My First Week of Keeping A Dev Log and What I learned From It

I have been so obsessed with the video game I’m making that I try to squeeze in every drop of time I can into this project, and I’ve gotten a lot done in the first couple of weeks. But here’s the thing: I’m also super new to game development. Like, very new. I don’t even know what I don’t know yet. So I’ve been soaking up every scrap of advice I can—from podcasts, YouTube videos, Reddit threads, you name it. And one little nugget really stuck with me: Keep a dev log. Because early game development is mostly just making decisions—and it’s easy to lose sight of how much you’ve done.

That hit me. So I figured… yeah, let’s try it.

I’m a sentimental creature. Part of me just wanted to be able to look back one day—post-Game of the Year win, obviously—and remember how little baby-me had no idea what she was doing. (You can tell I get stuck in my own head a lot, right?)

What I didn’t expect was how useful the dev log would be for learning about my own creative process.

My process is fairly simple. When I have an idea—whether it’s a new system, a crafting recipe, or an NPC—I usually ramble at ChatGPT with a big brain dump. It organizes the chaos into something readable that I can paste into my game design doc or Notion board (because, let’s be real, I am terrible at staying organized on my own).

For the dev log, I started doing the same thing. I’d recap what I did that day, then add a little reflection section about how the work made me feel. And that’s where the magic happened.

Writing those reflections made me realize that I naturally like working backwards. I start with big, crunchy systems like farming or cooking. As I build them, I figure out what tools or stations the player would need. Then I write those item cards. Then I design the items needed to make those items. It’s like reverse-engineering my way through development.

And honestly? That chaotic backwards layering works for me.

It’s something I probably should’ve noticed sooner—but writing my dev logs helped me see it clearly. And now I can move forward with a process that actually fits how my brain works.

If you’re making your own game (or really any big creative project), please consider keeping a dev log. Not just so you can track your progress—but so you can uncover your own best work rhythms and creative patterns.

If you want to follow more of my dev journey—along with behind-the-scenes rambles, early peeks at plushie lore, and exclusive updates—check out my Patreon! Every bit of support helps me keep making weird, cozy, magical things. (PS. My actual Dev Logs are on Patreon, and this very post was released there a week early!)

Thanks for wandering with me.

See you in the next thread.

—Laney