Agile Game Development

Agile development is a flexible and iterative approach to software and game development that emphasises collaboration, adaptability, and delivering value quickly. It is commonly used in game design and other software industries to improve efficiency and respond effectively to changes during the development process.

In other words, you can think of Agile game development practices as an iterative process where many teams work on smaller projects instead of working towards the game as a whole, which is assembled piece by piece. Usually, even features are broken down into bite-sized tasks for individuals to work on autonomously.

Scrum

Scrum is currently the most widely adopted Agile framework, in which teams work in short sprints (usually spanning two to four weeks, but both shorter and longer sprints are better depending on your game) and every team member has a very clearly defined role – one “Product Owner”, another “Scrum Master” and the rest make up the “Development Team Members”:

– Product Owner (This is normally the lead of that department i.e Design lead): they are the representative of end users and stakeholders who understand the users, marketplace, competitors and trends very deeply. Product Owners are also responsible for controlling the profitability of the game, task prioritisation and the approval of work results.

– Scrum Master (Producer): this is the person who leads a scrum – short daily meetings in which the team shares the progress made in the previous day and plans for the work ahead. It’s common for teams to have a fixed Scrum Master, but in some teams everyone gets to take on the role.

Being a highly dynamic role, the Scrum Master strives to protect the team from external distractions, removes obstacles impeding the team’s progress, helps everyone stay focused on the work and ensures there is a consensus in the daily scrum. In some cases, the Scrum Master is the one responsible for assigning the tasks to team members, which is done with their help.

All in all, the role of the Scrum Master requires good soft skills and is akin to a catalyst for the team.

– Development Team Members (“Team”): they are the qualified professionals responsible for the development of the game itself. Using their technical knowledge of the game development industry, they design and create new functionalities or improve existing ones, and also test prototypes and perform quality assurance (QA) tasks.

Example:

A studio may assign a small, dedicated team to work on side missions. This team typically consists of one or two programmers, designers, artists, a QA specialist, and a production team member. Each sprint, team members are assigned specific tasks that collectively contribute to completing a portion of the side missions.

The producer oversees the team's progress, manages workflow, and implements adjustments as needed to ensure smooth development. At the end of each sprint, the team's progress is evaluated, and the workload is adapted to optimise productivity for the next sprint.

Workflow Visuals (Kanban)

A Kanban board is a visual project management tool used to track and manage tasks as they progress through different stages of development. It helps teams organise work, identify bottlenecks, and improve workflow efficiency. In game development, a Kanban board allows developers, artists, designers, and other team members to see the status of tasks and collaborate more effectively. The example below is from Jira.

Structure of a Kanban Board

A Kanban board is typically divided into columns that represent the different stages of work. A basic setup might include:

To Do – Tasks that need to be completed.
In Progress – Tasks currently being worked on.
Review/Testing – Tasks that have been completed but need to be reviewed or tested.
Done – Completed tasks.

Each task is represented by a card (physical or digital) that includes details like:

Task description
Priority level
Assigned team member
Deadline

How It's Used in Game Development

Planning – At the start of a sprint or development cycle, tasks are added to the "To Do" column based on the game’s design and production goals.
Task Assignment – Team members pull tasks from the "To Do" column and move them into "In Progress" as they start working.
Progress Tracking – Team members update the status of tasks by moving the cards through the columns.
Identifying Bottlenecks – If too many tasks build up in one column (e.g., "Review/Testing"), it signals a problem that needs to be addressed (like lack of QA resources).
Continuous Improvement – After each sprint or development phase, the team reviews the Kanban board to improve workflow and efficiency.a

Example in Game Development

A team working on a horror game might have tasks like "Create ambient sound effects" or "Design monster animations" in the "To Do" column.
When a sound designer starts working on the ambient sounds, they move the task to "In Progress."
Once finished, the task moves to "Review/Testing" for the lead designer to approve.
After approval, it moves to "Done."

Lets look at a task close up

Name: A concise and descriptive title summarizing the task’s purpose or focus.
Importance: Indicates the priority level of the task, with higher-priority tasks requiring immediate attention and completion before others.
Assignee: The person responsible for completing the task
Description: A detailed explanation of the task, including relevant information such as links to the Game Design Document (GDD), folder locations, and any associated resources or references.
Related to: Highlights dependencies and connections to other tasks. For example, this task might depend on completing "Art - Animation - Crouch" before it can begin or may lead to a related QA task once finished.

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