Prototype Fast

Get a mechanic into a player's hands fast to learn whether it's worth building. The output of a prototype is a decision (keep / kill / refactor), not a product. Optimize for learning speed, and decide up front whether the code is throwaway or load-bearing.

When to use

• Use when validating a single mechanic or "what if", building a vertical slice / MVP, greyboxing a level or interaction, or de-risking an idea before committing real time.
• Use when the user says "just get something playable", "is this fun?", or "rough it in".

When not to use: a timed competition with a deadline and a submission (use game-jam); shipping or updating a real release (use steam-publish / itch-publish); building the production version of a validated feature (use the engine/genre skill directly).

Core workflow