Game Design Macro Charts

Planning the full game before full production

Source: A Playful Production Process by Richard Lemarchand (MIT Press, 2021)

Lemarchand was a lead designer on the Uncharted series at Naughty Dog and teaches in the USC Games program.

Background

Key Production Terms

Preproduction

The phase where the team proves the game works and plans what will be built.

Vertical slice

A short, playable section of the game built to near-final quality to show what the finished game will be like.

Full production

The phase where the team builds the rest of the game's content.

Alpha milestone

The point where every feature and every section of the game exists in some form, even if unpolished.

Scope

The total amount of content and features in the project.

Scope creep

The gradual growth of a project as new features are added during development, usually without adding time to the schedule.

Context

Where the Macro Fits in Production

The four phases in the book
1Ideation
2PreproductionMacro created here
3Full production
4Postproduction
Main deliverables at the end of preproduction
Vertical slice
Shows the game at its best, but only a small part of it.
Game design macro
Describes the entire game, but not at final quality.
Together they answer two questions: "Is this game good?" and "What exactly are we going to build?"

The macro is carried into full production as the plan the team builds from. The book's scheduling chapter also falls within preproduction; the schedule is built from the macro.

Definition

What Is a Game Design Macro?

A planning document with two parts:

Game design overview

A few pages of prose describing the whole game: premise, core mechanics, structure, and anything that is true throughout the game.

Game design macro chart

A spreadsheet that breaks the game into sections and describes each one.

Rows
Each row is a section of the game (a level, sequence, or chapter), listed in the order the player experiences it.
Columns
Each column is a category of information about that section.
Reading the chart
Across a row: everything one section needs. Down a column: how one element, like difficulty or mood, changes across the whole game.
Professional example
The book includes a detailed portion of the macro for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Purpose

Why We Make a Macro Chart

Design
Pacing, difficulty curves, and emotional arcs only work when planned across the whole game. Designing one level at a time often leads to repetition or uneven difficulty.
Scope
Every row and every filled cell represents work. The chart shows the real size of the project before the team commits to it.
Communication
Artists, programmers, audio designers, and designers all work from the same reference, which reduces misunderstandings.
Project goals
Each section can be checked against the experience goals set during ideation.
Scheduling
The chart is the starting point for the production schedule.
Common student project problem: the team builds the first level in detail and runs out of time before the rest of the game exists. The macro makes that problem visible early.
The template

The Macro Chart Template

Lemarchand's template has 12 columns, which fall into three groups:

What happens in the section

Columns 1–4
1Location/Sequence Name
2Time of Day/Weather/Mood
3Brief Description of Events
4Player Mechanics

Why the section exists

Columns 5–7
5Player Goal
6Design Goal
7Emotional Beat

What must be built for it

Columns 8–12
8Characters Encountered (including Enemies)
9Objects Encountered
10Other Assets Needed
11Audio Notes
12Visual Effects Notes
The template spreadsheet also has separate tabs for Project Goals and an Idea Backlog.
Template columns 1–4

Columns 1–4: What Happens in the Section

1. Location/Sequence Name

A clear, unique name for the section. The team uses this name in tasks, bug reports, and meetings, so it should stay consistent.

2. Time of Day/Weather/Mood

The lighting, environmental conditions, and tone. This guides art direction and helps the team plan visual variety across the game.

3. Brief Description of Events

A short summary of story and gameplay events. Keep it to a few sentences; detailed scripting comes later.

4. Player Mechanics

The actions available to the player in this section, with new mechanics clearly marked.

Example: In Portal, the player uses a device that places only one portal for several test chambers before receiving the version that places both. A macro chart would record this change in the Player Mechanics column.
Template columns 5–7

Columns 5–7: Why the Section Exists

5. Player Goal

What the player is trying to accomplish, written from the player's perspective.

"Escape the flooding temple"

6. Design Goal

What the designer wants the section to accomplish.

"Teach swimming while under time pressure"

7. Emotional Beat

What the player should feel.

"Rising panic, then relief"

How they relate
The player pursues the player goal, which lets the designer achieve the design goal, which produces the emotional beat.
Why they matter
Lemarchand gives these three columns particular attention. They hold the core design thinking in the chart.
Common mistake: writing the same design goal for many rows, such as "make it fun." Each row should have a specific, different purpose.
Template columns 8–10

Columns 8–10: What Must Be Built

8. Characters Encountered

Every character in the section, including allies, NPCs, and enemies. Each one may need a model, animations, AI behavior, and dialogue.

9. Objects Encountered

Interactive items like pickups, doors, switches, hazards, and puzzle pieces. Each needs art and usually code.

10. Other Assets Needed

Anything else the section requires, such as environment art, cutscenes, UI elements, or unique animations.

Asset list
These columns become the project's asset list.
Reuse
An enemy's first appearance is expensive to create; later appearances cost much less. The chart shows where assets are reused.
Warning sign: a chart where every row needs all-new assets usually means the scope is too large.
Template columns 11–12

Columns 11–12: Audio and Visual Effects

11. Audio Notes

Music cues, ambient sound, important sound effects, and voice needs.

12. Visual Effects Notes

Particles, weather, lighting changes, and screen effects.

Plan them early
Audio and visual effects are often left until the end of development, which leads to rushed work. Listing them in the macro makes sure they are planned and scheduled.
Support the emotional beat
Both should reinforce what the player is supposed to feel. A tense section with calm music and no effects will not feel tense.
Example

Example Macro Chart Rows

ColumnRow 1: Harbor TownRow 2: Cliff Path
Location/Sequence NameHarbor TownCliff Path
Time of Day/Weather/MoodCalm evening, warm lantern lightNight, rising storm, dread
Brief Description of EventsPlayer arrives; townspeople warn about the dark lighthouseStorm hits during the climb; a bridge collapses
Player MechanicsWalk, talk, pick upAdds climbing and bracing against wind (new)
Player GoalFind the lighthouse keyReach the lighthouse door
Design GoalTeach basic movement and interaction safelyIntroduce climbing under pressure
Emotional BeatCuriosity, welcomeTension, then relief
Characters EncounteredHarbor master, fishersDiving gulls (hazard)
Objects EncounteredKey, lanterns, cratesRopes, loose rocks, bridge
Other Assets NeededTown environment, dockCliff environment, bridge collapse animation
Audio NotesGentle waves, town chatterWind, thunder, music swell
Visual Effects NotesLantern glowRain, lightning, sea spray

Hypothetical adventure game. In the spreadsheet, each section is a row; the table is rotated here to fit. Nearly every column changes between the two rows.

Adapting the chart

Macro Charts for Nonlinear and Sandbox Games

Many games don't have a fixed level order. The chart still applies; you change what a row represents.

Sandbox games (e.g., Minecraft)

Rows are progression stages, such as surviving the first night, finding iron, reaching the Nether, and defeating the final boss.

Systems-driven games (e.g., Pokémon GO)

Rows are features or activities, such as catching, gyms, raids, and trading, ordered by when a player typically unlocks them.

Open-world games (e.g., Breath of the Wild)

Rows are regions, with a column noting what the player needs to access each one, such as cold-weather gear.

Roguelikes and live-service games

Rows are content releases or unlock waves, listing the new enemies, items, and environments each adds.

In all cases, order rows by the path a typical player is most likely to take. Playtesting and metrics can later confirm whether players follow that path. The book covers nonlinear games in its chapter on writing a macro chart.
Adapting the chart

Customizing the Columns

The template is a starting point. Columns should fit the game being made.

Remove columns that never change
If every row has the same value, as with time of day in a game set in one room, move that information to the game design overview.
Keep the core columns
Keep Player Goal, Design Goal, and Emotional Beat in some form, since they hold the core design thinking.
Add columns the game needs, for example:

Prerequisites or unlock conditions

For nonlinear games.

Repeatable or one-time content

A replayed raid needs more variety than a one-time boss.

Estimated share of play time

When minutes per section doesn't make sense.

Procedurally generated or hand-built

They require different kinds of work.

Analysis

Using the Macro Chart to Make Design Decisions

The chart is a design analysis tool, not just a planning document.

Test each row
If a new piece of content doesn't change any of the other columns, it isn't adding much value to the game and could potentially be cut.
?
Does it introduce or change a mechanic?
?
Does it give the player a new goal, or serve a new design goal?
?
Does it create a different emotional beat?
?
Does it add new characters, objects, or settings?
Read down columns to find pacing problems
Emotional Beat
Several rows in a row with the same beat can feel monotonous.
Player Mechanics
Many new mechanics in one row can overwhelm players.
Player Mechanics
Long stretches with no new mechanics can feel repetitive.
Production

How the Macro Chart Feeds into Production

Tasks
Each row and each asset is broken down into individual tasks with time estimates.
Schedule
Total estimated work is compared against the time the team actually has. If the work exceeds the time, the team cuts rows or content before full production starts.
Tracking
The book recommends tracking progress with a burndown chart, which shows remaining work over time.
Alpha milestone
The macro defines what "complete" means at alpha: every feature and every section on the chart exists in the game.
Milestone reviews
Reviews compare the current build against the macro to measure progress.
Production

Scope and Scope Creep

The limit
The macro represents the biggest version of the project you can build.
The rule
Any feature that isn't described on the macro is scope creep and cannot be added during development.
The trade
If there's a feature you really want to add that isn't on the macro, cut something else on the macro to make room for it.
The backlog
New ideas that don't fit go in the Idea Backlog for a future update, sequel, or project.
Choosing what to cut
Use the row test: content that changes the fewest columns is usually the best candidate.
Why this matters: scope creep is a major cause of missed deadlines and crunch in both student and professional projects.
Review

Summary

1
The game design macro is a preproduction deliverable made of an overview and a chart.
2
The chart lists every section of the game, why it exists, and what must be built for it.
3
Player Goal, Design Goal, and Emotional Beat are the core design columns.
4
Rows and columns can be adapted to fit nonlinear games and different genres.
5
The chart helps identify weak content and pacing problems.
6
The macro sets the project's scope and becomes the basis for the production schedule.
Getting started

How I Recommend Starting A Macro Chart

Work on these together as a whole team
1
Review the project goals so everyone is designing toward the same experience.
2
Decide what a row represents in your game: levels, stages, regions, features, or releases.
3
List every row in the order a typical player will experience them.
4
Agree on the columns: remove any that don't apply and add any your game needs.
5
Fill in Player Goal, Design Goal, and Emotional Beat for each row.
Then divide the work
6
Assign the remaining columns by discipline: art and design fill in characters, objects, and assets; audio fills in audio notes; and so on.
7
Regroup to review the full chart, read down columns for pacing problems, and apply the row test.
8
Estimate the work and cut rows or content until the chart fits the schedule.
The team decides the structure and the design intent together. Individuals fill in the details once everyone agrees on what the game is.