Project setup & metadata

A GDDKit project combines product metadata, ordered document sections, and a changelog in one .gddkit file. Metadata appears in the workspace, Markdown export, and PDF cover, so set it deliberately before sharing a document.

Project fields

Field	Required	How v2 uses it
Project Title	Yes	Window title, recent card, Markdown heading, PDF cover and headers.
Tagline	No	Short pitch on the PDF cover and near the top of Markdown export.
Author / Studio	No	Attribution in exported metadata.
Genres	No	One or more catalog values shown on recent cards and exports. Defaults to Other.
Platforms	No	PC, Mobile, Console, and Web labels in exports. PC is selected in a new form by default.
Version	No	Starts at 0.1.0; used in metadata, exports, and the initial changelog entry.
Project Logo	No	Referenced on the home card and PDF cover; the original image is not embedded in .gddkit.
Project File	Generated	Local .gddkit save path. Use Browse to choose a non-default location.

Choose multiple genres

The v2 catalog contains 50 values, from broad categories such as Action, Adventure, RPG, Strategy, Simulation, Shooter, and Puzzle to focused subgenres such as JRPG, CRPG, Tactical RPG, Roguelite, Metroidvania, Deckbuilder, Visual Novel, and Survival Horror.

• Select as many genres as describe the design.
• Other is removed when a specific genre is selected.
• If you clear every selection, Other is restored.
• A genre from an older project is preserved even when it is not in the current catalog.

Avoid treating the list as store taxonomy. Choose values that help readers interpret design decisions; a project can still describe exact market tags inside Overview.

Edit project details later

With a project open, choose Tools → Edit Project Details…. You can update title, tagline, author or studio, genres, platforms, version, and logo. Saving the dialog immediately saves the project and refreshes the PDF Theme Designer preview.

The New Project and Edit Project Details forms expose the same core project identity fields.

Version and changelog are related, not identical

Editing the project version changes the metadata value. Adding a changelog entry also advances the project version to that entry. Use the Project changelog when the new version represents a documented design milestone.

The 12-section starter document

Every new project begins with guided content in this order:

Section	Prompt focus
Overview	Elevator pitch, design pillars, target audience, player fantasy.
Core Loop	Repeating player cycle, feedback, rewards, failure states.
Mechanics	Movement, controls, primary systems, rules, edge cases.
Story	Theme, tone, narrative arc, setup, conflict, climax, resolution.
Characters	Main characters, NPCs, enemies, factions, relationships.
World & Lore	Setting, locations, history, atmosphere, world rules.
Art Direction	Visual style, palette, references, UI aesthetic.
Audio Direction	Music mood, sound-effect direction, audio references.
UI / UX	Menu flow, HUD, controls, accessibility.
Technical Specs	Engine, tools, targets, performance, constraints, dependencies.
Scope	Must-have, nice-to-have, cut, and deferred features.
Milestones	Prototype, Alpha, Beta, release dates and goals.

Several starter sections already contain Mermaid diagrams. They are editable examples, not locked system content. Rename, reorder, delete, or replace them to match the project.

Recent projects

GDDKit remembers up to ten successfully opened or saved project paths in the operating system’s local application-data folder.

• Selecting a card opens the project.
• Opening the same project moves it to the front of the list.
• Missing files and files that cannot be parsed are omitted.
• There is no v2 interface to manually delete an individual recent entry.

Filtering happens when cards are loaded; stale paths are not automatically removed from recent_projects.json. They can occupy one of the ten stored slots, so fewer than ten cards may be visible. Opening newer valid projects eventually pushes the oldest stored entries out.

If you move or rename a project, open it from File → Open Project… at the new path. The stale path stops appearing when GDDKit reloads the cards, while the new path is added to the stored list.

Naming and location advice

• Keep the .gddkit file and its images/ folder inside one project directory.
• Avoid putting the active project in two-way sync while two computers can edit it.
• Use a short filesystem-safe name; GDDKit replaces invalid filename characters with - when generating a path.
• If a generated filename already exists, GDDKit adds 2, 3, and so on rather than overwriting it.
• A logo path is external. After moving the project, reselect the logo if the PDF cover can no longer find it.

Read Files, assets & backups before adopting a shared-drive or Git workflow.