Choose one interaction.
Describe what the player does and what makes it interesting. Sketch it before opening a new project.
MAKE SMALL.
PLAY OFTEN.
The CHECKPOINT field guide.
A practical route from blank project to playable game.
YOUR FIRST HOUR.
Prove the interaction before you build the world around it.
Agree on the smallest game.
Define the goal, a finish condition, and the next task each person owns.
Build an ugly playable.
Use blocks and placeholders. Get input, response, and a goal connected.
Put it in someone’s hands.
Watch without explaining. Find one thing to change, then play again.
ONE COMPLETE LOOP.
A player acts. The game responds. There is a goal, a result, and a way to try again. Finish that loop before adding another system.
“The player [does an action] to [reach a goal], but [something gets in the way].”
Keep a “later” list. Extra levels, elaborate menus, online features, and custom art can wait until the smallest version works. Test an export on day one.
INTEGRATE EARLY.
Agree on the next playable version. Split by small outcomes, not huge departments: “add the restart flow” is clearer than “do the gameplay.”
- Use version control and keep a working version before a risky change.
- Agree on file names, scene ownership, and when to merge.
- Run the combined game regularly. Integration is part of the task.
- Make unfinished work visible so someone can help.
BRING THE PROBLEM.
Open the game or show a short reproduction. Then give your mentor these four things:
- The goal“Here is what we want the player to do.”
- The problem“This is what happens instead.”
- The attempt“Here is what we have already tried.”
- The next step“What should we test next?”
WATCH. ASK. CHANGE.
Give someone the controls and a goal. Resist explaining every interaction. The moments where they hesitate are useful evidence.
- Watch: where do they stop, repeat an action, or miss feedback?
- Ask: “What did you think you had to do?”
- Change: fix one observed problem, then test again.
A confused player is giving you information, not a bad review.
MAKE THE IMPORTANT
THING AUDIBLE.
Start with the few sounds that explain the game: an action, success, failure, and an urgent warning. Music comes after the player can understand what happened.
- Trigger sound from game events, not every frame.
- Give repeated sounds a cooldown or a few variations.
- Keep music below critical feedback. Test on ordinary speakers.
- Pair audio cues with visual feedback so sound is not the only signal.
BUILD YOUR CREDITS
AS YOU BUILD THE GAME.
For each reused asset, save its name, creator, original URL, and license. Keep any required attribution text. Check the event’s pre-made asset and AI policy with an organizer.
Download a credits templateTHE FINISHING CHECK.
Your submission should be easy for someone else to open, understand, and play. Confirm the final cutoff and demo format with the organizers.
0/7 CHECKPOINTS CLEARED
Your checklist is saved on this device. It is a preparation aid, not a submission receipt.