How to Build a Game Design Document in ClickUp

Using ClickUp to organize your game design document turns scattered ideas into a clear, actionable plan your whole team can follow from concept to launch.

This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to translate a traditional game design document into tasks, views, and workflows you can manage inside one workspace.

Why Move Your Game Design Document into ClickUp

Classic game design documents usually live in long static files. They become hard to update, hard to search, and even harder to keep aligned with production.

By building the same structure in ClickUp, your document becomes a living system connected to sprints, assets, and feedback.

Key advantages include:

• Centralized requirements, art, and technical notes
• Real-time collaboration and comments from all disciplines
• Clear ownership of every feature and mechanic
• Easy tracking of scope, status, and dependencies

The source inspiration for this workflow comes from the game design document templates described on the ClickUp blog.

Plan Your Game Design Structure in ClickUp

Before building anything, outline what your game design document needs to cover. Typical sections include:

• High-level concept and elevator pitch
• Genre, platform, and target audience
• Core game loop and moment-to-moment gameplay
• Story, world, and characters
• Levels, environments, and progression
• Systems, mechanics, and controls
• Monetization, economy, and rewards
• Art direction and audio style
• Technical requirements and platforms
• UI, UX, and accessibility notes

Each one of these sections can become a logical container or list inside ClickUp so that design details stay grouped and easy to browse.

Step 1: Create a Game Design Space in ClickUp

Start by giving your game its own dedicated Space so design, production, QA, and marketing can work in one location.

1. Open your ClickUp workspace.
2. Create a new Space named after your game.
3. Choose a color and icon to differentiate it from other projects.
4. Enable Docs, tasks, Whiteboards, and other features you expect to use.

This Space becomes the home for your entire game design document and related workflows.

Step 2: Build Lists for Each Major Game Design Section

Within the Space, use Lists to mirror the core sections of your document. In ClickUp, each List can host tasks, docs, and views specific to that part of the game.

Example Lists:

• Concept & Vision
• Gameplay & Mechanics
• Story & World
• Levels & Progression
• Art & Audio Direction
• Systems & Technical Design
• Monetization & Economy
• UI & UX

Creating this structure first makes it easier to connect design tasks to the correct context later.

Step 3: Turn Design Elements into ClickUp Tasks

Instead of burying everything in one long file, break the document down into small, ownable pieces represented as tasks in ClickUp.

For each List, add tasks such as:

• Core game loop definition
• Player movement and controls spec
• Combat mechanics spec
• Level 1 layout and objectives
• Main character backstory
• Enemy archetypes and behaviors
• In-game economy rules
• HUD wireframe and menu flow

Within each task you can store detailed descriptions, attach references, and log decisions so that every feature in the game has a digital paper trail.

Step 4: Use ClickUp Docs for Long-Form Sections

Some parts of a game design document need narrative flow, diagrams, and long explanations. For those, create Docs inside ClickUp and link them directly to tasks and Lists.

Common uses for Docs include:

• Full story overview and act breakdown
• World lore, factions, and timelines
• Detailed design bibles for systems
• Art style guides and mood boards

Docs support headings, images, and tables, letting you keep the readability of a traditional game design document while tying it to your production tasks.

Step 5: Add Custom Fields in ClickUp for Game Design Data

Custom Fields let you track game-specific information across many tasks. With them, you can sort, filter, and prioritize design work based on your needs.

Helpful Custom Fields to add:

• Feature type (Mechanic, UI, Level, Narrative, Audio)
• Design priority (Must Have, Should Have, Nice to Have)
• Estimated complexity (Low, Medium, High)
• Gameplay impact score
• Linked build or milestone

Once added, these fields can drive views and reports inside ClickUp so leads always see what matters most.

Step 6: Organize Views in ClickUp for Designers and Leads

Different roles need different angles on the same game design document. Views in ClickUp provide that flexibility without duplicating information.

Board View in ClickUp for Design Status

Create a Board view grouped by status to track how far along each design element is.

Typical status columns:

• Backlog
• In Design
• Under Review
• Approved
• In Production

Dragging tasks across columns quickly shows which parts of the document are still conceptual and which are ready for implementation.

List and Table Views in ClickUp for Detail

Design leads often need detail-dense lists. Use List or Table views to expose Custom Fields, estimate effort, and sort by priority.

Examples:

• A view of all Must Have mechanics sorted by complexity
• A table of every level with its narrative beat and estimated playtime

Calendar and Gantt Views in ClickUp for Timelines

To keep your game design aligned with production milestones, use Calendar or Gantt views.

With these views, you can:

• See when key systems and levels must be locked
• Identify bottlenecks in review or iteration cycles
• Align design deadlines with content drops and marketing beats

Step 7: Collaborate on Game Design Directly in ClickUp

Once the structure is set, use collaboration features so the game design document becomes your single source of truth.

Actions to take:

• Mention teammates in comments to ask for feedback or approvals.
• Attach concept art, references, and prototypes to relevant tasks.
• Use checklists for sub-items inside big design tasks.
• Track changes and decisions inside task histories and Docs.

This keeps feedback attached to the exact feature it affects, instead of buried in side chats.

Step 8: Keep Your Game Design Document Living in ClickUp

A great game design document evolves as your project grows. Treat your ClickUp structure as a living system, not a static file.

To keep it healthy:

• Review Lists at the start of each sprint.
• Archive or merge outdated ideas instead of leaving them loose.
• Update Docs when major mechanics or systems change.
• Use reports to see where design work is stuck.

Because your design is connected to real tasks, the moment something changes in scope or direction, you can reflect it immediately.

Going Beyond: Connect ClickUp Game Design to Production

Once your game design document lives in ClickUp, connecting it to development is straightforward.

Approaches include:

• Linking design tasks to implementation tasks in engineering Lists.
• Using dependencies to ensure design is approved before builds begin.
• Creating separate Spaces for publishing or live-ops that reference shared Docs.

For broader project and workflow consulting around tools like ClickUp, you can explore services from partners such as Consultevo.

Start Your Next Game Design in ClickUp

Translating your game design document into a structured ClickUp system gives you clarity, accountability, and a direct bridge from vision to shipped features.

By setting up a dedicated Space, organizing Lists, converting every feature into tasks, and using Docs and Custom Fields, you give your team a shared home for every design decision from the first idea to final patch.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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