You're a game developer who's just gone freelance. How do you manage your time effectively?

Make sure you understand what you can and what you can't do on your own. Knowing your limitations is the first step into setting realistic goals. And when in doubt, be conservative in order to make sure your strategy is solid.

Definir metas realistas usando SMART ou OKR é essencial para o desenvolvimento de jogos. Digamos que você esteja criando um sistema de combate para um RPG. Uma meta SMART seria: Específico: Implementar um sistema de combate em turnos com 3 classes de personagens (Guerreiro, Mago, Ladr?o), cada uma com 5 habilidades únicas. Mensurável: Criar protótipos jogáveis das 3 classes e suas habilidades em 4 semanas. Alcan?ável: A equipe possui experiência em sistemas de combate em turnos e a engine suporta as funcionalidades desejadas. Relevante: O sistema de combate é central para a experiência do jogo e impacta diretamente o gameplay. Tempo Limitado: O prazo de 4 semanas se alinha com o cronograma geral de desenvolvimento.

Establishing a structured schedule is essential for effective time management as a freelance game developer. Begin by outlining your goals and deadlines, then organize your time accordingly. Utilize tools such as calendars or project management software to map out your tasks and allocate sufficient time for each project. Factor in breaks and downtime to prevent burnout and maintain productivity. Tailor your schedule to align with your peak energy levels and preferred work hours, optimizing your productivity throughout the day. By adhering to a well-defined schedule, you can efficiently manage your time and meet project milestones while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Structuring your schedule to have a routine is key. You want your sleep to be in order, as well as keep a healthy dose of resting, exercising and/or anything you need to feel good. Game development is very much a marathon, so if you go crazy fast all the time you'll burn yourself out. Its ok to go with the flow sometimes, but don't lose sight of your mental and physical health.

One thing I found helpful is to stop hopping between tasks and projects(as much as possible). For me there are times that some projects overlap or I have to take on 2 or 3 part-time projects. Sometimes it is unavoidable, I try my best to communicate with my clients about the situation and try to say "No" to any "false emergency" that occurs. It helps me to maintain my momentum on the task that I'm currently working on. Then when i finished with the task, I go along with the schedule to the next

Maintaining a clear understanding of project scope is crucial for avoiding overwhelm and maintaining efficiency as a freelance game developer. Before accepting any project, thoroughly assess your capabilities, availability, and resources. Clearly define project scope, deliverables, milestones, and feedback processes in collaboration with your clients to prevent scope creep. Regularly communicate with clients to ensure mutual understanding and alignment throughout the project lifecycle. By managing your scope effectively, you can deliver high-quality work within agreed timelines while safeguarding your time and resources from unnecessary expansion or strain.

Managing scope is key. And to that end, the best thing to do is to be conservative. If you think a project will take one year, it could easily take 1.5 or 2. Games usually can grow with ease while making them smaller is much harder. So aim lower and then expand and polish as needed.

Uma maneira prática de gerenciar o escopo é dividir o projeto em marcos menores e mais gerenciáveis com o cliente. Por exemplo, em vez de concordar em "desenvolver o sistema de combate", divida-o em partes como "design do sistema de combate básico", "implementa??o de habilidades especiais" e "ajuste e balanceamento do combate". Isso permite um acompanhamento mais preciso do progresso e facilita a identifica??o e comunica??o de quaisquer desvios de escopo desde o início.

Set limitations to your work which are unbreakable. For example, you may have a rule where you don't work on weekends or need to have at least X "chill moments" per week. Measure not only your work, but the things that keep your mental and physical health in check too. If you're getting less than what you need each week, then your surely going to burn out at some point. Give yourself a sustainable rhythm as soon as you can.