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Getting Maximum Out Of Your Prototype Game

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John

One very important yet ignored part of game development is the game prototype. A prototype game is a way of testing out concepts without putting in a lot of effort or time. It can be imagined how beneficial it is for finding out an idea that won't work before putting in the time to coded, making out for it, etc.

Whether it is done with paper and pen or it is done digitally, prototyping is beneficial for finding ways of tweaking certain game mechanics and figuring out how to make it as fun as possible. 

In spite of several ideas ending in failure by the end of the prototype stage, you nonetheless become many steps closer to nailing down the design while making good use of time.

The following things need to be considered while the prototype new ideas for ensuring they actually provide an enjoyable experience outside of your mind:

Prototypes shall never take too much time: one thing that all game developers would agree on while they prototype new ideas to ensure they actually provide an enjoyable experience outside of your mind. 

Even if they are an Indian developer that doesn't have a producer constantly reminding them of tight schedules and upcoming milestones, they would still want to make the most of their time.

Spending a lot of their valuable time on a prototype, whether it ends by answering a question or not, may not be a great idea. To speak generally, they shouldn't spend more than a day or two prototyping the core mechanics of the game. 

Some ideas might be complex enough that they require some extra days to prototype. However, if the person is planning on spending an extra week prototyping one mechanic, it can be a wise idea to break it down into smaller ideas.

Digital prototypes are not supposed to look pretty: prototypes are made for solving problems and if the idea works, do not show it off to family and friends. There is nothing wrong with sharing a prototype, the mistake starts when you start spending time cleaning up the code and making art out of it.

prototype should answer questions and solve problems: a prototype is hardly worth the time that it took to build it if it did not answer the question. 

If you are in the process of making a prototype and do not have an idea of the knowledge you want to take away from it and in the end, it is time to rethink the idea and start over. To walk away from a prototype with nothing new means that the prototype was pointless.

some ideas only work well in the head: you should not be the first designer to be convinced that the idea in the head is great, that it would be the next head. But later after a few prototypes, you will realize that the idea isn't as well-planned and solid as you thought it was. Prototyping is a great way of finding out if a mechanic does in fact fit in with the rest of your game. 

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