📄 Using a Game Design Document but for worldbuilding

So, recently I decided on a whim to take part in Pirate Software's Game Jam knowing absolutely nothing about game design or programming. One of the things that captivated me to try was this video.

I'm won't be talking about making video games in this blog post, but I do want to share with you what I learnt from making a design document and how I've adapted this process into planning out my worldbuilding (either for an entirely new setting or just an area of my world).

There's a lot of benefits to it that I'll share with you below, but most importantly it's that I feel the sense of achievement for knowing what I'm doing, I actually do the thing, and I feel good about finishing something!

See if it's for you, and if you like the sound of it I've made some free templates at the bottom you can make copies of :) enjoy!

📄 So, what is a GDD?

A game design document (GDD) is a collection of information that you (or your team) make before creating a game - it describes things like: what the game is about, its genre(s), aesthetics, recurring themes, mechanics and what the player does. It's also a living document, so you don't just write it and that's it, you update it and constantly refer back to it to inform your decisions and process.
It's basically the place you go to look when you need to ask "What do I do next?", or "Is what I'm making still in line with the plan?".

🤔 Why use one for worldbuilding?

Your world doesn't have to be for a game, or even for other people, there's still plenty of benefits of using of a design document!
Establishing goals for your world and making a plan helps you get a better idea of the scope of what to do next and it helps you make lore that's more consistent with the theme, genre(s), and setting alignment of your world.

Benefits of using a design document for worldbuilding:

• The process of planning something gets the ball rolling and ideas flowing
• It's like a compass that helps you to stay on track and prevent scope creep (aka worldbuiler's disease where you end up writing in great detail about things that aren't relevant or useful)
• It prevents burnout by keeping the size and complexity of your project in check
• Defining boundaries and making creative constraints makes you come up with better ideas
• You can use it as a document to pitch a concept to your players for a TTRPG campaign, or to a studio for producing a game. You can also use it to pitch an idea for a collaborative worldbuilding project so that everyone is on the same page!
• It keeps you motivated because you have a goal with steps to work towards
• You can use it to reflect on and measure your progress

🌏 Setting design document template

Set up a new text document / note (or grab a pen & paper) and jot down the following headings (I've included some questions to get you started)! There are templates at the bottom of this post for you to make copies of, too.

• Overview
  • Pitch
    In 1-2 sentences, write an enticing hook as to what your setting is about. If someone puts you on the spot and asks what your project is about - this is how you'd explain it.
  • World Summary
    In 1-2 paragraphs, describe a bit more about what's happening in the setting and who are the key factions and characters involved.

• Genres, Mood & Tone (Setting Alignment)
  Self explanatory - a place to list these down as a point of reference.
• Recurring Themes
  What are some repeating motifs that emphasise your project’s genre, mood, and tone?
• Target Audience
  Who is this setting for? Fans of a similar franchise? Your TTRPG group? People who enjoy certain genres?
• Reader Experience
  How will people engage with the setting? What format will it take (wiki, zine, book, game, etc)?
  What is the setting for? Is it for a digital or physical game, novel, comic, animated series, film, or something else?
• Focus Area
  Define the scope of your worldbuilding project based on the previous sections. Is your setting taking place in a world, a region, a settlement, something smaller, or something much larger than one world?

• History
  List 1-3 major events that define how your setting is today. Roughly how long ago did they happen and how are those events remembered today? (If you're stuck for ideas check out my post on how to make a timeline)
• Present Day
  What is the world like at present day and how does it relate to the history, genre, and tone of your setting? List 1-3 events or conflicts of varying significance that are currently ongoing.
• Narrative & Perspective
  From which perspective(s) is your setting being told from? Is it an omnipresent knowledge of everything? The POV from a particular character or group?
  Will it be in first person (like a journal), second person (like the GM of a TTRPG), or third person (like most novels)?
• Worldbuilding Development
  How long do you want/need to be working on this setting (or this area of the setting)? Write down any defining goals that count towards reaching a finished state - even if you call it "finished for now". Set some achievable goals for yourself!

The document should end up being a few pages long and it's okay if you want to go into more detail for some sections if you find that useful! Once you've got your plan - get worldbuilding!

👀 When to check your design document

It's important to check your plans periodically to make sure that you're still on the right track and are heading towards your goals and not meandering all over the place.

Whenever you feel stuck or uncertain on what should be done next or how to improve something, check through your notes as a reminder 😁

🔄 When to update your design document

Priorities change and you might have a shift in focus, at which point it's perfectly okay to update your document. You'll also want to check your setting design document more towards the end of project to see if there are any last few things that were overlooked.

Be mindful of making big changes to the core aspects of your setting (like genre, tone, or alignment) because it can make the world feel entirely different and you might make a lot of work for yourself updating everything to reflect this.

📚 Resources

My templates:

• Google Docs template (make a copy to edit)
• Obsidian template (copy & paste markdown)

Examples:

• The first game design document I ever made
• The one that inspired mine: Mass Flux Design Document
• Examples of big name design docs and pitches

I also recommend checking out this video by Tim Cain (co-creator of Fallout) on how to write design docs - if you're not making a game, just apply this thinking to your worldbuilding!