Real-world examples

Normally, my content lifespan document would take the form of a long table with a single row for each element in the game (it would include buildings, obstacles, playable and non-playable characters, interactive objects, cutscenes, weapons, abilities, scenery, level design, and so on). I'd then add columns that contained the following: a short description, the first time an element is used, priority, and dependency (an obstacle that requires a special gadget obviously has to be created after said gadget).

Games have differing structures and their relationship with content varies wildly, therefore every game should be approached in a fitting way.

In Transformers: Earth Wars, we already had an art production spreadsheet and lists of robots and buildings; there was little point in listing all of the assets again. Therefore, I opted for a simplified graph followed by a more complex and integrated progression matrix, which I'll demonstrate further on.

The game is a mobile, multiplayer, build and battle title. For the critical vector of progression, I chose the most important building, the player's Command Center. Unlike the player's robot collection (which is the most important thing in the game, but can vary wildly), buildings follow a linear path and are strictly tied to the Command Center Level. Upgrading the CC becomes a big investment in the base and is a visible milestone. Treating it as a main vector of progression also meant we assigned and locked all of the game features and technologies directly to it.