(41) How to find amazing game ideas

Introduction

• Mark shares experience of releasing indie game Mind Over Magnet

• Biggest mistake: Lack of understanding of indie game production pipeline

• Series goal: Teach indie game development from start to finish

Where Game Ideas Come From

• Initial spark of inspiration for every game

• Importance of evaluating if the idea is worth pursuing

• Expert insights on evaluating game ideas

Four Main Ways to Generate Game Ideas

1. Using Existing Games as Starting Points

   • Move perspective (e.g. Satisfactory inspired by Factorio)

   • Shift context/theme (e.g. Subnautica derived from Minecraft)

   • Transfer to different medium (e.g. Among Us from social games)

   • Reviving old concepts (Stardew Valley as a response to diminishing Harvest Moon)

   • Create something unique from inspired games

2. Genre Exploration

   • Genres can act as templates for mechanics

   • Identifying problems within genres and creating solutions (e.g. Crypt of the Necrodancer)

   • Combining genres to solve perceived issues from both types (e.g. Spelunky)

   • Adding or removing core mechanics from genres (e.g. Captain Toad's limitations)

   • Swapping game metaphors (e.g. changing guns for cameras in Pokemon Snap)

3. Real-World Inspirations

   • Draw inspiration from real-life activities (e.g. Papers, Please inspired by passport control experience)

   • Interests outside of gaming (e.g. gardening inspired Pikmin)

   • Different ways to control games can inspire mechanics (e.g. swipe in Fruit Ninja)

   • Isolating mechanics from existing works and expanding them (e.g. Braid from Prince of Persia)

4. Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Development

   • Bottom-Up: Starting with mechanics before story/aesthetic (e.g. Splatoon)

   • Top-Down: Starting with experience/feel before mechanics (e.g. Death Stranding)

   • Fantasy role or theme as an alternative starting point

Evaluating Game Ideas

• Questions to ask:

  • Can you realistically create the game?

  • Are you passionate about the idea?

  • Will it stand out in the market?

  • What is the 'hook' that makes it interesting?

  • Is there a familiar 'anchor' to give context to players?

  • Assess overall appeal and marketability of the game

  • Is the idea actually fun? Prototyping as a way to test gameplay viability

Rapid-Fire Tips for Generating Game Ideas

1. Break down games into smallest elements like a periodic table.

2. Implement a critic's mentality to interrogate games you play.

3. Challenge genre conventions and ask what happens when you flip them.

4. Explore diverse game genres and mediums to spark creativity.

5. Impose limitations to guide idea generation.

6. Participate in game jams for unique themes.

7. Use hands-on experimentation in development to inspire ideas.

8. Surround yourself with art and music for creative sparks.

9. Allow your mind to wander in everyday experiences for inspiration.

10. Keep initial ideas small and flexible to grow organically during development.

Conclusion

• Ensure idea viability before committing to long-term project.

• Emphasize the importance of evaluating the fun factor through prototyping.

• Mark encourages viewers to consider different paths in game development.

More detailed

Introduction

Mark shares his experiences with releasing the indie game Mind Over Magnet, detailing both the successes and challenges he faced during the development process. He emphasizes that one of his biggest mistakes was a lack of understanding of the indie game production pipeline, which is critical for bringing a game from concept to market.

The primary goal of this series is to teach aspiring indie game developers the entire pipeline of indie game development, from initial brainstorming and idea generation to successful release and marketing strategies.

Where Game Ideas Come From

Every game begins with an initial spark of inspiration. Identifying this inspiration is crucial, but it’s equally important to evaluate whether the idea is worth pursuing. Mark provides expert insights into this evaluation process, guiding developers to think critically and sustainably about game concepts before diving deeper.

Four Main Ways to Generate Game Ideas

1. Using Existing Games as Starting Points

• Move perspective: Change the viewpoint or role to create a fresh experience (e.g., Satisfactory, inspired by Factorio).

• Shift context/theme: Altering the setting or objectives (e.g., Subnautica, which derived ideas from Minecraft).

• Transfer to a different medium: Adapting game concepts from non-digital formats (e.g., Among Us, which came from traditional social games).

• Reviving old concepts: Breathing new life into classic games (e.g., Stardew Valley, which is a response to the declining popularity of Harvest Moon).

• The key takeaway is to create something unique and fresh by building upon these existing ideas.

2. Genre Exploration

Genres serve as templates for developing game mechanics. Mark discusses how:

• Identifying problems within genres can lead to innovative game solutions (e.g., Crypt of the Necrodancer introduced rhythm mechanics to dungeon crawling).

• Combining genres can eliminate perceived issues and introduce novel gameplay experiences (e.g., Spelunky, which merges platforming and roguelike elements).

• You can add or remove core mechanics to create something different, exemplified by Captain Toad's unique puzzle-solving challenges.

• Swapping game metaphors can further redefine experiences (for example, Pokemon Snap replaces conventional weapons with cameras).

3. Real-World Inspirations

Inspiration can also be drawn from the world around us. Examples include:

• Papers, Please, which was inspired by Mark’s real-life experiences with passport control.

• Casual interests outside of gaming, such as gardening leading to the concept for Pikmin.

• Exploring different control schemes can lead to mechanical inspiration (e.g., the swiping mechanic in Fruit Ninja).

• Isolating and expanding upon mechanics from existing works (e.g., Braid, which takes mechanics from Prince of Persia and evolves them).

4. Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Development

• Bottom-Up approach: Starting with gameplay mechanics and gradually developing the story or aesthetics around these core mechanics (e.g., Splatoon, which focused on the mechanics of ink-based gameplay).

• Top-Down approach: Beginning with the desired player experience or thematic elements before determining the mechanics (e.g., Death Stranding, emphasizing emotional experience).

• Mark also discusses utilizing fantasy roles or thematic elements as initial starting points in development.

Evaluating Game Ideas

When deciding whether to pursue a game idea, developers should consider:

• Can you realistically create the game?

• Are you passionate about the idea?

• Will it stand out in the market, distinguishing from existing titles?

• What is the 'hook' that makes the game appealing?

• Is there a familiar 'anchor' to provide context for players unfamiliar with the concept?

• Assess the overall appeal and marketability of the game.

• Ultimately, is the idea genuinely fun? Prototyping is crucial as it allows for testing gameplay viability early in development.

Rapid-Fire Tips for Generating Game Ideas

• Break down games into the smallest elements, similar to a periodic table, to study mechanics.

• Adopt a critic's mentality to interrogate the games you experience critically.

• Challenge conventional genre norms and reimagine possibilities by flipping expectations.

• Explore a wide variety of game genres and mediums to ignite your creativity.

• Impose limitations on idea generation to foster innovative thinking.

• Participate in game jams to tackle unique themes and rapid development.

• Engage in hands-on experimentation during development to inspire new ideas.

• Surround yourself with art and music as tools for creative inspiration.

• Allow your mind to wander through everyday experiences to spark new ideas.

• Keep initial ideas small and flexible, allowing them to grow organically during the development process.

Conclusion

Before committing to a long-term project, ensure the viability of your game idea by emphasizing the importance of evaluating the fun factor through prototyping. Mark encourages aspiring developers to explore diverse paths and consider various perspectives in the game development journey, ultimately leading to a more enriching and fulfilling creative process.