Prototyping is an essential part of game development, allowing teams to test ideas, validate mechanics, and refine designs before full production. There are three main types of prototypes: Lo-fi, Mid-fi, and Hi-fi. Each serves a specific purpose in the development cycle.

Lo-fi prototypes can take many forms they can be a sketch, a set of categorized post-it notes, a recording of a dialogue, or even a block-out level in a game engine. For example, if you want to create a new weapon for your player character, you start with a lo-fi prototype. Instead of designing a detailed 3D mesh, you first focus on the weapon’s physics and behavior in the game engine. You test it to ensure it works as expected within your game’s context. Once it performs as intended, you move on to designing the 3D mesh and refining the prototype into a hi-fi version.