, but I’ve been there and I know how frustrating it can be to wrap your head around all this stuff.

If you’re scratching your head like I was when I first started, don’t sweat it. I’ve got your back. I will include my free Notion Template at the end of the article.

What is GDD? (Game Design Document)

A game design document, often called GDD, is like a detailed plan for making a video game. The development team makes and updates it. Basically, it helps everyone on the team work together to create the game.

However, plans are made to be broken. What if your idea doesn’t work after few rapid prototyping? GDD can gives you a better idea of how your game plan will look like.

Here are the five main components for a successful GDD: