So, you have an idea for a game. you want to know if that game will be fun but you need art assets, audio assets, cool graphics, special fonts, and the list goes on. The real question is do you REALLY need all that stuff to see if your game will be fun?
Now don’t get me wrong in the end for the final product all those things may be necessary, but not for putting something together to test out. Or even to have at the very beginning.
To test out the mechanics of the game you don’t need all the fancy graphics and sounds. Simple placeholders will do to show the basic functionality and what you are going for. This will help speed up development time as you are not waiting for the other assets to be created. It also lets you focus on the core mechanic or function you are implementing. Some portions of your game may not even need a computer to prototype. Some famous games Like Super Mario have been prototyped on graph paper.
Even complete levels have been prototyped without the aid of a computer. Again Super Mario Bros. had complete levels done with nothing but graph paper and the imagination to create the level.
The person doing the prototype was not bogged down with how to do something or stuck on some strange computer command. They were able to get the idea out and in the world simply, quickly, and cheaply.
After the idea is formalized in a prototype then the rest can follow. The art can be created for the game based off the drawings. Similar to how movies and TV shows use story boards to quickly prototype a scene. These same cost saving and time saving tricks can be applied to your video game, from game systems to art assets and even the audio. Using placeholders while the final designs are being developed.
Prototyping can also reveal issues before you have spent time and effort making something. Knowing how things can interact or if a given system will be functional.
So when planning out your next game, or even if you haven’t done it yet. Take the time to plan out the prototype and ensure that what you are building will reach the goals you have for it. Don’t let not having finished assets hold you back, use primitives as placeholders to test functionality and keep you focused on what you are working on. In the end it will only help you get to where you are going and move your game forward.
