The Game Design Document Canvas
A canvas for a game-shaped world — the premise, the world’s pillars, the rules that hold it together, the factions pulling at it, and an opening in three scenes. Print it, fill it in, and bring the page with you to a Session night. No app required — it prints clean on letter paper.
The whole game, in one breath
Who is the player, what do they do, and what pushes against them? If the pitch needs two sentences, cut until it fits one.
World pillars
The promises that make it this world and no other. If a pillar doesn’t reach the first session, cut it. e.g. magic is a loan from the dead · the city is the dungeon
Setting rules
The hard rules players can lean on — the price of power, the edge of the map, the law that never bends. e.g. no resurrections · iron quiets magic
Factions
three is plentyWho wants what, and who that puts them against. Keep each to a line.
The opening, in three scenes
The first page of play. Each scene is one small beat — what the player sees, what they feel, and what they’re free to do.
Scene one — the world, working
Show the ordinary order before it breaks. The player does the thing your game is about.
Scene two — the premise bites
The rule or tension at the heart of the world arrives — and it costs something.
Scene three — the player chooses
A decision that points at the rest of the game. End the scene with the player moving.