Why a prototype?
The main reason why prototypes exist is that we need to narrow down the risk of making something that doesn’t work. Imagine that you have infinite time and resources; what would be the point of creating a prototype? Why not just create the entire game, and if it doesn’t work, try again? Prototypes exist exactly because we need to make the best use of the scarce time and resources we’ve got.
When we build a prototype for a game, we are generally looking at the following:
- Whether a mechanic is engaging and fun
- Selecting the best idea from a set of alternatives
- Testing the technical feasibility of an idea (where the idea can be anything from a full game to a rendering technique or AI algorithm)
- Whether a user can navigate the game UI effectively and intuitively
- Whether a game economy is balanced
Note
Please note that our first point is a huge one! To understand what a fun mechanic is and how to judge whether yours...