"Hopefully I learned to better estimate scope..." If you learned a bit about managing scope, you learned some valuable lessons. There are lots of different ways to do it. The way my son and I manage it is with a MUSCOW list.
The name stands for MUst, Should, COuld, Want.
- What my game MUST have when it ships
- What my game really SHOULD have when it ships
- What my game COULD ship with if we have extra time
- What I WANT to include if the time/resources are available at the end
So here's how to use it:
- Write all the core aspects and desired features you want on post-its
- Create four sections on a wall, posterboard, table, etc and label them Must, Could, Should, and Want
- Start putting your post-its in the different sections, keeping in mind the available time and resources.
- When you're satisfied where everything is, take a picture of it so that you can later copy it to a spreadsheet or document.
A MUSCOW list goes a long way toward keeping your eye on what's most important for the ideal delivery and it also helps avoid Feature Creep.
Good luck!