In Finland, we have this saying that well planned is half-done. Also the Cru considers flexible planning as an important part of the work, and for us it’s not just about the plan itself, it’s about the act of planning and forming the bigger picture. That’s why we’re Super excited about the large wall board we’ve created for visualizing and designing the in-game level progression. So, here’s a little sneak peek to our mischievous plans…

Our debut title The Supernauts will be based on building, as well as collecting and producing different materials. In short, the level progression will give access to new types of materials as the player advances in the game. In order to get all the elements and mechanics in balance, Grand Cru’s development team has created the visualization chart to make the planning more efficient, explicit and, also a bit fun – why not?

As you’ve probably already noticed, it looks very similar to a scrum board. However, we use it as an analysing and planning tool to improve the designing of level progression, achievements, new material unlocks, crafting system and in-game economics.

Symbol cards, post-its and color codes make the visualization very easy and the plan can quickly be adjusted to new changes. For example, each symbol card represents an individual building material, so by moving the cards we can try out new ideas and immediatly see what kind of effect the change would have on the system.

As you can see, the visualization works extremely well. The colorful board is located in a collaborative space, so each of us can easily keep track of what’s new and what has changed. What’s most important, the board gives an insight to how the system will work in the bigger picture. Needless to say, this is a work in progress, but the board has already proven to be a useful tool for development of The Supernauts!