Tutorial 1: Scope, Architecture, and Release Review

Unit 8 · Production and capstone

Objectives

A capstone succeeds when its central interaction is clear and polished, not when its feature list is enormous. Write the core loop as verbs: explore, aim, collect, return. Put optional features behind a cut list and establish a playable milestone early.

Core loop: move -> discover target -> interact -> receive feedback
Acceptance test: A new player can complete the loop in under two minutes.

Architecture should make change affordable. Keep input, simulation, rendering, audio, and persistence at understandable boundaries. A release review checks functionality, usability, performance, accessibility, and recovery from failure.

Exercises

  1. Reduce a game idea to one core loop and three acceptance tests.
  2. Create a must-have, should-have, and cut list.
  3. Review one prototype scene for unclear feedback or unreachable states.

Self-check

  1. Why prioritize the core loop?
  2. What makes an acceptance test testable?
  3. Which systems should have clear boundaries?

Self-Check Quiz

1. What is a core loop?

AnswerThe repeated player interaction that defines what the game is primarily about.

2. What does a cut list do?

AnswerIt protects the playable milestone by identifying features that can be removed without breaking the central experience.

Homework

  1. Write a one-page capstone brief: audience, core loop, controls, visual target, and risks.
  2. Define five acceptance tests and one accessibility requirement.
  3. Perform a release review on your current build and prioritize the next three changes.
Sample answerA strong brief names one audience and one repeatable loop, keeps the first milestone small, and describes success as observable behavior. Acceptance tests might cover starting, completing the loop, losing and recovering, changing volume, and playing with keyboard-only controls. Priorities should be based on player impact and risk, not novelty.
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