Video Game Design and Coding · PLECK lesson

PLECK lesson 150 · suggested week 30, day 5

Review the slice and lock the minimum scope

Objective. Make a documented decision about what remains feasible.

Godot Engine Standard desktop editor 4.7.2-stable, GDScript (Godot 4), Compatibility renderer. Headless Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf passed 106 assertions on the supplied scaffolds, including malformed JSON saves. Audio used the Dummy driver and a synthetic WAV, not a speaker. The visual editor, browser export, and signed-in submission were not tested. The desk still does not run a student's own upload.

About 55 minutes. The due date is chosen by a parent.

Project bootstrap, mechanics, richer system and first review

Suggested pace: Recall and predict 5 min; Read instruction and scaffold 12 min; Build or design the assigned artifact 25 min; Run acceptance tests 8 min; Explain and checkpoint 5 min.

Materials: Paper and pencil or a private text document, Local course folder and prior checkpoint, No paid assets or public account required.

Comes after VGC-L149.

Review the vertical slice with a parent or use the rubric yourself. Demonstrate the loop and show the test table rather than only discussing planned features. Identify the biggest gap, the riskiest dependency and one feature to defer. Update the task board. Lock the minimum scope for the production phase, allowing changes only when documented for feasibility, safety or correctness. Optional content can grow later, but a complete reliable core takes priority.

Worked example

A vertical slice joins a player action, one challenge, progress feedback and an ending. It demonstrates real integration even while the art remains rectangles.

Review the slice and lock the minimum scope — evidence task

  1. 1. Write a slice-review summary with three decisions.
  2. 2. Update dependencies and minimum scope on the task board.

Deliverable. Slice review and updated production plan.

Acceptance checks

Understanding question. Why lock a minimum rather than forbid every later change?

Submit readable text or photos/scans of each numbered design page. Audio explanation may supplement a diagram or text, not replace requested artifacts.

If this is still shaky. Use placeholder shapes and one room. Keep all twelve acceptance tests visible, with honest not-yet-implemented statuses. Start with the first assigned task and re-run its acceptance test before adding the remaining feature.

Optional extra. Add one optional visual improvement only after the slice is playable end to end. Document one changed parameter, your prediction, and the observed effect; optional, not required for completion.

Name ____________________ Date ____________________