Anti-Patterns
This page list the anti-patterns I found in my thesis. For more advanced in depth informations click on the Full Page anchor.
1. Overthinking in Concept Phase
Spending 3+ hours debating ideas after theme reveal. The most common time sink in 48-hour jams. Full page
2. Feature Creep
Planned features that were never officially cut, so they stay on the list, consume mental overhead, and never get built. Full page
3. Late Design Decisions
Core design decisions made on day 2. Architecture constraints discovered after significant building has already happened. Full page
4. The Pivot Dilemma
At hour 24, the game isn’t what you imagined. A different idea looks tempting. No framework exists to evaluate whether pivoting is actually viable. Full page
5. Thinking vs. Doing Extremes
Too much planning with no building, or too much building with no design. Both waste time. Full page
6. Perfectionism
Hours spent on quality that no player wb idill notice, at the cost of features or fixes they would. Full page
7. No Tutorial / Onboarding
The first feature cut and the one that most directly hurts ratings. Full page
8. No Architecture Planning
Starting implementation without an architecture sketch. Systems built in isolation that can’t connect when it matters. Full page
What Doesn’t Scale Down
Many standard production practices are counterproductive at 48 hours:
| Practice | Problem at 48h | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Full Scrum ceremonies | Daily standups eat 15+ minutes | 2-minute check-ins |
| Written design docs | Nobody reads them in a jam | Verbal or shared whiteboard |
| Decision by committee | Too many voices stalls everything | One decision-maker per discipline |
| Crunch past hour 36 | Diminishing returns | Protect sleep in the last 12 hours |