The Opalgrove Methodology: Where Art Meets Process

We begin by understanding your creative vision, technical constraints, and cultural context. This phase involves conversation rather than formal requirements gathering—we explore what you're trying to achieve and why it matters.

Through these discussions, we identify core values that should guide development. What aspects are non-negotiable? Where does flexibility serve the vision? Understanding these priorities prevents misalignment later.

This foundation-setting typically reveals aspects of the project that weren't initially articulated. Many partners find clarity emerging about their own goals through the process of explaining them to collaborators.

With aligned understanding, we develop initial concepts that translate vision into tangible direction. These early explorations propose visual approaches, mechanical frameworks, and experiential qualities.

We present options rather than single solutions, showing how different approaches serve different aspects of your goals. This phase involves weighing tradeoffs and making informed decisions about direction.

The collaborative nature means you're choosing paths forward rather than approving completed work. Your insights about what resonates guide the refinement of concepts into actionable plans.

We create working prototypes that demonstrate core mechanics and visual direction. These early versions prioritize testing key ideas over polish, allowing us to identify what works before investing heavily in production.

Testing reveals how theory performs in practice. Mechanics that seemed promising might feel awkward in execution, while unexpected interactions often emerge as strengths worth emphasizing.

Your feedback during this phase directly shapes development priorities. We adjust based on what testing reveals, remaining flexible enough to pivot when evidence suggests better approaches.

With validated direction, we move into full production. This phase focuses on completing content, polishing interactions, and ensuring technical reliability across platforms and browsers.

We maintain regular check-ins to share progress and gather ongoing feedback. The iterative nature continues even during production, as new insights often emerge when experiencing near-complete implementations.

Production involves countless small decisions about details that individually seem minor but collectively determine whether the game feels cohesive and intentional or haphazard and generic.

Final delivery includes technical documentation, implementation support, and knowledge transfer. We ensure you understand how to maintain, update, or expand the work as needed.

The transition isn't abrupt—we remain available for consultation as you observe how audiences interact with the completed game. Early adoption often reveals opportunities for optimization or enhancement.

Many partnerships continue through additional projects or ongoing advisory relationships. The understanding built during initial collaboration makes subsequent work more efficient and aligned.