Mastering the Iterative Journey

Turning Resistance into Progress

Turning Resistance into Progress

Iteration is the beating heart of game design. Each pass through the Core Design Loop forces you to expose your work, test its strengths, and refine its weaknesses. With every cycle, you edge closer to a polished, engaging experience.

But let’s be honest—this process is not easy.

Each time you return to the drawing board, you will face doubt, criticism, and moments when your "brilliant" idea suddenly seems flawed. During these moments, many designers get stuck, sidetracked, or completely abandon their projects.

This article will help you break through those barriers, reframe iteration as an adventure rather than a struggle, and ultimately embrace the process as the true path to moving forward with your creative endeavor.

Embracing Resistance as Part of the Process

If you’ve ever found yourself procrastinating, second-guessing your work, or hesitating to share your game with others, you’ve encountered Resistance. Resistance is that invisible force pushing back when you attempt something challenging. The closer you realize your creative goals, the stronger it grows. It will whisper excuses like:

• “What if no one likes it?”

• “I don’t have enough time.”

• “This needs more research before it can be shown to anyone.”

• “I need better tools to make progress.”

Sound familiar?

Resistance knows your weaknesses and will use them against you, but the good news is that recognizing Resistance is the first step in overcoming it.

The Professional Mindset

In The War of Art, Steven Pressfield describes how acting like a professional is the only way to defeat Resistance. A professional is not necessarily someone who gets paid for their work; a professional consistently shows up to do their work, no matter what.

Game design, like any creative pursuit, requires you to push through the fear of failure to keep moving forward. Iteration is not about proving your first idea was perfect—it’s about proving you have the discipline to refine it into something extraordinary.

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To learn more about Resistance, listen to this episode with Steven Pressfield:

Steven Pressfield — Conquering Creative Resistance, The Craft of Historical Fiction, and the Interplay of Games and the Muse (#57)

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Practical Strategies to Overcome Resistance

• Set an achievable daily or weekly goal. Make this goal smaller than you think it should be—even a tiny improvement moves you forward.

• Create accountability. Share your goals and progress with a mentor, friend, or online community. Commit to each step publicly and check in with whoever holds you accountable about whether or not you achieved your goal.

• Recognize when Resistance is at its strongest. This often means you're working on something meaningful and worthwhile. Take a deep breath and lean into the challenge.

• Keep a visual tracker. Mark each day you work on your project in a clear, easy-to-read format, and challenge yourself to build an unbroken chain of progress.

• Accept small failures. A failed playtest is not a wasted effort—it’s an opportunity to learn.

Navigating the Five Stages of Skill Development

Iteration is a learning process, and every designer progresses through five key stages. Recognizing where you are in this cycle can help you push past Resistance and stay committed.

1. Unconscious Incompetence: The Blissful Beginner

At first, you don’t know what you don’t know. Game design may seem easy, and the challenges ahead feel far off. This early enthusiasm drives many to start but often collides with reality when challenges arise.

Example: When we began developing SolForge, I had no idea how challenging it would be to manage multiple engineering teams, design the game, and handle Kickstarter backers. Had I known, I might have hesitated—but looking back, I’m grateful I took the leap.

2. Conscious Incompetence: The Harsh Reality

This is where many aspiring designers quit. You start to see how much there is to learn, and the gap between your skills and vision can feel overwhelming.

How to push through:

• Publicly commit to your project. Community expectations or crowdfunds can force you to keep moving forward.

• Focus on progress, not perfection. Every mistake teaches you something valuable.

3. Conscious Competence: The Grind

You’ve developed the skills to make progress at this stage, but it still takes effort and discipline. Every step requires conscious thought.

How to push through:

• Stick to the Core Design Loop. Don’t skip steps to speed things up.

• Seek structured feedback. You need outside perspectives to refine your work.

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If you need some inspiration for this hard-fought part of the puzzle, read this:

For the Love of the Grind

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4. Unconscious Competence: The Natural Flow

Now, design feels instinctive. You no longer have to consciously think through each step—your experience naturally guides you.

How to push through:

• Use your expertise to help others. Teaching reinforces mastery.

• Challenge yourself with more complex projects.

5. Mastery: The Never-Ending Journey

Mastery is not an endpoint—it’s an ongoing process of refinement and exploration. Even the best game designers continue to iterate, improve, and challenge themselves.

How to push through:

• Keep evolving. Learn new mechanics, genres, and playstyles.

• Stay curious. Seek inspiration from outside gaming—music, art, literature, and other disciplines.

Iteration is the Game

At its core, game design is a game. Every iteration is a move forward, every setback is a puzzle to solve, and every playtest is a new challenge to overcome. You have limited resources to use and need to spend them wisely. The trick is to enjoy the process.

So the next time you feel Resistance creeping in, remember: You are not failing—you are learning. Stick with it, keep iterating, and embrace the joy of discovery.