What Is Iterative Game Design?

One of the most important stages of games — iterative design. It is based on the idea that games do not become perfect after a single round of development. It encourages developers to repeatedly perform certain steps to ultimately create a playable, enjoyable, and technically bug-free version.

Let's learn more about iterative game design and what it entails.

What Is Iterative Game Design?

Iterative design is a systematic approach to repeating specific steps in game development. It aims to achieve the desired end product by making small changes each time a new version of the software is created.

Each iteration is tested until the product becomes perfect. It involves identifying user needs through research, generating ideas to meet those needs, developing a prototype, and testing it to ensure it effectively addresses them.

Like software, game design typically goes through several iterations or versions until the final product is ready for release.

Chess as an Example of Iterative Game Design

Chess is a common and understandable example of iterative game design. The game involves many moves and outcomes. Developing a computer version requires developers to account for all of them.

Since it's impossible to fully account for them in the first version, several iterations are necessary.

As a gamer, you may have already noticed game iterations to some degree. When you launch a game, modern games typically check for patches and new versions that improve gameplay.

Although this example only applies to already released games, it is still a good example of how developers continue to improve their games according to user needs.

6 Stages of Iterative Game Design

When developers want to engage in iterative game design, they should do the following:

1. Planning

At this stage, developers and game designers define the goal of the iteration. Do you want your game to be easier to learn? Do you want to give players more freedom? Do you want the game to be interesting to watch?

These are a few examples of goals that can be defined during the planning stage. At this stage, ideas are proposed and discarded. The best ones are kept for implementation.

Planning also becomes more rational with each version, since each iterative game development process starts from this stage.

2. Design

At the design stage, developers analyze how they can achieve the goals set during the planning stage. They must establish certain parameters, such as the language they want to use and the number of variations they want to have.

Note that the exact parameters depend on the project.

With each version, the design conditions become more defined. Designers gain a clearer idea of what they need to do and gradually develop it through feedback until the final product is ready.

3. Coding

Coding is where the actual game development process begins. Coders follow the requirements listed in the previous stages. They use a specific computer language and various programs to write new code.

4. Testing

Testing involves checking the written code for errors, additions, and issues that may have been overlooked in the first three stages. Game design can be tested by both gamers and in-house testers who have been involved in testing various professional games.

Any errors will be reported and sent back for revision. The design will be changed, and the code will be rewritten.

Note that development, coding, and testing go through several rounds. Many things need to be redone, often taking months. This will continue until developers meet the project requirements and testers are satisfied with the results.

In rare cases, these three stages occur simultaneously.

5. Evaluation

A team of experts will evaluate the game and its performance for errors. This is the final check for quality issues and glitches. At this stage, final results are sent to the project manager.

Based on the results, management makes a decision:

• Whether the idea is ready for implementation
• Whether the execution of the idea needs further refinement
• If the idea is imperfect and needs to return to the development stage

6. Release

After all stages are successfully completed, bugs are fixed, and iterations are integrated, the final product is ready for release.

Depending on the project requirements, the company may need to actively look for bugs and fix them even after the product is released. This is entirely contractual work and is not necessarily part of iterative game design.

Why Engage in Iterative Game Design?

Iterative game design takes a lot of time and requires involvement from different teams. But if done correctly, it can make the game smoother, more playable, and much better than the first version. Here are some of its benefits:

• It ensures that the game's vision and design are realized.
• It encourages teams to carefully plan the next iteration before starting work on code. This gives coders confidence that their work is beneficial.
• It helps game developers choose and implement the best ideas.
• It helps game development teams stay organized.
• It provides testing opportunities, allowing coders to eliminate errors and glitches.
• It provides greater transparency of the game development process for stakeholders.

Continuous testing and coding means improved results, but they require time. That is why iterative games are mainly suitable for large long-term projects. For small projects, the financial burden and time investment are not feasible.

A Systematic Approach to Game Development

Iterative development is a systematic approach to creating games. It works through small variations to achieve a high-quality result. This development model is an excellent choice for large long-term projects that have opportunities for feedback and review stages.

At the same time, small short-term projects may not be suited to this approach.

Additionally, the production cycle is flexible, allowing for quick and prompt responses to design changes. Teams of developers, designers, and testers can work together without constantly monitoring each other, making game development smoother.

We hope this article helped you appreciate the game development process in a new light and decide whether to adopt it.