Game Development Life Cycle (GDLC) 🎮

So, what is GDLC? And why is this important to understand? Do you ever question HOW people create a video game from 0? Let's understand more about it!

GDLC, or Game Development Life Cycle, is a framework/structured process that guides you in creating a video game. You will start the journey from the initial concept until releasing your games. Let's break down the process!

1. Initiation

First, you will create the initial concept & do some analysis about your game. In this stage, your output is the core concept and high concept statement. Also, you need to explain the main goal more such as how is the main game scenario? about your character? How is your mechanic works? And others.

2. Preproduction

Next, you will develop your Game Design Documents. From the initiation stage output, you need to explain your core and detail the concept at this stage. Sometimes, people create prototypes at this stage.

3. Production 🛠️

After developing the game design and prototype, you must complete your games from preproduction into full production to fulfill your primary target. In this stage, your team will develop asset creation, programming, services integration, if any, and other production things.

4. Testing

Fourth, you will do internal testing on your build from production. Usually, you need to test out the usability and functionality. Is it aligned with your game design already? If you find a bug / that needs to be fixed, you will go back to the preproduction/production phase until all of it has been fixed.

5. Beta

The next one is beta testing. Usually, I call this External Testing. You will gain a lot of feedback from your targeted users. It's so important to hear out your users because we often, as developers, do not realize something that is discovered by our users. Sometimes, this stage will bring you back to the production phase again.

6. Release

After your game passes the testing and beta testing phase, it's a sign that it is ready to release on the game marketplace. You need to decide which platform is aligned with your game market and mechanics from the initial phase.

If you find this helpful, let's connect! 🤝 Also, if you're interested in collaborating, feel free to reach out to me through DM or contact alizulfikar032@gmail.com.