How I Manage Multiple Projects At Once (As a Game Developer)
Hello world!
In this blog post, I want to talk about whether or not its a good idea to be juggling around multiple projects and how I'm managing to do so while preventing burnout.
As a solo game developer, I often find myself wearing multiple hats and handling different aspects of a single project.
Recently though, I've found myself needing to bounce around different projects as I work on updates of my currently released games.
With that said, I just want to really emphasize that I'm just speaking off of my experiences juggling multiple projects.
Use the information to shape your own opinions on whether starting a side project is right for you.
Shiny Object Syndrome
So, I think the first thing is to ask yourself: Are you someone who likes to start projects, but never finish them?
If that rings a bell, chances are that you've got the case of shiny object syndrome, leading you to procrastinate by being a serial starter as a way to evade tasks.
I think it's important to break this loop first before even considering diving into multiple projects, at least if you're wanting to be more serious with your craft. Think about it and manifest your craft to life. After finishing one project, it just hits you and you start to really believe in yourself.
Set Clear Goals
Aside from my stubbornness, a practical tip that has worked wonders for me in completing projects is setting clear goals.
I draw out roughly what the finish product will look, map out all the mechanics, and basically go over all the little intricacies involved into creating a game.
This keeps me focused, because although I'm pretty good at ignoring shiny objects and staying the course for a project, my mind is also quite great at coming up with new features I could add to a game I'm working on.
Like anything there is a balance to this, but if I didn't have clear goals, I could easily get carried away and continually push my goals further away. This is called feature creep in the world of my craft and it's in the same playing field as the shiny object syndrome.
Point in case, set clear goals and free any other ideas outside of the goal from your mental space by writing it down somewhere separate to use for the future so that you can actually finish your project.
Preventing Burn Out
What helps me prevent burn out is by bouncing around the different types of work that exists in a project.
With my craft for example, when I feel a bit worn out from programming, I can switch gears and dive into the more creative side by making game objects, working on the marketing aspects, etc.
It's a method I use in order to keep myself engaged and ensure that I continually progress in my projects.
Balance different types of work
When it comes to handling multiple projects, my hack is pretty much doing more of the same thing.
The only difference is that the bouncing between different types of work happens across various projects.
So, when I set goals for my projects, I really try to identify those different types of work and tackle something I feel like doing at the moment.
Conclusion
Juggling multiple projects for me requires embracing different types of work to keep things interesting.
That's why I make a point of setting clear goals to identify all the different categories of work that are involved in each project before I fully commit to them.
By doing this, I give myself the clarity to find possibilities to alternate between various types of work across projects smoothly and avoid getting overwhelmed or bored.
With all that said, I would not even consider bouncing around multiple projects unless I know I am capable of completing one BY finishing one first in the way I define the finish line to be.
Again, these are just my thoughts and what works for me! Take what makes sense for you and even consider giving the ideas a try!
Thank you for reading.
June Contributors
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- Laura Milligan
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- Andrew Abrook
- Faiz Prasla
- Armagine Rivero
