Game Design Document Generator: One-Page GDD

Answer four short steps about your game and get a one-page game design document with a pitch, core loop, out-of-scope list, art direction and release plan. Copy it as Markdown or download GDD.md and keep it in your project folder next to the game.

Step 1 of 4: The game

How to use it

  1. Enter the game title, genre and target platform, and press Next.
  2. Write a two-sentence pitch, what the player does every 30 seconds, and the reward, and press Next.
  3. List three features you will not build and the minimum viable version, and press Next.
  4. Add art direction notes, where it ships and the price, and press Write my GDD.
  5. Press Copy Markdown or Download GDD.md to save the document.

What a one-page GDD should contain

Pitch: two sentences on what the game is and why someone would play it. If it does not fit in two sentences, the concept is still too vague to build.

Core loop: what the player does every 30 seconds and what they get for it. This is the part you prototype first. If the loop is not fun with placeholder art, polish will not save it.

Out of Scope: the features you will not build. Check every new idea against this list during development; if it is on the list, it stays out unless you cut something else.

Art Direction and Release: a few reference games or images instead of long descriptions, then where the game ships, the price, and what the minimum viable version includes.

What to leave out until you have a prototype

Skip detailed story scripts, full level designs, a marketing plan, technical architecture and a monetization deep-dive. Write those once the core loop is playable and fun. If your GDD is longer than one page before you have a prototype, you are over-planning.

Keep the document where you already work. Download GDD.md into the root of your game project and commit it with the game, so every change to the design is versioned alongside the code. Update it the same day you cut or add a feature; a GDD that no longer matches the game is worse than none.

Frequently asked questions

What is a game design document?
A game design document, or GDD, is a written plan for your game. For a solo developer or small team its main job is to decide what the game is before you build it and to keep the scope from growing.
How long should a game design document be?
For a solo or small indie project, one page is enough before you have a prototype: pitch, core loop, out of scope, art direction and release plan. Large studio GDDs run much longer because many people need to coordinate.
Is this game design document template free?
Yes. The generator runs in your browser with no account and no AI. Your answers are not sent anywhere; they become the Markdown file you download.
Why write the GDD in Markdown?
Markdown is plain text, so it opens in any editor, renders on GitHub and in Notion, and can live in your game repository under version control next to the code it describes.
What should I do after writing my GDD?
Build the core loop first with placeholder art and a single level, and test whether it is fun. Only then add the rest of the minimum viable version, and keep everything on the Out of Scope list out.

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