Hello everybody, I didn't know where to put this post and since I consider myself a beginner I figured this is an issue most face at the beginning of game development. I have a project that I've been working on for the past month and a half and all the mechanics and behaviors are done, the only thing that is missing is setting the menus and levels together (I have 14 small levels already made) but I don't feel like working on this project anymore. It's not that is bad but it's not particularly good also and it's not something I was planning to release or anything it was mostly for myself.  I have other ideas that I want to work on but I guess I feel kind of guilty leaving this project unfinished. I thought about just exploring those other ideas for a bit and then come back to this project but I'm afraid it's just going to get lost in oblivion and when I try to come back to it I won't remember what I was doing or where I left off or why I coded something the way I did. Do any of you face this issue often? What do you do?

Thanks for all the replies!

2 hours ago, dncl said:

but I don't feel like working on this project anymore.

It's funny, as a artist we are thought a simple concept: If you can't destroy it, then finish it. I approach both my art and code in this way.

What it means is that if you aren't willinging to destroy it, to delete every trace from existence, then you should finish it. Because if you learned all you can from it you will no longer need it.

4 hours ago, dncl said:

Hello everybody, I didn't know where to put this post and since I consider myself a beginner I figured this is an issue most face at the beginning of game development. I have a project that I've been working on for the past month and a half and all the mechanics and behaviors are done, the only thing that is missing is setting the menus and levels together (I have 14 small levels already made) but I don't feel like working on this project anymore. It's not that is bad but it's not particularly good also and it's not something I was planning to release or anything it was mostly for myself.  I have other ideas that I want to work on but I guess I feel kind of guilty leaving this project unfinished. I thought about just exploring those other ideas for a bit and then come back to this project but I'm afraid it's just going to get lost in oblivion and when I try to come back to it I won't remember what I was doing or where I left off or why I coded something the way I did. Do any of you face this issue often? What do you do?

Thanks for all the replies!

I've been faced with many projects I didn't want to finish, especially when I first started game programming 18 years ago. One of the biggest mistakes I made was to jump around from project to project thinking my "new idea" would light that fire again. Was it the proper thing to do? Not really... Anyone that has been in Game Development long enough can tell you there are a lot of times you're very inspired and other times you're just struggling to make it through to the next task. Some projects also have that "honeymoon phase", and when you're working away at something extremely boring you can really lose interest fast.

The root of my problem in the beginning was self discipline. I also believed at the time that motivation came before action, which wasn't the case. It took a lot of struggle to build up the desire to just finish tasks when I first started programming. My motivation returned and I was on fire yet again once I started working and finding the great reasons why I even wanted to create the game.

My recommendation is finish what you start. The amount of people that never finish games is extremely high. I've been on so many smaller projects that flopped because the core team didn't have the self discipline and desire to push through the rough patches, and continue on to making our vision come true. Finishing the project in itself will give a great feeling of accomplishment, and will build up that self discipline for completing what you start.

Remember that ideas are plentifully, and if we decide to work on a new project based on every new idea that passes, you'll be swapping projects so often that nothing will get done. I keep a journal of ideas, and over time I revisit them when I'm 'free' to consider which one I should work on next.

I also agree with @Scouting Ninja If you're at the point where the project is a dead end for you and you're 100% okay removing any trace of your work, then go for it. I just would not make a habit of doing this. If it does become a problem, then you need to sit on your ideas for a bit before moving forward. Learn from your experiences, what made you feel that the project was not worth continuing? What made you want to start the project in the first place? Ect...

Thanks for the answers @Rutin and @Scouting Ninja I'm definitely not ready to erase every trace of this project and I admit I'm just going to a design rough patch (especially doing levels that are fun at least for me) so I will try to power through this and finish no matter how good or bad the finished product is. I don't want this to become a habit so guess there's no other way to go about this. Thanks again guys!

21 hours ago, dncl said:

Do any of you face this issue often? What do you do?

There are the many examples of the old classic muscle car in the garage waiting to be rebuilt. There are examples of the boat waiting to be refinished, the weed patch that may someday be a flower garden.  Artists have the half-painted canvas, the sketch books filled with drawings that will never become completed sketches.  Unfinished basements, outlines for the next world-famous novel, business ideas that never quite materialize, 

With software you are leaving a portion of some disks with the wreckage of old projects.  Far better than keeping your garage full of car parts for decades until someone throws them out.