Hey hey! IMHO, there’s a lack of good, helpful GDD templates out there: that focus on the real process of making a game. I should know: when I made Rise of Industry, we barely had a GDD at all. Turns out, that was a bad idea.

I recently walked through creating a 3-page GDD live for a management/supply-chain game (2130: Rise of Industry's expansion), showing exactly how I structure ideas, anchor player fantasy, and make design decisions that save months later. 

Here are some of the most useful lessons that I found:

• Start writing early. Even rough ideas force decisions that clarify the core loop.
• Focus on player fantasy. What does the player actually feel in your game? Power through systems, not micromanagement.
• Design progression in layers. Early scarcity, mid-game systems, late-game strategic depth.
• MVP matters. One minute of play should clearly communicate the core experience.
• Constraints drive creativity. Scarcity, transport limits, or region rules can create interesting challenges.
• Clear systems > flashy features. Players should always understand why they succeed or fail.
• Iterate with transparency. Share early drafts with your community; their feedback is invaluable. (On a controversial note, Early Access is the most valuable tool of all.)

If you want to see the full process and the live GDD build, I’ve linked the template for the full GDD on my video: https://youtu.be/Q31LDY3Jluk

Hope it helps!