Ditch the Roadmap: Why Indie Game Dev Needs More Chaos
Let’s be honest. Roadmaps in indie game dev are basically that well-meaning aunt who gives you socks for your birthday.
They’re… there. You appreciate the thought, but you were really hoping for a lightsaber (or, you know, a completed and fun game).
The Tyranny of To-Do Lists
I’ve been there. Staring down a meticulously crafted roadmap, filled with features I thought would be amazing six months ago.
Now? They feel like shackles. Artistic handcuffs.
Back in 2018, I was working on a procedurally generated space roguelike called “Cosmic Cluck.” The roadmap was glorious: 17 different alien races, dynamic economies, a crafting system complex enough to make Elon Musk weep.
Sounds amazing, right? It was a graveyard of half-finished features and uninspired mechanics. I was so busy ticking boxes that I forgot to ask the crucial question: is this fun?
It turns out that players enjoyed shooting asteroids far more than they enjoyed negotiating trade agreements with the Glarbonian Fluflords. That roadmap wasn’t helping me make a better game. It was helping me make a bigger, more bloated one.
The worst part? I spent so much time forcing these features into the game that I actively ignored the good stuff. Like the ridiculously overpowered, yet hilarious, “Chicken Cannon.”
Emergent Gameplay: Where the Real Magic Happens
Emergent gameplay. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? It’s just a fancy way of saying “happy accidents.”
It’s those unexpected, delightful moments that arise from the interaction of your game’s systems. The kind of stuff you can’t plan for in a roadmap.
Remember Cosmic Cluck? The Chicken Cannon started as a joke. I accidentally set the firing rate to infinity while testing.
Instead of fixing it immediately, I laughed. Then I thought, “What if…?” It became a fan favorite, a cornerstone of the game’s ridiculous charm.
Here’s the kicker: that feature, the one that defined the game, was completely unplanned. It was born from experimentation, from embracing the chaos.
Imagine if I’d stuck rigidly to my roadmap. The Chicken Cannon would’ve been squashed like a, well, you get the idea.
The Case Against “Perfect” Planning
Look, I get it. Roadmaps provide a sense of control. They’re comforting.
They make us feel like we’re actually doing something, rather than just flailing around in the dark void of indie game development.
But that control is an illusion. Game development, especially indie game development, is inherently unpredictable.
New technologies emerge. Your target audience shifts. You discover a fatal flaw in your core mechanic.
A rigid roadmap leaves you no room to adapt, to pivot, to embrace the unexpected.
Think of it like this: you’re planning a road trip across the country. You meticulously map out every stop, every restaurant, every photo op.
Sounds organized, right? But what happens when you stumble upon a hidden gem, a quirky roadside attraction you never knew existed?
Are you going to ignore it because it wasn’t on the itinerary? Of course not! You’re going to pull over, explore, and maybe even change your entire route.
Game development should be the same. Be open to detours. Embrace the serendipity.
Killing Your Darlings (and Your Roadmap)
So, what’s the alternative? Ditch the roadmap entirely and just wing it? Not quite.
The sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle: a flexible, adaptable plan that allows for experimentation and discovery.
Here’s my (slightly unorthodox) approach:
The “North Star” Vision: Have a clear, overarching vision for your game. What feeling do you want to evoke? What kind of experience do you want to create?
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with a Twist: Instead of focusing on a complete feature set, build a small, playable core loop that embodies your vision. This core loop should be fun on its own, even without all the bells and whistles.
The “Magic 8-Ball” Approach to Feature Development: Brainstorm a list of potential features, but don’t commit to implementing them all. Instead, prioritize based on how well they enhance the core loop and address player feedback.
The “20% Rule” for Experimentation: Dedicate 20% of your development time to pure experimentation. Try out crazy ideas, prototype new mechanics, and don’t be afraid to fail. This is where the emergent gameplay gold is often found.
Constant Playtesting and Iteration: Get your game in front of players as early and as often as possible. Pay close attention to their feedback, both verbal and non-verbal. What are they gravitating towards? What are they ignoring? Use this data to guide your development decisions.
For example, let’s say you are making a platformer where the core mechanic is time manipulation.
Your North Star is a sense of flow and puzzle solving. Your MVP would be a single level that showcases the time manipulation mechanic.
Then you use the magic 8 ball to think about what features would make it better - maybe the ability to manipulate multiple instances of yourself, or the ability to rewind sections of the level. Try to implement these features, but don’t be afraid to cut them if they do not fit your core North Star.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Even with a flexible approach, there are still traps to avoid. Here are a few of the most common:
Feature Creep: The seductive allure of adding “just one more” feature. Resist! Focus on refining the core loop and making it as polished as possible. If a feature doesn’t significantly enhance the experience, cut it. I fell victim to this with Cosmic Cluck. The Glarbonian Fluflords’ economic system was the definition of feature creep, a distraction that took away from what players loved.
Analysis Paralysis: Spending too much time planning and not enough time building. Remember, the best way to learn is by doing. Get your hands dirty and start experimenting. Don’t let the planning become a form of procrastination. It’s easy to get stuck in the planning phase, constantly tweaking your roadmap and researching new features. But at some point, you have to stop planning and start building.
Ignoring Player Feedback: Building the game you think players want, rather than the game they actually want. Listen to your players. They are your best source of information. Be open to changing your plans based on their feedback. I was so attached to my roadmap for Cosmic Cluck that I initially ignored the feedback that players enjoyed the simple act of shooting asteroids more than anything else. It was a humbling, but valuable, lesson.
Real-World Application: The “Stardew Valley” Story
Need proof that this approach works? Look no further than “Stardew Valley.”
Eric Barone (ConcernedApe), the sole developer of “Stardew Valley,” didn’t start with a rigid roadmap. He started with a passion for the “Harvest Moon” series and a desire to create something similar, but with his own unique twist.
He focused on building a compelling core loop: farming, foraging, fishing, and building relationships with the townspeople. He constantly iterated on this core loop, adding new features and content based on player feedback and his own creative inspiration.
The result? A massive success, a game that has resonated with millions of players and continues to be updated and expanded years after its initial release.
“Stardew Valley” is a testament to the power of emergent gameplay and the benefits of a flexible development approach. Barone wasn’t afraid to deviate from his initial plan, to experiment with new ideas, and to listen to his players. And it paid off big time.
Level Design Benefits
Think about it, using rigid roadmaps can harm something as specific as level design. Level design benefits from flexibility.
With rigid planning, levels can become predictable.
If your roadmap forces you to place X number of enemies in a level, it can restrict creativity.
Ditching the Roadmap: A Call to Action
So, ditch the rigid roadmap. Embrace the chaos. Embrace the unexpected.
Let your game evolve organically, driven by experimentation, player feedback, and your own creative intuition.
Stop planning to make a game, and start making a game. Your players will thank you for it. And you might just surprise yourself with what you create.
Go forth, and make something amazing. Just, you know, maybe keep a Chicken Cannon handy. You never know when you might need it. Roadmaps can be useful, but the spirit of indie development lies in experimentation. This includes the core elements of the game, which will improve your game in the long run.
The Final Thought
Remember the aunt with the socks? Thank her politely. Then, go build something amazing, something unexpected, something that would never have been possible if you’d stuck to the plan. Let’s break free from the tyranny of to-do lists. Let’s build games that surprise us, delight us, and maybe even make us laugh a little along the way. The best games are often the ones we never planned to make. That unplanned feature might be the best part of your game. Give it a chance.