Game Development Version Control Best Practices: A Beginner's Guide

Version control for game development records changes to code, scenes, and large binary assets so teams can collaborate safely and recover from mistakes. This guide explains what version control (VCS) means in a game context and shows beginners — indie developers, small studios, and technical artists — how to choose a VCS (Git + Git LFS, Perforce, Plastic), set up repositories for Unity or Unreal, manage large binaries, adopt a simple branching workflow, and add basic CI and backups.

Why Version Control Matters in Game Development

Game projects mix text (code, scripts, configs) and heavy binary assets (textures, models, audio, builds). That mix changes how you use version control compared to web apps. Good version control practices let you:

• Revert to previous working states when bugs appear.
• Collaborate safely across developers and artists.
• Track who changed what and when for accountability and debugging.
• Keep repository size manageable so clones and CI are fast.

By following the steps in this guide you’ll be ready to pick a game-appropriate VCS, configure repositories and .gitignore/.gitattributes, manage large assets with Git LFS or a centralized system, adopt a beginner-friendly branching workflow, and implement basic CI and backup strategies.

Popular Version Control Systems and When to Use Them

Below are common VCS choices in game development and when they shine.

Git is a strong default: well-supported and familiar. To make Git viable for game assets, add Git Large File Storage (Git LFS), which stores binary contents outside normal Git history and leaves lightweight pointers in your repo. Perforce (Helix Core) remains popular in AAA because of its locking and server optimization for very large datasets. Plastic SCM is tailored to game workflows and integrates tightly with Unity.

Setting Up Repositories and Project Structure

A clean repo layout and proper ignore rules prevent committing generated files and bloating history.

Key principles

• Commit source assets and project config (e.g., Assets, ProjectSettings for Unity).
• Ignore engine-generated folders (e.g., Unity’s Library, Unreal’s DerivedDataCache).
• Use Git LFS or a VCS with locking for large binaries.
• Document repository rules in README.md and CONTRIBUTING.md.

Starter .gitignore for Unity

# Unity generated folders
Library/
Temp/
Obj/
Build/

# OS files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# Visual Studio
*.csproj
*.sln

Starter .gitattributes for Git LFS

*.psd filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
*.png filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
*.fbx filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
*.wav filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text
*.mp4 filter=lfs diff=lfs merge=lfs -text

Basic Git LFS commands

# Install LFS once per machine
git lfs install

# Track filetypes
git lfs track "*.psd"

# Add attr file and assets, commit and push
git add .gitattributes
git add <large asset files>
git commit -m "Add assets via LFS"
git push origin main

Repository organization tips

• For small projects keep code and assets in the same repo. For large projects, split into code + asset repos.
• Store build outputs in CI artifact storage rather than the VCS.
• Add a root README explaining how to clone (including LFS), engine setup, and required tools/licenses.

Branching and Workflow Strategies for Beginners

A simple branching strategy reduces friction as teams learn version control.

Recommended minimal workflow

• main (protected) — always stable and deployable.
• feature/ — short-lived feature branches; merge via PR.
• hotfix/ — urgent fixes to main.

Naming examples

• feature/player-animation
• bugfix/physics-123
• hotfix/crash-on-startup

Workflow options

• GitFlow: heavier weight; good for clear release cycles.
• Trunk-based: frequent small merges to main; avoids long-lived branch pain.
• Short-lived feature branches: easiest for beginners — create, work, PR, merge.

For asset-heavy features that require long-running work, prefer small incremental merges, file locking (if available), or a dedicated asset branch with frequent checkpoints.

Handling Large Binary Assets (Textures, Models, Audio)

Why binaries are different

• Text files can be merged line-by-line; binaries cannot. Conflicts often require choosing a version or rework.
• Storing binaries in VCS history inflates repo size and slows operations.

Solutions and trade-offs

• Git LFS: stores binaries externally and reduces clone size — suitable for small-to-medium teams.
• Perforce/Plastic: built-in locking and optimized storage for large binary workflows.
• External storage/CDNs: keep very large cinematic or build assets outside VCS and reference them.

File locking

• Use lock-modify-unlock (Perforce/Plastic) when multiple artists might edit the same file.
• Git LFS offers a locking extension (git lfs lock) if your host supports it.

Asset best practices

• Break large assets into modular pieces where possible.
• Use consistent naming and embed version metadata when helpful.
• Compress archives before checking in if it reduces transfer size (remember compressed blobs still replace entire files).

Collaboration: Reviews, Pull Requests, and Locking

Pull requests and code reviews

• PRs provide context and discussion before merging. Include screenshots, test results, and design links.

Artist and developer collaboration

• Define review responsibilities: engineers review code; lead artists review textures and scenes; technical artists check import settings.
• Use PR templates and labels to indicate change type (code, art, scene, audio).

Locking workflows

• Perforce/Plastic: lock files to claim ownership and prevent conflicting edits.
• Git teams: coordinate via team channels or use Git LFS locks (if supported).

Onboarding new contributors

• Add a CONTRIBUTING.md with cloning steps, LFS install, branching rules, lock rules, and build instructions.
• Provide sample templates and starter projects to practice workflows.

Resolving Conflicts and Merges (Tips for Beginners)

Text vs binary conflicts

• Text conflicts use 3-way merges and visual diff tools (KDiff3, Beyond Compare, built-in GitHub/GitLab editors).
• Binary conflicts usually mean choosing one version or manual rework; keep backups before resolving.

Engine-specific helpers

• Unity: enable text serialization for scenes/prefabs and use UnityYAMLMerge to improve merges.

Practical steps to avoid and resolve conflicts

1. Pull the latest changes before starting work.
2. Make small, focused commits.
3. Communicate when working on shared assets.
4. If a conflict appears, back up both versions and coordinate with the author.

Preventive tactics

• Frequent pushes/pulls and small commits.
• Short-lived branches with frequent merges.
• Use locks or clear team agreements for large assets.

Automated Builds & CI/CD for Game Projects

Why automate

• CI creates reproducible builds and catches integration problems early.

Simple CI flow

• On PR or main: checkout repo (ensure LFS), import/build, run unit or smoke tests, and produce artifacts.
• Store artifacts in cloud storage or artifact servers; do not commit builds to the repo.

Beginner-friendly CI options

• GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, or self-hosted runners. For heavy platform builds use cloud builders or specialized services.

CI tips

• Cache engine import artifacts to speed builds.
• Run light checks on PRs and heavy platform builds on main/nightly.

Backups, Server Management, and Disaster Recovery

Backups and mirrors

• Use hosted services with backups or maintain off-site mirrors of central servers.
• Periodic backups of Perforce depots or Git LFS storage are essential.

Monitoring repo health

• Track repo size, number of LFS objects, and growth trends to avoid cost and performance issues.

When history grows too big

• Run git gc and repack for maintenance, or split repositories (code vs assets).
• Migrate large files to Git LFS retroactively using tools like BFG Repo-Cleaner.

Beginner’s Checklist — Best Practices Recap

Quick actions to implement today

• Initialize the repo with engine-appropriate ignore rules and README.
• Enable Git LFS or pick Perforce/Plastic before adding assets.
• Adopt a simple branching model (main + short-lived features) and protect main.
• Use pull requests and add CONTRIBUTING.md.
• Set up basic CI that checks PRs and stores artifacts.
• Back up servers and monitor repo size.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Committing generated files (Library, Intermediate, build folders).
• Treating VCS as the only backup for very large assets.
• Letting long-lived branches diverge for months.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Version control is foundational for healthy game projects. For beginners, start with Git + Git LFS for small teams; trial Perforce or Plastic if you expect heavy binary volumes and need native locking. Practice by initializing a small Unity or Unreal sample project, enabling LFS, creating a feature branch, and opening a pull request.

Starter actions

• Add the example .gitignore and .gitattributes to your repo.
• Try Git LFS commands in a sample repo and push to GitHub/GitLab with LFS enabled.
• If on Windows and you prefer a Linux-like toolchain for Git/CI, consider WSL.
• Practice with small templates to exercise workflows.

We’d love to hear which VCS you choose and the challenges you face — share your engine, team size, and pain points for tailored tips.

FAQ & Troubleshooting

Q: Which VCS should I pick as a solo indie developer? A: Git + Git LFS is usually best — it’s free, well-supported, and works with hosted platforms like GitHub and GitLab.

Q: When should I consider Perforce or Plastic SCM? A: If your project has hundreds of gigabytes of binary assets, many artists needing file locks, or an enterprise studio workflow, evaluate Perforce or Plastic.

Q: My repo is huge — how do I reduce size? A: Identify large files with git-sizer or git rev-list, migrate them to Git LFS or external storage, and use BFG Repo-Cleaner to remove large blobs from history.

Q: How do I handle scene/prefab merges in Unity? A: Enable text serialization and use UnityYAMLMerge to improve merges. Coordinate changes and break scenes into smaller sections where possible.

Troubleshooting tips

• LFS: If files aren’t tracked after cloning, run git lfs install and git lfs fetch --all.
• Locking: If a file is locked by someone else, contact them or use your VCS admin tools to release locks if appropriate.
• CI failures: Reproduce the failing build locally with the same engine and cached import paths; verify LFS assets are available to the runner.
• Merge conflicts: Make local backups of both versions before resolving, and communicate with the original authors.

References & Further Reading

• Perforce Helix Core Guide: https://www.perforce.com/manuals/helix-core/p4guide/Content/P4Guide/intro.html
• Git Large File Storage (Git LFS): https://git-lfs.github.com/
• Unity Manual — Version Control: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/VersionControl.html

Call to action: download the starter .gitignore and .gitattributes above, initialize a small project, enable Git LFS, and create your first feature branch and PR. If you hit issues, share your VCS choice, engine, and team size for help.