If you’re starting an indie game studio, managing bugs might not be the first thing on your mind. But without a process, bugs can stuff, lose one’s time, delaying your release, it makes your game bad. Setting up a basic bug management system will help you organize, prioritize, and fix issues efficiently—even if you’re just getting started, whether you have QA on your team or not.

Bugs don’t just appear out of nowhere. They start with a error—a human error during development. That error introduces a defect, which is a inconsistency between what was expected and what was created. When this defect impacts the player, it becomes a failure. Understanding this lifecycle helps you focus on where to act.

The first step is logging bugs. Use a simple tool, like Google Sheets, Notion, ClickUp, Jira, Trello, Testrail to document key details about each issue. For every bug, record:

1- What happened? Write a clear description.

2- Where did it happen? Include steps to reproduce the issue.

3- How severe is it? Classify the bug based on its impact:

Critical: Blocks gameplay or causes crashes.
Severe: Affects core mechanics or player experience significantly.
Moderate: Noticeable issues, but gameplay continues.
Minor: Visual or cosmetic errors.

Categorizing bugs makes tracking them easier. Here are some common types you’ll see:

Functional Bugs: Gameplay features not working as expected (e.g., a character can’t jump).
Usability Problems: Menus or controls that confuse players.
Performance Issues: Frame drops, slow loading, or crashes.
Asset Errors: Missing visuals, sounds, or animations.
Localization Bugs: Translation error or text that doesn’t fit properly.

Once your bugs are logged and categorized, follow up regularly. Review the list with your team to prioritize fixes and ensure progress. Share issues with clear documentation to avoid miscommunication and delays.

Why Does This Matter?

Managing bugs isn’t just about fixing problems; it’s about understanding their nature and impact. A solid process helps you predict how long fixes will take, optimize your team’s time, and avoid surprises during the final stretch of development.

Even a simple system can make a big difference. Start small, document clearly, and check in consistently. Every bug you fix brings you closer to delivering a polished, successful game.

Since you’ve read this far, I’m sharing with you a Trello board I used a lot when testing games from indie studios that didn’t have a defect management process -> Copy this board no Trello