Most writers in the video games industry will only ever encounter “design docs” when they are searching for resources to help them create game instruction.
Highly technical and generally organic in nature, these extensive tomes chronicle the genesis and subsequent development of an entire game. Consequently, they’re often thoroughly engrossing, dynamic (if sometimes a little impenetrable) reads.
During my time at Electronic Arts, leafing through the hundreds of pages that constituted each title’s design doc, while hard work, always felt like a genuine privilege. A tiny glimpse into the blood, sweat, and tears poured into the creation of every video game.
While it’s rare for studio teams to share their precious bibles with anyone outside the confines of their group, it’s always been a surprise to us just how seldom the copy-editing skills of a good technical author are employed.
After all, one of the design document’s main functions is to coherently explain the aims, development and direction of the game creation process to ensure the entire team is (to exhaust the religious theme) singing from the same hymn sheet.
So if you’re making a game and need someone to ensure your documentation is up-to-date and fit-for-purpose, drop us a line. We’ve been demystifying design docs since 2000.
To discover what else we can do for your game, contact us.