Resources

GDD Resources

A curated, citable reference set for building with Open GDD, plus external GDD standards, templates, and examples to reduce ambiguity and rework.

Open GDD Core

Docs (13 chapters)

Internal

The canonical Open GDD structure. Use chapter slugs as citations in prompts and reviews.

Open

Manifesto

Internal

The why: design principles, scope boundaries, and how to keep the spec reviewable.

Open

Open GDD FAQ

Internal

Definitions, boundaries, and the Open GDD vs Real GDD mental model.

Open

GDD Standards & Best Practices

Indie Game Academy — Free GDD Template & How‑To Guide

A practical guide to what a GDD is, why it matters, common sections, and how to keep it a living document.

Open

机核网（Gcores）— 如何撰写一份游戏设计文档（译介）

A deep dive into GDD writing (Chinese). Includes a recommended downloadable template link.

Open

GDD Templates

Trick's GDD Template (.docx)

A structured Word template referenced by the Gcores article. Useful if you prefer doc-based drafting.

Open

Unity — Game Design Document Template (PDF)

Unity-provided PDF outline covering key aspects of game design and production planning.

Open

UNC — Game Design Document Template (PDF)

A university template emphasizing detail completeness for implementation.

Open

Discussion & Examples

Gamescrye — Game Design Documents

A collection of real-world GDD examples across genres and scales (e.g., well-known commercial titles).

Open

Reddit r/gamedesign — Preferred GDD Template

A developer discussion thread on what people actually use and why.

Open

Reddit r/gamedev — What is exactly a GDD?

A discussion thread on what a GDD should be in practice and how flexible it can be.

Open

GitBook — How to write a GDD (with examples)

A modern guide with example structure and practical drafting advice.

Open

Markdown & Writing Specs

CommonMark Spec

The baseline Markdown spec. Useful when you need unambiguous formatting rules.

Open

GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM)

Tables, task lists, and other extensions that are common in repos and PR reviews.

Open

SEO & Machine-Readable Context

Schema.org

Structured data vocabularies. Helpful for making pages machine-interpretable.

Open

llms.txt (this site)

Internal

A plain-text entry point for model-friendly site understanding and citation.

Open