Tane: Nurturing Your Game Design from Seed to Success
Game design documents can quickly fade in value as they get out of sync with your latest ideas. I built Tane as a tool for indie developers to easily maintain a living document anchored to two critical aspects of game development: your game's appeal and its execution plan.
No accounts needed and your data stays private, just a simple space to nurture your game idea.
The Problem with Traditional Game Design Documents
Most game design documents try to capture everything: mechanics, story, art direction, sound design, and countless other details. While comprehensive, this approach often leads to documents that become outdated before development even begins. The reality is that game development is an iterative process, and your documentation needs to evolve with it.
For indie developers especially, spending weeks crafting an exhaustive design document can be a form of procrastination. I've done this for years... it's easy to feel productive while avoiding the harder questions: What makes your game special? Can you actually build it?
A Different Approach to Game Design
Tane (種), meaning "seed" in Japanese, takes a more focused approach. Instead of trying to document every possible detail, it helps you concentrate on two fundamental aspects that determine your game's success:
- Appeal: What makes your game special and engaging? This includes your headline hook, core fun factor, and how you'll present it to players in a trailer.
- Execution Plan: A realistic breakdown of what you are inspired by and what you need to create, from sprites and music to levels and mechanics.
By focusing on these two aspects, Tane helps you avoid the common pitfall of over-designing before validating your core concept and its feasibility.
Privacy-First Design
Your game idea is precious, and Tane respects that. Everything stays in your browser's local storage. No accounts, no cloud sync, no sharing features. You can export your work as Markdown whenever you want, giving you complete control over your data. This approach not only protects your intellectual property but also eliminates the friction of account management and login systems. Just open Tane and start designing or throw in new ideas as you go about your day.
The Germinate Feature: Seeing the Whole Picture
One of Tane's unique features is Germinate which is a holistic view that brings together all aspects of your design. It helps you sit with and visualize how your appeal, mechanics, and production timeline work together, making it easier to spot potential issues early.
This feature is particularly valuable for indie developers who need to balance creative ambition with practical constraints. It helps answer crucial questions like: Does your execution plan realistically support your game's appeal? Are your mechanics aligned with what makes your game special?
From Concept to Market Reality
While artistic expression is valuable, many indie developers hope for some commercial success. Tane helps you think about market realities early, without stifling creativity. By focusing on appeal and execution, you naturally consider both your artistic vision and its viability in today's increasingly crowded market.