How long does it take you to code a prototype?

Read an interesting article. Here you go:

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/JosephMirabe ... e_Game.php

But here goes the question. How long does it take you (on average) to code a functional prototype?

Time to code a prototype usually accounts for its complexity, eagerness to get it done and choice of tools ...

I think it always depend on the tool you are using. Traditional coding approach could take me several days (not consecutive, of course!) to build a prototype, while leveraging Construct 2 would let me get the same result in just several hours, quicker when compare to former method.

Took me 1 year. Part time. But at this point this is maybe more than a prototype.

Thanks to Construct 2, I usually get a first working prototype of my game ideas in just a few days or a couple of weeks at most.

Polishing a game, regardless of the tools being used, can take a lifetime, though

Prototypes usually take me .05 to 2 hours. That amount of types get's the basic gameplay running with simple blocks or even animations that are grabbed from the net. I can also usually get the full functionality of game up in less than a week. But as for polish as roberto says, can take a LONG time.

There are however a few exceptions to prototyping.

One prototype took me a few long days, and I haven't done much with it since. The math involved and rewriting array-use to dictionaries was a big challenge.

Otherwise, I generally take games one mechanic at a time, which equates to about 1-6 hours of work, and that wide range is because it depends on focus and complexity, usually.