Day 22: Game Design Document
Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
Warmup: What Is a GDD?
Professional game studios write a Game Design Document — sometimes called a GDD — before they write a single line of code. A GDD is a written plan for the entire game. It answers questions like:
- What is the game about?
- Who are the characters?
- How do you play? How do you win? How do you lose?
- What does the game world look like?
- What sounds and music will the game use?
A GDD keeps everyone on the team on the same page. Without one, different team members might build parts of the game that don’t fit together.
We’ll discuss the process together, setup a shared document, and then work together to fill in the first few sections of your GDD.
Work Session: Fill In Your GDD
Log In to Office 365
Download the Template
Open Word Online
Upload the Template
Share It
Share it with all team members and with Mr. Willingham (lawton.willingham@cobbk12.org) — set sharing to Can edit
Fill In Your GDD Together
Work through the document as a team. You do not have to finish every section today, but you should complete at least:
- Cover page — game title, studio name, all team members and roles
- Team Roles — responsibilities for each person
- Overview — Introduction, Genre, and Target Audience
- Gameplay — Objectives, Scoring & Levels, and Controls
Finish Later this Week if Needed
Whatever you don’t finish today, you can work on together during class on Thursday. You can also work on it outside of class if you want or need.
Tips
- Write in complete sentences — bullet points are OK for lists but not for descriptions
- Be specific — “the player presses the arrow keys to move” is better than “you move”
- Everyone should contribute, even if one person is typing