Game Ideas

[Weber]

Out of curiosity what methods do you guys use to tap into that creative side and come up with your game ideas.

So far all I've been doing is brain storming in the hottub. However, i dont have a whole lot of good ideas to show for it. Any suggestions??

[svero]

yeah... visit hamumu.com and browse his free game ideas section and make on of those.

[ManuelFLara]

Actually I'm not having problems coming up with new ideas, but deciding which one to invest my time on!

[Antdizzle]

Look on the portals and find the best selling games and make better versions of them. :)

[Bmc]

1 method would be to try and think of games that you liked or that you know other people like (succesful games) and figure out what exactly you're doing when you play it. Try to come up with a base game that it could of been derived from. edit: Forgot to add... and then Derive your game from it.

For example let's use Zuma. If you don't know what Zuma is go to popcap.com

I find Zuma is very much like centipede. You have a worm like structure made up of singular pieces crawling it's way to certain position. Once it's get to this position you lose. You need to keep it from getting to this position by destroying it before it does. To destroy it you shoot at it. There are differences between the games obviously. To me Zuma could of been derived from centipede. edit: Examples of Games that could be derived from centipede and be similar to Zuma: Luxor, Beetbomb

Another thing you can try is to think of how you could twist around another game or genre. Quick example:
What if you made an Breakout game where you play as(control) the ball (ex of this idea is GemSmashers on GBA)

if you where inclined you could also go to klov.net and make an updated version of an older game that isn't as known(essentially clone it) maybe adding a bit here and there.

[gpetersz]

Yeah, these are all good ideas. Nonetheless if you put some new into practice that is more dangerous, but can be a way bigger success. ;)

[lakibuk]

Quick example:
What if you made an Breakout game where you play as(control) the ball (ex of this idea is GemSmashers on GBA)
Attention! This has already been done.
-> http://www.blueskied.com/

[baegsi]

I think its always a good idea to combine things. For example, you have a space invaders clone and combine it with some sort of word puzzle by letting the invaders carry words. Another way went BaseGolf.

[cliffski]

I consider games to be time/resource management issues, dexterity challenges or puzzles.
Many things in every day life have such features. Cooking a complex meal is a strategy/resource management problem. Running a business certainly is (thats why tycoon games are so good). Maintaining work/life balance is one too (thats the sims) and maintaining relationships is also one. Nobody has done a serious game purely built around social relationships (although I've seen 1 company try to). Thats a serious AI problem, but it can be done. Not as your first (or even second) game though :D

[princec]

I have several game ideas every day :( Not enough fingers, not enough time.

Cas :)

[Martoon]

I'll second what cliffski said. Everyday life is one of the best sources of inspiration for game ideas. I constantly take everything I see or do and think "I wonder if a game could be made based on this." When watching them prepare my order at Taco Bell, I think of a point-and-click fast food prep pattern matching game. When sitting at a red light, and watching the traffic flow from other directions, I think of variations on a traffic sim. This isn't something I try to do, it's a compulsion I can't control. Just the other morning, after washing my hands in the bathroom sink, I turned on the water in the shower, and as I was waiting for the hot water flow to reach the shower, I was thinking about how the hot water would get there sooner because I had just run hot water in the sink, and the pipes for the sink and shower branched off nearby. I then spent my entire shower thinking about a game involving branching pipes, with different colored segments of fluids traveling through them and splitting off at the branches based on different valves that the player opens and closes.

But like others mentioned, I have plentiful ideas. It's the time and energy required to implement them that's in short supply.

[alfie]

So far all I've been doing is brain storming in the hottub. However, i dont have a whole lot of good ideas to show for it. Any suggestions??

Try to bear in mind that even if your ideas dont seem to you to be good ideas initially, dont evaluate them in good or bad terms. Maintain the brainstorming approach, write the ideas on a sketch pad and try and make small prototypes.

[Anthony Flack]

I tend to get a visual image of a particular scenario playing out in my mind and the game is suggested from there, both in the imagery and also the style of motion going on.

They just pop into my brain sometimes as little pictures, and once I've seen them I can't help but reflect on them in idle moments. Over a period of months or years they might grow into fully developed game ideas. I have a whole load of games floating around in my head that nobody's played but me. They're like the ghosts of dead children, man.

I try not to think about them, because I should be ruminating on the project at hand, but even without trying I'll get a whole bunch of new ideas turn up for every one I actually make.

The hard part is picking the next one to realise - the quickest one? The coolest one? The most unusual one? The safest bet? The most completely realised design? The newest one?

And of course, when you make them they change a lot too.

[Weber]

Thanks for the input its been a big help. But feel free to keep it coming if you think of anything else.

[Martoon]

The hard part is picking the next one to realise - the quickest one? The coolest one? The most unusual one? The safest bet? The most completely realised design? The newest one?


That is difficult. One thing I've done in the past that has helped is to make an objective cost/benefit analysis kind o' thing. I just made a spreadsheet, with each game idea as a row in the spreadsheet. The first column was the name of the game, then a column for a "coolness" factor (basicly, a subjective 1 to 100 rating of how badly I wanted the game realized), and one column with a guesstimate of the total number of working days to complete, and a column with a confidence factor of how sure I was that the game would actually be fun when implemented (some ideas are way outside the box and risky, others are more similar to proven, fun existing gameplay), etc. I then came up with a formula for the last column that took all the other factors, assigned them weights, and combined them in a meaningful way to get an overall score (cool ideas, high confidence, and short dev times got higher scores, etc.)

It was still ultimately subjective data run through a subjective formula, but it provided a more rational way to compare ideas.

[mahlzeit]

If you're devoid of ideas, then don't keep staring at that blank sheet of paper or that empty IDE window. Just start making something, anything. Once you get going, new ideas will come automatically. You have to get the engine started first, so to speak. :)

P.S. What happened to the smilies?

[Coyote]

I had trouble coming up with ideas (at first) that were small enough to be made into indie games. Coming from the big, AAA game development industry, and being a fan of those kinds of games (plus the occasional off-beat, smaller game), everything I thought of was something that would require a team of 5 full-time guys for at least one year of development time ... some were even larger.

I hit some kind of breakthrough recently ... after searching and searching, I suddenly started finding inspiration almost everywhere. I get about two new game ideas a week now... more than I'd ever have time to develop into a game. I just see some kind of semi-interesting, common situation, and I almost instantly think, "How would I make a fun game out of that?" Usually it means exaggerating the situation significantly, effectively blowing it out of the bounds of reality, but hey... are we mirroriing reality, or making games.

Think about these tiny little situations:
* Being Stuck In Traffic
* A fry chef at a fast food restaurant who Has An Idea
* A Nigerian scam artist spams The Wrong Guy
* What if that crazy lady on the bus wasn't crazy at all, but was seeing real things after all?

These aren't even game ideas... they are seeds of ideas. They could be seeds of short-stories too. Or movie scripts. Whatever. But I'm finding that I'm just looking at these things every day, desperate to find new game ideas, and I'm not only seeing them, but I'm answering the question, "How Would I Make a Game Out Of This?" every time. Sometimes two or three answers to a single question.

[Sirrus]

For example let's use Zuma. If you don't know what Zuma is go to popcap.com

I find Zuma is very much like centipede. You have a worm like structure made up of singular pieces crawling it's way to certain position. Once it's get to this position you lose. You need to keep it from getting to this position by destroying it before it does. To destroy it you shoot at it. There are differences between the games obviously. To me Zuma could of been derived from centipede. edit: Examples of Games that could be derived from centipede and be similar to Zuma: Luxor, Beetbomb


Zuma is actually from an old japanese game.

So apparently the key is to find old games that have good mechanics and bring them into the modern era.

[Alex]

I have so many, I forget them, but they come back again jumping up and down in my mind JUST when I decide to do a game, thus distracting me.

Like Coyote says, mirroring real life situations, at work I am pushing an electric forklift around with palettes of stuff - I could create a factory simulator and you can buy upgrades for your forklift - but watch out for the Quarantine inspector - those bananas are illegal!!! Weird dreams sometimes come to me in the form of computer games - its like my brain is wired into gametopia.

Playing other games is another source, you think Hmm, the way this player is controlled is quite clunky - if only the game had this feature - etc.

Take loads of drugs then write down in single sentences as many game ideas as you can think of. Next day, check it out man. Like, far out Neil. I've never taken drugs.

How about a game where someone trying to quit smoking gets trapped in a nicotine-trip, and they have to run through mazes and collect all the cigarettes before the nic-o-meter gets to zero, when the side effects of giving up cause their head to explode. Okay, so I'm trying to quit smoking.

One thing that will not inspire you is sitting at a computer all day, or doing the same routine all the time. Get out, do things, have fun, and most of all write down your ideas, because no matter how good it seems at the time if you don't write it down, you will forget.

[Bmc]

Zuma is actually from an old japanese game.
So apparently the key is to find old games that have good mechanics and bring them into the modern era.

Yes I know. Puzz Loop. More people would be familiar with Zuma so I used that instead.

[aiosup]

I had trouble coming up with ideas (at first) that were small enough to be made into indie games. Coming from the big, AAA game development industry, and being a fan of those kinds of games (plus the occasional off-beat, smaller game), everything I thought of was something that would require a team of 5 full-time guys for at least one year of development time ... some were even larger.
*lol* I know this feeling. But lemme first state my game design philosophy. For me, games are a form of art, and of trying to express your opinion. I try to make deep games, inspired by art and history and alikes (read: my own opinions about varied issues). Sometimes I keep finding myself in front of ever-growing game designs that try to capture different facets of different issues. I was recently completely absorbed by the idea of medieval society structure: rules, types of people, their typical lives aso. Well, I added and added and added until it become a 15-punds pizza with everything in it... Ok, ok, enough dreaming: my advice is to check a bit Skotos articles (http://www.skotos.net/articles/), with a hint of reading at least Case for Simplicity? (http://www.skotos.net/articles/storms23.phtml) and some of the Trials, Trimphs, and Trivialities articles (http://www.skotos.net/articles/TTnT.shtml).

[Bmc]

So is anyone working on BBB, Diner Dash type games? Fast food dash maybe? hehe I've seen this on Bigfish today. and I know there is already Lemonade Tycoon but I wonder how long until this genre explodes like the Match 3 games. Especially since Diner Dash hit it big.

http://www.bigfishgames.com/downloads/coffeetycoon/index.html

I can see Hot Dog Tycoon, Donut Shop "Dash", Gas Station "Dash".

[aiosup]

I can see Hot Dog Tycoon, Donut Shop "Dash", Gas Station "Dash".
In my opinion the Tycoon games madness went and died off 3-5 years ago. We had so many big titles back then, that a gamer could easily buy AAA jewels as low as USD5. The subjects covered back then range from very broad to very specific, so the gamer really has a broad choice. *Very* risky, in my opinion...

[dima]

need some Torchure and Gore games, for the family ... blood, violence, pain, all the good stuff, yeah ..

[Bmc]

In my opinion the Tycoon games madness went and died off 3-5 years ago. We had so many big titles back then, that a gamer could easily buy AAA jewels as low as USD5. The subjects covered back then range from very broad to very specific, so the gamer really has a broad choice. *Very* risky, in my opinion...
Haven't been following the portals have you?
Lemonade Tycoon did really well. The sequel didn't do as good I think but still did well. As for the dash games I mentioned I was refering to Diner Dash like games, which is sort of a tycoon game but not really.

[Bmc]

need some Torchure and Gore games, for the family ... blood, violence, pain, all the good stuff, yeah ..
You sure like your torture don't ya? ;|

[Mark Sheeky]

Torture Chamber Tycoon anyone?

Mark :)

[Bmc]

A BSDM game would probably sell in the porn market. I wouldn't want to be the one to make it though.

[papillon]

Speaking of truly tasteless ideas... (SKIP IF EASILY OFFENDED!) someone was joking around elsewhere about games about either fighting your way through nurses to reinsert feeding tubes, or fighting your way through sign-wavers to beat in the heads of people they think are idiots.... Needless to say, I'm not going there.

[Alex]

But you just did (go there, I mean)

[papillon]

going there as in MAKING such a thing, I mean. :)

[milieu]

Heh, this morning I was thinking about making a zombie game, with every zombie looking like Terri Schiavo.

[dima]

Torture is the best, it's the most violent thing there is, I think. Torture Chamber Tycoon or Torture Dash sound fun :)

[PeterM]

Torture screen games have been done, and they were great! The objective was of course to rescue, but waiting out the grizzly events was always hilarious and fun.

Creatures 2 (nothing to do with the PC game of the same name)
http://webhome.idirect.com/~snedeljk/creatures-c64/is2.html (http://webhome.idirect.com/%7Esnedeljk/creatures-c64/is2.html)

Pete

[mahlzeit]

Commando Lybia remake anyone? :)

[etali]

I get ideas by just playing every game out there. While I'm playing I analyse them to death, write down why I think they're good, why I think they're bad, what I wish I could do in them, etc.

I usually end up with ideas 'too big' to code myself, but at least I have the ideas. Then I talk about them with friends (who are now sick to death of hearing about games!) and get them to help me trim them down.

The talking helps a lot, but I think playing every game I can get my hands on no matter how oddball or bad the game sounds is important.

--
Etali
http://www.myth-games.com
http://www.myth-games.com/forum

[papillon]

... well, people in the PC creatures game did set up the ring of Norn Abusers... didn't everyone who played those games beat at least a few of their pets to death? :)

[dima]

... well, people in the PC creatures game did set up the ring of Norn Abusers... didn't everyone who played those games beat at least a few of their pets to death? :)
Sad how some people do that in real life, very sad ... violence is all cool when it's animated, real stuff is totaly different, and turns me off completely !!!

[aiosup]

Haven't been following the portals have you?
Lemonade Tycoon did really well. The sequel didn't do as good I think but still did well. As for the dash games I mentioned I was refering to Diner Dash like games, which is sort of a tycoon game but not really.
I fully agree with LT, but how much more could it keep going on? A fluke may strike at any time, but starting a whole flood of tycoons will probably fail bigtime. That was my point.

[papillon]

Here's a free casual game idea for anyone, since I *know* I would get bored with it immediately after prototyping and never complete it -

Q-Bert clone, with the cubes being baked goods. Cake and brownies to start with to keep that boxy look, although possible special funny-shaped things in later rounds (the magical spinning doughnut!) The player character is a little chef and must run around decorating all the goodies. Later levels can require multiple passes over the same goodie (first frosting, THEN sprinkles). Monsters can include Scary Floating Cutlery that can kill you (Keep that fork away from me!) and naughty mouths/children who keep eating the toppings off your goodies!

Storyline is some blah blah blah about fighting your way through the kitchen/bakery trying to find the contents of your scattered recipe box while dealing with all these treats. So at the end of every "zone" (3-4 screens) you show the player a recipe. Could even affiliate with a membership cooking website...

[baegsi]

A fluke may strike at any time, but starting a whole flood of tycoons will probably fail bigtime. That was my point.The word "tycoon" has been used in such an inflationary way, that meanwhile it means nothing else than "strategy game". LT isn't a typical tycoon game at all. It's a marketing trick to add "Tycoon" to the name of your game.

[Bmc]

I fully agree with LT, but how much more could it keep going on?.

There hasn't been that many tycoon games of LT's simplicity on the portals. I'd say there is still room for more. I'm not talking downloadable versions of games like Rollercoaster Tycoon etc. I'm talking about sleak, simple games(like LT of course).

A fluke may strike at any time
Success is never a fluke. How it's arrived at ... maybe.

but starting a whole flood of tycoons will probably fail bigtime
I agree. For one thing, 80-90% of the games wouldn't be up to par.

[Alex]

This one just hit me today when navigating through our horrendous local underground car-park at the local K-mart.... The trolley boys! They're everywhere, with their evil trolleys. Sure, they're just trying to make a dollar, but why do they ALWAYS have to be walking along in front of you, blocking up the carpark for minutes on end??? And that scratch on my car, I'm sure it was made by a runaway trolley.

I'm sure theres an idea just waiting to happen there, either a game from the trolley boy's perspective (Avoid angry drivers), or from a driver's perspective (...)

Anyway, please resume normal conversation :)

[Mark Sheeky]

Hmm, a trolley racing game set in a supermarket. Sort of Carmageddon with bonus cakes and washing power. More seriously, a basic simulation of a supermarket would be good (I suspect it's been done). The layout in real supermarkets seems to be more or less pulled out of a hat so it would be nice to give the manager a hand with a game/simulation... "Trolley Jam Pro"?

Mark

[papillon]

This is one I'm quite fond of, but know that I'm the wrong person to implement it.

Instead of breakout... break-in! Play an acrobatic thief/spy in a combo breakout/platform/puzzle game where you control both a moving trampoline (breakout bat) and, when s/he lands on a platform, the thief character. Break blocks, flip switches to disable traps (FRIKKIN LASERS!), and bounce your way to each level's hidden treasure. Possibly even beat up some security guards with your exciting ninja moves.

The control scheme (probably mouse+keyboard) might be a bit tricky, which means the perfect person to take this on is - Cas! :) Who can also play up the British Mystique for character design and marketing purposes - everybody loves a British masterspy, right?

(cue Bond music)

I think it sounds like great fun and would love to play it but I'm not the right person to build it properly. So go on. :)

[Hamumu]

I think that's brilliant... and could be done with just the mouse easily! Move the mouse to move your "trampoline" (to keep the theme, two helper thugs in black & white striped shirts would be hauling it back and forth), and click the button to have the thief do a context sensitive action. The default action is a ninja spin kick, but for instance, there could be poles sticking out of the wall, and if you are near one and hit the button, she grabs on and begins vaulting around it. Hit the button again to release in whichever direction she's facing when you hit it. Vault to another to build up to an ultra combo. Other context actions including pushing buttons, planting bombs, throwing ninja stars you collect, who knows.

Heck, forget breaking the bricks - you have to hit the button when near a brick to plant a bomb that detonates a couple seconds later! The nice thing about that is that it means the game isn't just a dressed up breakout - there couldn't be a ton of bricks if breaking each one was such an experience, so it would be more about going the right places and flipping the switches and knocking out guards and whatnot.

Probably add right click for a graviton-like effect (because no game is complete without it), perhaps implemented by pulling a 500lb weight out of her shirt, leaving you to wonder why it has no effect when hidden. Poor mac users would just need to get familiar with their space bar.

I'll see if I can make this for you sometime, papillon.