What is a good planning software to write your ideas?

Hi,

So i am a new game developer and i'm targeting the Metroidvanian genre.
Right now i'm dealing with the game design and I know that i will struggle a lot with the organisation of my ideas. And it will be a massive mess in the part of graphics, colliders and code.
So i really need a solid software(that maybe is only used by our category) that i can use to write my ideas down so i can be organized.
And one other question...
What is the best choice for a Metroidvanian 2D game. Is it better for me to start a 2D or a 3D project?

Thank y'all and I love this community!

 

I'm simply using Trello for writing down ideas (and later planned changes/development/etc).
I have multiple labels, stretching from "wild idea" to "solid idea", depending how much resources a concrete thing would take. Then you can filter to labels, so you can see what was in your mind recently and what have you deemed okay or what have you deemed a no-go.
Since I'm a one-man circus, I'm trying to keep the ideas vague but the "ToDo List" section as bite-sized as possible. So much so that my "In progress" column usually empty, except when I have serious, unavoidable dependencies between tasks.

As for you should make it your game in 2D or 3D, it is an artistic (and resource-) question. You can make enjoyable games in both, so it is something you need to decide on, since you know the details of your plan (certain things don't translate well into 2D or 3D).

 

I still use Microsoft Excel. Every time I think of something I put it on the spreadsheet.
Then I color code it.
White = new task
Green = completed / verified
Yellow = completed / need to verify
Red = bug / critical issue
Blue = how to / information
Gray = can't verify / abandoned idea

 

I plan out ideas and organise notes in Scrivener

 

I'll likely be an outlier, but I use Microsoft Word. I'm familiar with it from work and from tabletop gaming, so it is very natural for me to use. Numbers and mechanics can be Excel, especially if I want to do comparisons and multipliers. (i.e. Enemy 2 does twice the damage of Enemy 1, then if I change Enemy 1, the spreadsheet does the rest.)

Also do not forget the benefit of pen and paper for two reasons: First, you can easily carry a small notebook around in your pocket for when you're standing in line or something and want to jot down some ideas, or just get an idea you don't want to lose. Second, pen and paper actually works the brain a little differently from typing, so if you're stuck on an idea, writing it out can jog things loose. I keep tablets of paper around for just this purpose.

(Which is also why explaining the idea to your cat can be useful. Activating other parts of your brain with speech.)

 

HacknPlan is a web-based one, very similar to Trello but with a few more things that are more directed at game and software development. You can also split things up easily into groups like others mentioned above like separating features you plan on from "wild ideas" and etc...

 

There's a good list in the Game Design forum - Link Here

 

I was using a combination of Google Docs and Sheets as well as Articy Draft and Trello. The scattering of stuff everywhere was a little hard to keep track of, so I started looking for something that could handle all of that in one place.

I stumbled upon notion.so recently after a lot of searching. It has kanban boards like Trello, wiki and document writing (for things like game design docs), as well as databases for things like issue tracking or spreadsheet-like stuff. I'm now in the process of moving everything over to it.

I'm using the free tier, which has a limit of 1000 blocks (database items) per workspace, but you can work around the limit by creating any number of workspaces. It imported all my Trello cards without using up any of the block limit, which was cool.

 

Yes. Use of basic spreadsheet equations is a game design skill. It can rough out weapon DPS, prices and gold drops, production for idle games. For a platformer it can at least be a nice way to organize the levels. OpenOffice has one (is there a free Excel?)

Then, simply as grid-use -- things like Monster Name, hits-to-kill, ... -- basic spreadsheet skill is nice and most people could easily get better at it. How to use pages; row/column resizing, moving, adding, removing; simple formatting.

Yes. Planning software is 95% for multiple teams with a manager: everyone else needs to be able to bring up the list on their computer, the rules are clear, and managers can track what everyone has done and is doing. It can help with hourly billing. If you don't need that, planning software doesn't add much over paper.

Another pen-and-papery trick is a whiteboard, then taking a picture.

 

The free Excel IS Open Office.

There is also using Google Docs. You can create spreadsheets there as well as other types of Microsoft Office or Open Office style documents.

 

And Libre Office.

https://www.libreoffice.org/

 

Trello and diagrams.net are pretty good.