Mastering Multi-Project Management in Small Studios with Kanban

In the dynamic world of game development, managing multiple projects can be a daunting task, especially for small studios. This blog post explores using Kanban as a practical framework to reduce complexity and improve delivery.

Introduction and Session Overview

Hello, I’m Liam from the Game Production Academy, and this is part two of our Q&A session (part one is here) based on discussions in our Discord community. Today, we’re focusing on how to implement Kanban for multi-project management, aimed at small studios dealing with frequent change and competing demands.

Kanban vs Scrum: Choosing the Right Approach

A common dilemma is whether to choose Kanban or Scrum. GlitchedBug shared they were torn between the two: their client wants specific milestones, but requirements change frequently and often at the last minute. Kanban tends to handle this reality better than Scrum, as it supports continuous flow and flexible prioritisation without relying on fixed sprint commitments.

Task Design in Kanban

A key question is how to structure work items: should you create a single Kanban card for a feature that moves through the workflow, or separate cards per stage/owner? For small studios, one card per feature (or deliverable slice) is often the simplest and most effective, as it maintains visibility and reduces admin overhead. The aim is to keep workflow clear and visible to the whole team.

Handling Multiple Projects and Prioritisation

Multi-project delivery is often undermined by multitasking and context switching. Kanban helps by making work visible and supporting Work in Progress (WIP) limits. This enables clearer prioritisation, reduces thrash, and helps prevent burnout while keeping the most important work moving.

Setting Up Your Kanban Board

An effective multi-project board needs clear operating rules to manage shared specialist time and avoid uncontrolled multitasking. A simple structure is one shared board with swim lanes per project, so workload distribution and priorities are visible at a glance.

WIP Limits and Workflow Management

Introducing WIP limits ensures work is finished, not just started. This reduces bottlenecks and improves flow. You can also use simple classes of service (such as expedite and fixed date) to make priority decisions explicit and consistent.

Prioritising Work with Critical Ratio

Critical Ratio is a simple method for prioritising scarce specialist time across projects. It helps identify which project should take priority based on the next meaningful gate (e.g. a review, submission, or acceptance point), balancing time remaining against work remaining for the constrained role.

Cost of Delay and Project Prioritisation

Cost of Delay helps break the cycle of “everything is urgent” by assessing economic impact, time criticality, and enablement/risk reduction. Used at the right level (e.g. milestone packages rather than individual repetitive asset tasks), it can guide prioritisation and keep focus on what truly matters.

Empowering Teams with Flow Heuristics

Kanban flow heuristics give teams clear rules for how to sequence work once a project is prioritised. This reduces reliance on constant managerial direction and helps teams make consistent decisions day to day.

Optimising QA Processes with External Vendors

When using external QA vendors, Kanban can help manage workflow and reduce bottlenecks. Extra testers increase execution capacity, but can increase coordination and triage load on QA leadership - so it’s important to make that work visible and managed.

Concluding Insights and Next Steps

Implementing Kanban for multi-project delivery in small studios provides a flexible, structured approach to workflow and resourcing. In the next session, I’ll design a Kanban board based on these concepts to show how they work in practice.

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