Keep the Scope Small:
One resource that has really helped me has been this series of videos from the group Extra Credit. The team creates videos concerning many different aspects the video game industry, and one collection of videos in particular deals with common issues behind making video games.
In this first video of the game-making series, the group covers the concept of scope. One of the main guidelines that the narrator addresses is the importance of keeping your first game simple. Instead of trying to make a huge, professional-looking game, the narrator states that one should "[g]et something built that you can actually play, even in the most rudimentary fashion." If a person takes on too big of a challenge his or her first time around, then he or she will likely become discouraged and end up never finishing the game. This has been an especially important concept for me to remember because I tend to dream big; I often find myself drawn to projects that will take years or decades to complete rather than smaller projects that can be completed in a much more timely manner. In order to complete my game, I have to remember to start small.
In this same video, the narrator also stresses the importance of understanding one's own resources and skills and then working within that. This is another important guideline for me to follow because I like learning new skills, and if I attempt to create a game where I have to learn many new skills in order to be able to develop the game, then I will spend all of my time learning and never get to actually creating the game itself.
Budgeting and Running Out of Time:
In the next video in the series, the narrator addresses the issue of budgeting time for a project. The narrator suggests that one should take his or her best estimate for how long they think it will take to complete the project and then add 50% more time to that estimate. I think this is good advice, but it also worries me because I began my game with the estimate that it would take me all 5 weeks to complete it. However, I am now at week 4, and even after all the time I have spent finding the right tools, narrowing down the right idea, and then designing how my game will function, my game is still a long way from being done.
At this point, I am both excited and nervous. I really like the concept for my game, and I believe it is something I can continue to build on in the future if I decide to do so. I also have a lot of the design down and am ready to start creating all of the game assets. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of programming the game, and that doesn't leave me a lot of time for trouble-shooting.