Postmortems are an essential tool for game developers, project managers and anyone else involved in game development projects. They allow you to reflect on the successes and failures of your project and identify areas for improvement. In this article, we’ll explore how to conduct a successful postmortem for your game development project.
What is a Postmortem?
A postmortem is a structured process used to analyze and evaluate the successes and failures of a project. It involves bringing together key stakeholders, such as team members, clients, and other relevant parties, to review the project from start to finish. During the process, everyone shares their thoughts, opinions, and experiences, allowing for a thorough analysis of what went well and what didn’t.
The Benefits of Conducting a Postmortem
Conducting a postmortem can have numerous benefits for game development projects:
- Identifying areas for improvement: By analyzing the project, you can identify areas where improvements could be made. This allows you to make changes before starting on a new project, ensuring that the same mistakes are not repeated.
- Improving communication: Conducting a postmortem can help improve communication between team members and other stakeholders. By sharing their thoughts and experiences, everyone involved in the project can gain a better understanding of what went well and what didn’t.
- Enhancing project management: A postmortem can help improve your project management skills by identifying areas where you could have done things differently or more efficiently. This allows you to implement changes that will improve future projects.
- Building trust: Conducting a postmortem shows that you are committed to improving your work and that you value the input of others. This helps build trust between team members and other stakeholders, leading to better collaboration in future projects.
How to Conduct a Successful Postmortem
Here are some steps to follow when conducting a successful postmortem for your game development project:
- Invite the right people: It’s important to invite the right people to the postmortem. This should include key stakeholders, such as team members, clients, and other relevant parties. Make sure to invite everyone who has played a role in the project.
- Set clear goals: Before starting the postmortem, set clear goals for what you want to achieve. This will help keep the discussion focused and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
- Choose a neutral facilitator: Select someone to facilitate the postmortem who is not involved in the project. This will help ensure that the process is fair and impartial.
- Use structured questions: Use structured questions to guide the discussion. These questions should be open-ended and allow everyone to share their thoughts and experiences.
- Take notes: Take detailed notes during the postmortem. This will help you identify key themes and areas for improvement.
- Analyze the results: After the postmortem, analyze the results. Identify the most common themes and areas where improvements could be made. Use this information to make changes before starting on a new project.
Real-Life Examples of Successful Postmortems in Game Development
There are many examples of successful postmortems in game development. One such example is the team behind "The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth" conducted a postmortem after their game was released. They identified several areas where they could improve, including user experience and graphics. As a result, they made changes that led to improved reviews and sales.