Johan Andersson, head of the Paradox Tinto team behind Europa Universalis, has expressed his growing skepticism regarding the utility of design documents in game development. He emphasized that relying too heavily on these documents could hinder creativity and reduce team ownership of the project.

“Design documents stifle creativity and reduce people’s ownership and empowerment,” Andersson stated. “You create better games by talking with your team … tell the person some broad outlines, like ‘we want this,’ ‘it should function like this,’ a few samples, and let them make the detailed decisions. It creates greater ownership and greater accountability long-term in a project.”

In reflection on his earlier experiences, he noted that his team initially depended on design documents because they simply did not know better at the time. However, he now feels that true creativity flourishes when team members are encouraged to embrace their roles in shaping the game rather than just following rigid guidelines.