Ramping up quickly onto a project is a skill like any other. Because it is a skill, the more I practice doing it, the easier it becomes over time to do. This is true of jumping into completely new projects as well as jumping back into older projects because projects all have similar core needs. Every project needs a work flow, every project needs a way to process assets into game data, every project needs a way to create and edit game data, every project has technical limitations, and so on and so forth. The more familiar you become with the underlying similarities between projects, the easier picking up a new project and ramping up onto it becomes. This is because you understand how a game works, and all you need to do is figure out how this particular project maps its particular details onto those core game elements.

That said, the ease of picking up an old project I once worked on is also directly proportional to how long it's been since I last used it. I worked with one particular engine something like 15 years ago then had to pick it up again when I got hired recently. The engine had, of course, changed significantly in the interim so it was farmore like learning a new engine than knocking the rust off of my old knowledge.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

• Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter
• Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on BlueSky
• Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr
• Frequent Questions: The FAQ