How We Pick What to Build Next

For a small studio, choosing the right next project matters enormously, because the wrong choice means months wasted on something that never finishes. We have learned to pick projects deliberately rather than chasing whatever excites us in the moment. How we decide what to build next is one of the most important parts of how Fox Studios works.

This piece shares our approach to choosing projects, which is less about grand ideas and more about what we can realistically finish and enjoy making. Good project selection is half the battle for a small studio, and the lessons here apply to anyone trying to build games sustainably without drowning in abandoned starts.

First question: can we finish it?

The first and most important question for any potential project is whether we can realistically finish it with our time and tools. An exciting idea we cannot complete is worthless to us, so finishability comes before everything else. If we cannot see a clear path to shipping it small, we do not start it.

This filter alone kills most overambitious ideas before they waste our time. Asking honestly whether a project is finishable, given our real constraints, keeps us from the trap of starting things we will abandon. Prioritizing finishability over excitement is unglamorous but essential, and it is the single biggest reason we actually release games rather than accumulate unfinished starts.

Is the core genuinely fun?

We look for projects with a core idea that is fun even stripped to its simplest form. If the heart of the game is enjoyable on its own, the project is worth building, but if the fun depends on lots of content we may never finish, it is risky. A fun core is what sustains a small game.

Identifying whether an idea has a genuinely fun core, independent of scope, tells us whether it suits a small studio. We favor ideas whose simplest version is already enjoyable, because those can be finished small and still delight. Chasing ideas that only become fun at large scale is a path to unfinished projects, so we look for fun at the core.

Does it excite us enough to finish?

Finishability and a fun core matter, but we also need genuine enthusiasm, because finishing takes sustained effort through the boring middle. A project we are excited about is one we are more likely to push through to completion. We balance realism with real interest, since motivation carries a project across the finish line.

Pure pragmatism without passion leads to projects we abandon out of boredom. We choose things we genuinely want to make, because that enthusiasm is the fuel that gets us through the unglamorous work of finishing. Balancing what is finishable with what excites us ensures we both can and will complete the projects we start, which is the ideal combination.

What will we learn from it?

We favor projects that teach us something new, because each small game is a chance to grow. A project that stretches us a little, without being so unfamiliar it becomes unfinishable, builds our skills for the next one. Learning is a deliberate factor in what we choose to build next.

Treating each project as a learning opportunity keeps us improving steadily. We pick ideas that introduce a manageable new challenge, so every finished game leaves us more capable. This focus on growth, balanced against finishability, means our projects are not just products but stepping stones, compounding our skills over time as a small studio.

Keep a list, choose calmly

Rather than deciding on impulse, we keep a running list of ideas and choose from it calmly when a project ends. This prevents us from chasing whatever shiny idea strikes us mid-project and lets us pick the next project thoughtfully against our criteria. A considered choice from a list beats an impulsive leap.

Impulse decisions about what to build next often lead to regret and abandoned work. Keeping a list of candidate ideas, and choosing deliberately when we are ready, brings calm and judgment to the decision. This small habit of not deciding in the heat of the moment helps us pick projects we will actually finish and enjoy.

Choosing well is half the work

How we pick what to build next, by asking whether we can finish it, whether the core is fun, whether it excites us, what we will learn, and choosing calmly from a list, shapes everything that follows. Good project selection is half the battle, and it is why our projects tend to reach completion.

So we treat choosing a project as seriously as making it. A well-chosen project, finishable and fun and exciting and instructive, is set up to succeed, while a poorly chosen one is doomed from the start. For any small studio, learning to pick the right next project is one of the most valuable skills there is.

Choosing the right next project is half the battle for a small studio. We pick deliberately by asking whether we can realistically finish it, whether the core is genuinely fun even when simple, whether it excites us enough to push through, and what we will learn from it, choosing calmly from a running list rather than on impulse. Good project selection sets a project up to succeed, which is why our small games actually reach completion rather than joining a pile of abandoned starts.