Kanban is an Agile methodology and visual management system that aims to improve efficiency, workflow, and transparency within a development process. Originally developed by Toyota for manufacturing, Kanban has been adapted and embraced by various industries, including software development, to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.
At its core, Kanban revolves around the concept of visualizing work and its flow. Teams use a Kanban board—a visual representation of the workflow—to track tasks as they move through different stages, from backlog to completion. Each stage on the board represents a work state, and tasks are represented as cards that progress from one stage to the next.
Key Points
Visual Workflow
Kanban utilizes visual boards, often referred to as Kanban boards, to provide a clear and visual representation of the workflow, allowing team members to track tasks and their progress.
Work in Progress (WIP) Limits
Kanban emphasizes setting limits on the number of tasks that can be in progress at any given time. This prevents overloading the team and helps maintain a smooth workflow.
Pull-Based System
Work is pulled into the next stage of the workflow only when there is capacity for it. This prevents tasks from being pushed onto team members without consideration for their availability.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Kanban is adaptable to different processes, projects, and industries. It doesn’t prescribe specific roles, ceremonies, or time-boxed iterations, making it suitable for a variety of contexts.
Continuous Improvement
Kanban promotes a culture of continuous improvement. Teams regularly reflect on their workflow, identify bottlenecks, and make incremental changes to enhance efficiency.
Transparency
Kanban encourages transparency by making the workflow and task progress visible to the entire team. This transparency helps in identifying potential issues and addressing them promptly.
Focus on Flow
Kanban aims to optimize the flow of work, ensuring that tasks move through the process smoothly and efficiently, with minimal delays and interruptions.
Customer-Centric
Kanban places emphasis on delivering value to customers and users. Tasks are prioritized based on their impact and value to stakeholders.
Reduced Waste
By managing WIP limits and optimizing flow, Kanban helps reduce waste, such as unnecessary context switching or long queues of unfinished tasks.
Data-Driven Decisions
Kanban encourages teams to use data and metrics to analyze their workflow and make informed decisions for improvement.
No Fixed Iterations
Unlike some other Agile methodologies, Kanban does not enforce fixed time-boxed iterations. Tasks can be completed and pulled into the next stage as soon as they are ready.
Collaborative Culture
Kanban fosters collaboration and open communication among team members. Daily stand-up meetings and regular retrospectives promote teamwork and shared learning.
Incremental Implementation
Kanban can be implemented incrementally, allowing teams to introduce its practices gradually and adapt them to their specific needs.
Real-time Feedback
The visual nature of the Kanban board provides real-time feedback on the status of tasks and the overall workflow, enabling quick decision-making.
Empowered Teams
Kanban empowers teams to make decisions about task priorities, workflow adjustments, and process improvements, leading to a sense of ownership and accountability.
These characteristics collectively make up the core principles of the Kanban methodology, helping teams manage their work effectively, optimize their processes, and deliver value to customers and stakeholders.
Kanban versus Agile
Kanban and Agile are both methodologies that focus on improving processes and increasing efficiency, but they have distinct characteristics and approaches. Here are the key differences between Kanban and Agile:
Agile
Framework vs. Philosophy
Agile is a broader philosophy and set of principles that guide software development. It emphasizes customer collaboration, flexibility, and iterative progress.
Agile includes various methodologies, such as Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP), and more, each of which provides a structured framework for implementing Agile principles.
Roles and Ceremonies
Agile methodologies like Scrum define specific roles (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team) and ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-up, Sprint Review, Retrospective).
These roles and ceremonies provide a structured approach to teamwork, planning, and collaboration.
Time-Boxed Iterations
Many Agile methodologies work in time-boxed iterations (sprints), where a fixed amount of work is planned and executed within each sprint.
Sprints typically last 1 to 4 weeks and result in a potentially shippable product increment.
Adaptability and Flexibility
Agile methodologies emphasize the ability to adapt to changing requirements and priorities. Teams often adjust their plans based on feedback and new insights.
Value-Oriented
Agile methodologies prioritize delivering value to customers and users. Features and tasks are prioritized based on their impact and importance.
Kanban
Visual Workflow Management
Kanban is a visual management system that focuses on optimizing workflow and enhancing efficiency.
It uses a Kanban board to visualize work stages, allowing teams to track tasks as they move through different phases.
Work in Progress (WIP) Limits
Kanban introduces Work in Progress (WIP) limits to prevent overloading the team and maintain focus on completing tasks before starting new ones.
Pull-Based System
Work is pulled into the next stage of the workflow when there is capacity for it. This ensures that tasks move through the process based on actual demand.
Continuous Improvement
Kanban promotes a culture of continuous improvement. Teams regularly analyze their workflow, identify bottlenecks, and make incremental changes to optimize it.
Adaptability to Process
Kanban is adaptable to various processes and industries. It doesn’t prescribe specific roles, ceremonies, or fixed time-boxed iterations, making it suitable for teams with diverse needs.
Emphasis on Flow
Kanban is particularly focused on optimizing the flow of work, identifying, and addressing obstacles that might slow down the process.
In summary, Agile is a broader philosophy with various methodologies that provide structured frameworks for iterative development and collaboration. Kanban is a specific visual management system that focuses on optimizing workflows, reducing bottlenecks, and enhancing efficiency. While both approaches share principles like adaptability and collaboration, they have different tools and methodologies to achieve their goals.
Using Kanban in Game Development
Visualize the Workflow
The team creates a Kanban board with columns representing different stages of the development process. These stages can include Backlog, Design, Development, Testing, Review, and Done. The board provides a visual representation of the workflow.
Define Work Items
Game development tasks, features, and user stories are represented as cards on the Kanban board. Each card contains relevant details about the task and its requirements.
Set Work in Progress (WIP) Limits
The team establishes WIP limits for each column on the Kanban board. WIP limits prevent overloading the team with too many tasks at once, which can lead to bottlenecks and decreased efficiency.
Prioritize Tasks
The team collaboratively prioritizes tasks based on their importance, impact, and dependencies. Tasks that are more valuable or urgent are placed at the top of the backlog.
Pull-Based Workflow
Team members pull tasks from the backlog into the “Development” column based on their availability and capacity. This ensures that tasks are taken on only when there is room in the WIP limit.
Work Execution
As team members work on tasks in the “Development” column, they move the cards to subsequent columns as the tasks progress through the stages of design, development, testing, and review.
Daily Stand-up Meetings
The team holds daily stand-up meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and plans. During these meetings, team members update each other on their tasks, share any obstacles they’re facing, and identify ways to support one another.
Continuous Improvement
Regularly, the team holds retrospective meetings to reflect on the workflow and identify areas for improvement. They discuss what’s working well, what could be optimized, and strategies for enhancing efficiency.
Adapt and Optimize
Based on the feedback and insights gathered during retrospectives, the team makes incremental changes to the workflow, adjusts WIP limits, or introduces new practices to enhance the process.
Monitoring and Analytics
The team uses data from the Kanban board to monitor progress, cycle times, and identify trends. This data-driven approach helps in making informed decisions and identifying areas for further improvement.
Delivery and Review
Once tasks have gone through the development process and are considered “Done,” they are released for testing and review by stakeholders. Feedback received during this phase might lead to further refinements or the addition of new tasks to the backlog.
Iterate and Repeat
The team continuously repeats these steps, focusing on improving workflow, reducing bottlenecks, and delivering value to players and stakeholders with each iteration.
By following these steps in the Kanban methodology, game development teams can manage their tasks, optimize their workflow, and deliver high-quality games while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Using Kanban for a Hypothetical Mini Game
Let’s walk through the Kanban process for a hypothetical mini game called “Space Dash,” where players control a spaceship navigating through obstacles in space.
Set Up the Kanban Board
Create a digital Kanban board with the different stages of development.
- Backlog
- Design
- Art/Graphics
- Development
- Testing
- Review
- Done
Define Work Items
Break down the development tasks for “Space Dash” into smaller work items.
- Design spaceship movement mechanics.
- Create level design concepts.
- Design obstacles and power-ups.
- Develop spaceship movement mechanics.
- Implement obstacle collision detection.
- Create spaceship sprite.
- Develop level generation algorithm.
- Test gameplay mechanics.
- Review game performance.
- Polish graphics and animations.
- Test levels and gameplay.
- Final review and bug fixes.
Set Work in Progress (WIP) Limits
Set WIP limits for each column to ensure a balanced workflow.
Design: WIP limit of 3
Art/Graphics: WIP limit of 2
Development: WIP limit of 3
Testing: WIP limit of 2
Review: WIP limit of 2
Prioritize and Populate the Backlog
Collaboratively prioritize the work items in the backlog. For “Space Dash,” the initial backlog might include tasks related to core gameplay mechanics and level design.
Pull Work into Development
Team members pull work items from the backlog into the “Development” column as they have capacity. For instance, the team might start by pulling in the task “Design spaceship movement mechanics.”
Work Execution
As team members work on tasks, they move work items across the columns based on progress. For example, the “Design spaceship movement mechanics” card would move from the “Development” column to “Testing” when the mechanics are implemented.
Daily Stand-up Meetings
Hold daily stand-up meetings where team members briefly discuss progress, challenges, and plans. One developer might mention completing the spaceship movement mechanics while another might need assistance with obstacle collision detection.
Continuous Improvement and Retrospectives
Regularly hold retrospective meetings to discuss what went well, what could be improved, and actions to take. The team might identify the need to enhance collaboration between designers and developers.
Adapt and Optimize
Based on retrospectives, the team might decide to introduce more collaboration between designers and developers during the “Design” and “Development” stages to improve efficiency.
Delivery and Review
As tasks are completed and reach the “Done” column, they’re released for testing. The team gathers feedback from playtesting and stakeholders.
Iterate and Repeat
The team continues to work on tasks, optimize the workflow, and iterate through development cycles, incorporating feedback and making improvements.
Monitor Metrics and Analytics
The team uses cycle time and other metrics to monitor progress, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to enhance the development process.
Throughout this Kanban process, the team maintains a visual representation of the workflow, collaboratively manages tasks, and focuses on delivering a polished and enjoyable mini game, “Space Dash,” to players.
Using Kanban as a Solo Game Developer
Kanban can be adapted to the workflow of a solo game developer, providing a structured approach to managing tasks, maintaining focus, and delivering a game efficiently. Here’s how a solo game developer could use Kanban.
Set Up a Digital Kanban Board
Choose a digital tool (such as Trello, Asana, or Jira) to create a Kanban board. Create columns representing different stages of development, like the process for a team.
Define Work Items
Break down the game development tasks into smaller work items. These could include tasks related to design, programming, artwork, sound, testing, and marketing.
Set WIP Limits
While WIP limits are typically used to balance work among team members, solo developers can use them to prevent overloading themselves. Limit the number of tasks you’re actively working on to maintain focus.
Prioritize Tasks
Prioritize your tasks based on their importance and impact on the game. Place high-priority tasks at the top of your backlog.
Pull Work into Development
As you have capacity to work on tasks, pull them from the backlog into the “In Progress” column. This helps prevent overcommitting and ensures a steady flow of work.
Work Execution
As you work on tasks, move them across the columns to reflect progress. For instance, you might move a task from “Design” to “Programming” as you start coding.
Daily Reflections
Hold a daily reflection to review your progress, identify any obstacles, and plan your next steps. This practice helps maintain focus and direction.
Continuous Improvement
Regularly assess your workflow and make small improvements. Consider what’s working well and what could be optimized to enhance your efficiency and productivity.
Deliver and Review
As tasks are completed, move them to the “Done” column. Test and review your game to ensure it meets your quality standards and iterate if necessary.
Iteration and Adaptation
Continue working through the Kanban process, iterating on your game, incorporating feedback, and making necessary improvements.
Monitor Metrics
Use metrics like cycle time (how long it takes to complete tasks) to track your progress and identify areas for optimization.
Embrace Flexibility
Solo developers can adapt Kanban to their unique needs. If a task is taking longer than expected or new priorities arise, you can adjust your board accordingly.
Using Kanban as a solo game developer helps you maintain a clear visual representation of your tasks, manage your workload, and ensure that you’re making steady progress toward completing your game. It’s a versatile approach that empowers you to stay organized and focused throughout the development process.
Game Genres Well Suited for Kanban
Kanban can be effectively applied to a wide range of game genres, as its principles of visualizing workflow, managing tasks, and promoting continuous improvement are versatile and adaptable. However, some game genres might particularly benefit from the Kanban methodology due to their characteristics and development requirements.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games often involve designing and implementing intricate levels and mechanics. Kanban can help manage the creation and testing of these elements, ensuring that each puzzle is carefully crafted and thoroughly tested before moving on to the next.
Casual and Hyper-Casual Games
These games often have a simple and iterative nature, with a focus on quick development cycles. Kanban can help manage the continuous flow of content updates, optimizations, and testing, aligning well with the fast-paced nature of these genres.
Mobile and Indie Games
Smaller development teams or solo developers working on mobile or indie games can benefit from the organization and focus that Kanban offers. The methodology helps maintain a clear roadmap, even with limited resources.
Simulation and Management Games
Games in these genres involve complex systems and mechanics that require careful balancing and iterative development. Kanban aids in managing the various components, tweaking mechanics, and refining gameplay.
Narrative Adventure Games
In narrative-heavy games, managing story development, character interactions, and branching paths is crucial. Kanban can help ensure that the narrative elements are well-structured and consistently developed.
Incremental and Idle Games
These games often involve a constant stream of updates, new content, and balancing adjustments. Kanban supports the continuous development and deployment of new features, helping to maintain player engagement.
Educational and Serious Games
Educational games often require meticulous planning and alignment with educational objectives. Kanban can assist in managing the creation of educational content, ensuring accuracy and alignment with learning goals.
Game Prototyping and Game Jams
For rapid prototyping or short development cycles, Kanban provides a lightweight and flexible approach to task management, enabling the quick iteration and testing of game ideas.
The adaptability of Kanban allows it to be tailored to the needs of various game genres, whether they require careful level design, continuous content updates, complex system balancing, or iterative story development. The methodology’s focus on visualizing workflow and promoting collaboration can enhance efficiency and organization in the development process, making it valuable for a diverse range of games.
Game Genres Not Well-Suited for Kanban
While Kanban is a versatile methodology that can be adapted to various contexts, there are certain game genres that might present challenges when using the Kanban approach.
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs)
MMOs often involve complex systems, massive amounts of content, and long development cycles. The sheer scale and intricate interdependencies between features and systems can make it challenging to effectively manage with the Kanban methodology.
Open-World Games
Open-world games typically have expansive environments, multiple systems, and non-linear gameplay. The complex interactions and dependencies between various components might not align well with the more linear nature of Kanban boards.
Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Games
RTS games involve complex AI behaviors, intricate unit interactions, and large-scale battles. The simultaneous management of multiple units and real-time gameplay might require more dynamic planning and scheduling than Kanban offers.
Triple-A (AAA) Games
Large-scale AAA games often involve extensive production pipelines, massive teams, and highly structured development processes. The complexity and scale of AAA games might require more comprehensive project management methodologies.
Games with Highly Unpredictable Development
Some game genres involve highly experimental or creative processes that result in unpredictable development paths. Kanban’s emphasis on planning and stability might not align well with these genres.
Highly Artistic or Experimental Games
Games that prioritize artistic expression, exploration, or unconventional mechanics might not fit neatly into the structured columns of a Kanban board. The development process for such games is often more fluid and intuitive.
Narrative-Driven RPGs with Branching Storylines
RPGs with intricate, branching narratives might involve intricate story arcs and player choices. Tracking these narrative branches and ensuring consistent quality across multiple paths could be challenging within a traditional Kanban framework.
Games with Frequent Platform-Specific Updates
Certain genres, such as multiplayer shooters or online multiplayer games, might require frequent updates on specific platforms to address performance or balance issues. The platform-specific nature of these updates might not align well with the standardized stages of Kanban.
It’s important to note that while some game genres may present challenges when using Kanban, creative adaptations can still be made to suit the needs of the development process. In some cases, combining elements of Kanban with other methodologies or using different project management approaches might be more suitable. Ultimately, the choice of methodology depends on the specific requirements, team dynamics, and nature of the game being developed.
Before You Commit to Kanban
Before a team commits to adopting the Kanban methodology, there are several important questions they should consider ensuring that Kanban aligns with their needs and goals.
What Are Our Development Goals?
Define your team’s objectives and goals. Are you aiming to improve workflow efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, increase collaboration, or achieve other specific outcomes?
Is Our Workflow Visualizable?
Kanban relies on visualizing tasks and their progress. Can your development process be effectively represented on a Kanban board with columns for different stages?
Do We Need a More Flexible Approach?
Kanban offers flexibility, allowing teams to adapt and change their workflow based on real-time needs. Is your project subject to changing priorities, requirements, or frequent adjustments?
Is Our Workload Variable?
If your workload varies over time, Kanban’s pull-based system can help manage tasks as they’re pulled into the workflow according to capacity.
Do We Have Well-Defined Tasks?
Kanban works best when tasks can be broken down into discrete work items. Are your development tasks well-defined and suitable for representation on cards?
Are We Open to Continuous Improvement?
Kanban emphasizes continuous improvement. Is your team willing to regularly reflect on the process, identify bottlenecks, and make incremental changes to enhance efficiency?
Do We Have Clear Process Stages?
Kanban relies on columns that represent different stages of work. Can you define and visualize these stages in your development process?
Is Collaboration a Priority?
Kanban promotes collaboration and communication. Is your team ready to engage in daily stand-up meetings, discussions about work items, and sharing progress openly?
How Will We Manage WIP Limits?
Kanban uses Work in Progress (WIP) limits to manage the flow of work. Are you prepared to set and manage these limits for each column on the Kanban board?
Can We Commit to Regular Reflections?
Regular retrospectives are essential for Kanban’s continuous improvement cycle. Can your team commit to holding retrospective meetings to discuss progress and identify areas for optimization?
Is Our Team Prepared for Visual Management?
Kanban boards rely on visual management. Is your team comfortable with using visual representations to track tasks and progress?
Do We Have Tools to Support Kanban?
Consider the tools you’ll need to implement Kanban effectively, such as digital Kanban board software.
Do We Have Support from Stakeholders?
Ensure that stakeholders, including team members, managers, and clients, are on board with adopting the Kanban methodology.
Are We Prepared for Initial Set-Up?
The initial set-up of the Kanban board, defining columns, and prioritizing tasks requires time and effort. Is your team ready for this investment?
Answering these questions will help your team determine if Kanban is the right fit for your development process and if you’re prepared to commit to its principles and practices.
Conclusion
Benefits
Flexibility and Adaptability
Kanban’s pull-based system and lack of strict time-boxed iterations allow teams to respond quickly to changing priorities, making it suitable for projects with variable workloads and evolving requirements.
Continuous Improvement
Kanban’s focus on regular retrospectives encourages teams to continually assess and improve their workflow. This results in a culture of learning and optimization.
Visual Workflow Management
The visual nature of Kanban boards provides a clear and real-time representation of tasks and their progress. This transparency enhances communication, collaboration, and understanding of the workflow.
Reduced Overloading
WIP limits prevent teams from taking on more tasks than they can handle, reducing multitasking and bottlenecks. This leads to better focus and increased efficiency.
Tailored to Diverse Workflows
Kanban’s flexibility makes it suitable for various industries and projects, from software development to marketing to manufacturing. It can be customized to fit the specific needs of different teams and processes.
Challenges
Lack of Time-Boxed Iterations
The absence of fixed time-boxed iterations in Kanban might lead to longer development cycles if not managed properly. Projects with tight deadlines might benefit from the structured timeframes of other methodologies.
Lack of Structured Roles and Ceremonies
Kanban doesn’t prescribe specific roles or ceremonies like Scrum does. This might lead to ambiguity in responsibilities and communication, especially for less experienced teams.
Potential for Less Predictability
Without set iterations, predicting when certain features or tasks will be completed can be challenging. This could pose challenges for project planning and stakeholder expectations.
Dependency on Self-Organization
Kanban relies heavily on team self-organization and discipline. If the team lacks a strong sense of ownership and accountability, the methodology might not yield the desired results.
Less Emphasis on Deliverable Increments
Some methodologies like Scrum prioritize delivering potentially shippable product increments at the end of each sprint. Kanban’s focus on flow might lead to less frequent tangible deliverables, which could be a concern for some stakeholders.
It’s important to note that the positives and negatives of Kanban can vary based on the context, team dynamics, and the specific needs of the project. Evaluating these aspects will help teams determine whether Kanban is a suitable fit for their development process.