High Concept: Forget is a game about getting things wrong and forgetting what something actually is. Its also a party game!
Platform: Downloable console title for any console.
Why it needs to be made: Rather then to be profound or make money, this title is just a fun little thing. It needs to be made because its a simple idea, should be simple to create and fun.
Description: Players are shown an image, or told a statement. Above the image or statement is either a green REMEMBER or a red FORGET. Below the image is are two options. One correctly describes what is seen and the second is wrong. So for instance, the players might see 2+2= and they are told to Forget. Below 2+2 are two boxes that say 4 and 5. In order to get a point for forgetting the players click five.
Players take turns handing off the controller to the next person and either forgetting or remembering. As turns pass new rules get added. A time limit is added. The words Forget and Remember are taken away so its just a color , a timer, four boxes to choose from instead of two, telling the player to forget what the colors mean (so now green is forget and red is remember).
The game would be for one to four players and have online capability and leader boards.
Why it will be fun: Party games are fun! This game is unique in is approach to a quiz like game.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Game Idea #9: Have You Got the Time?
High Concept: An altered reality game where players need to log in and submit info within a given amount of time or a certain time to get points.
Platform: ipod app, website
Why it needs to be made: This is an advert game, something that really seems to taking off in the game industry. I thought I'd try and make one, even though I'm very weary of the idea. Still, fun exercise, right?
Description: "Have You Got the Time?" is a game about surveys and dragons. Players play in a realm of monsters and magic. They can explore caves, fight battles, win the hearts of towns and all that great in genre kind of stuff. Battles will be turn based, there will be an in-depth story, cool items and all the fun stuff for free.
Like a social game, however, the player only has so many points to complete these tasks in a given day. If they want more points they can wait and accrue one every hour, or complete surveys for companies about their products and gain a significant bonus to points. If the player's complete a particular survey during a certain amount of time, however, they gain even more points and possibly bonus items/quests that can only be given after a survey.
This may seem a little annoying, which means the game would have to have some really stunning graphics, mechanics and story. Part of the fun would be to make a leaderboard to see what level your friends are at, look at their adventuring party and fight them. Of course, you do want one of the best swords in the game so you can beat them, right? Then just take this quick 20 question Niki survey and unlock it!
Why it will be fun: It will have all the addictive mechanics of a social game, plus other fun mechanics.
Final Notes: I feel kind of dirty after writing an idea like this...
Platform: ipod app, website
Why it needs to be made: This is an advert game, something that really seems to taking off in the game industry. I thought I'd try and make one, even though I'm very weary of the idea. Still, fun exercise, right?
Description: "Have You Got the Time?" is a game about surveys and dragons. Players play in a realm of monsters and magic. They can explore caves, fight battles, win the hearts of towns and all that great in genre kind of stuff. Battles will be turn based, there will be an in-depth story, cool items and all the fun stuff for free.
Like a social game, however, the player only has so many points to complete these tasks in a given day. If they want more points they can wait and accrue one every hour, or complete surveys for companies about their products and gain a significant bonus to points. If the player's complete a particular survey during a certain amount of time, however, they gain even more points and possibly bonus items/quests that can only be given after a survey.
This may seem a little annoying, which means the game would have to have some really stunning graphics, mechanics and story. Part of the fun would be to make a leaderboard to see what level your friends are at, look at their adventuring party and fight them. Of course, you do want one of the best swords in the game so you can beat them, right? Then just take this quick 20 question Niki survey and unlock it!
Why it will be fun: It will have all the addictive mechanics of a social game, plus other fun mechanics.
Final Notes: I feel kind of dirty after writing an idea like this...
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Game Idea #8: Bloodshed
High Concept: The player moves through different levels, fighting fantasy monsters. The game is a 3D fighting game and often times the player is asked to shed blood in order to complete a goal, but the game pushes and asks the player how far they'd go.
Platform: PC Title, really small Indie Game
Why it needs to be made: Violence appears in a lot of games and a whole lot of real life. Most people can be considered pacifists in real life, but who doesn't like playing GTA and driving on the sidewalk for a few moments? This game gives the violence, but asks the player if they want to go through with it.
Description: Bloodshed starts the player at a village under attack by orcs. You get some backstory about how this attack probably happened: resources the orcs want and now they're taking it. The town is burning and the anguished screams can be heard in the background. It asks the player if fighting them is ok. If the player answers no, they are given a story about the orcs pillaging and finally burning the village and are taken back to the menu. If they click yes, they engage in bloody, fun combat.
The game progresses like this, but the situations become a little more morally grey. Before every new level the player gets backstory about what they are killing and why. They are given the same choices, continue to go forward or return to the main menu after being treated to an epilogue. Occasionally I want the set up story to just be a little wrong. Perhaps the when the player is asked to raid an orc town they discover that humans are in fact dragging them away to be slaves, but the story doesn't say that. These things would need to be found in game.
The game is meant to be one about morals, stories and questioning. I don't want a clear bad and good "ending" that most games provide, but I want the player to think about the decisions they make. It might actually be more beneficial to instead allow the player continue to the next level after an epilogue instead of restarting.
Why it will be fun: Violence is fun! So are minor moral dilemmas.
Final Notes: GDC has taken it out of me and my laptop got a virus. This post was half done before it crashed my computer. Thats why its just a touch late.
Platform: PC Title, really small Indie Game
Why it needs to be made: Violence appears in a lot of games and a whole lot of real life. Most people can be considered pacifists in real life, but who doesn't like playing GTA and driving on the sidewalk for a few moments? This game gives the violence, but asks the player if they want to go through with it.
Description: Bloodshed starts the player at a village under attack by orcs. You get some backstory about how this attack probably happened: resources the orcs want and now they're taking it. The town is burning and the anguished screams can be heard in the background. It asks the player if fighting them is ok. If the player answers no, they are given a story about the orcs pillaging and finally burning the village and are taken back to the menu. If they click yes, they engage in bloody, fun combat.
The game progresses like this, but the situations become a little more morally grey. Before every new level the player gets backstory about what they are killing and why. They are given the same choices, continue to go forward or return to the main menu after being treated to an epilogue. Occasionally I want the set up story to just be a little wrong. Perhaps the when the player is asked to raid an orc town they discover that humans are in fact dragging them away to be slaves, but the story doesn't say that. These things would need to be found in game.
The game is meant to be one about morals, stories and questioning. I don't want a clear bad and good "ending" that most games provide, but I want the player to think about the decisions they make. It might actually be more beneficial to instead allow the player continue to the next level after an epilogue instead of restarting.
Why it will be fun: Violence is fun! So are minor moral dilemmas.
Final Notes: GDC has taken it out of me and my laptop got a virus. This post was half done before it crashed my computer. Thats why its just a touch late.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Game Idea #7: Badges
High Concept: The player needs to collect as many badges as possible. Each badge gives them a single power. As they level up they get more badge slots. The entire game is about collecting, optimizing and having the best combo powers.
Platform: Facebook / XBLA Title
Why it needs to be made: Collect, collect, collect! People love things, people love more things! This game is about collecting things and getting powers. Fun!
Description: This game is all about being the best! The only way to be the best is to get all the badges! Every badge grants you a power. When you level up you get a new slot and a new place to add the badge. Badges grant all kinds of powers. They can be persistent effects like a damaging aura of fire, or they can be things that need to be activated like a double jump.
The player needs to explore the candy colored world to find all the badges! A thin story lays over the collecting dynamic because the whole game is about collecting, optimizing and collecting. Multiplayer levels pit players against one another by making them choose a badge combo and locking that in and running through a course.
Never again will you want to play another collection game. The direct effect of each badge combined with a platforming style game gives the player enough good input that they'll want to collect and use all the badges! The feedback the player gets from using the badges will make him come back for more.
Why it will be fun: COLLECTING!
Final Notes: I'm tired and have jet lag. The game speaks for itself. Its meant to be a look at those super fun collect games.
Platform: Facebook / XBLA Title
Why it needs to be made: Collect, collect, collect! People love things, people love more things! This game is about collecting things and getting powers. Fun!
Description: This game is all about being the best! The only way to be the best is to get all the badges! Every badge grants you a power. When you level up you get a new slot and a new place to add the badge. Badges grant all kinds of powers. They can be persistent effects like a damaging aura of fire, or they can be things that need to be activated like a double jump.
The player needs to explore the candy colored world to find all the badges! A thin story lays over the collecting dynamic because the whole game is about collecting, optimizing and collecting. Multiplayer levels pit players against one another by making them choose a badge combo and locking that in and running through a course.
Never again will you want to play another collection game. The direct effect of each badge combined with a platforming style game gives the player enough good input that they'll want to collect and use all the badges! The feedback the player gets from using the badges will make him come back for more.
Why it will be fun: COLLECTING!
Final Notes: I'm tired and have jet lag. The game speaks for itself. Its meant to be a look at those super fun collect games.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Game Idea #6 : Towers of Babel
High Concept: Try and construct a tower with a friend, against an enemy team, without the use of words.
Platform: Facebook Game
Why it needs to be made: Co-op competitive games are fun. Team vs team. Often times, however, you can easily communicate with each other. This game takes away that ability to communicate, and has the players try and complete more of their tower before the other team.
Description: You and a partner have been put in charge of building a tower that will reach to the Celestial Realms themselves! Of course, the town next door must do the same and so they've begun to erect a tower as well! If that wasn't enough, as you begin to make some real progress, a celestial deity has taken offense to this tower building and has taken away your ability to understand words! How are you going to build the tower now?
There are four players split into two teams of two. The two roles on the team are the Spotter and the Builder. The Spotter communicates to the Builder what to do and the Builder responds by doing it. This could be the Spotter telling the builder to place a box in a location, tie a rope to another rope, pull up a heavy load or tear apart a wall. The partners are randomly matched online so they won't be able to communicate.
The tower is built in square sections and each section has objects randomly generated in it. As sections are completed another square is placed on top and the players move up. The players either play for four minutes or until they finish ten levels of their tower.
At first its easy. A room is generated at the bottom. A rope and wench, boards and hammers, decorations and a concrete like mixture. The Spotter is given an instruction such as: "Lift the supplies to this level". This means the Builder will need to tug on the rope until the supplies are lifted up. The Spotter can choose an action to perform, like a movement, or type a message to the builder. A Builder is unable to perform an action until the Spotter says or does something. After that, the Builder is offered three pictures of actions. One of them is the action that needs to be completed. The builder would click that action and preform it.
As the levels rise, anything the Spotter types becomes garbled. By the fifth level it is completely indecipherable. Now when the Spotter is given a command they need to communicate in a new way. With the above instruction, this may mean moving over to the rope and winch and making a motion that looks like pulling. The Spotter will have a set motions that they can do. After doing a motion the Builder is given the same thing as above, options to choose from. With the increase of the levels more options are added until the end there is five actions.
Why it will be fun: I'm a fan of abusive gameplay as well as a subtle themes. This happens to be a game about communication and how important it is for teamwork and success. It would be fun to have bragging rights to building a tower the fastest with a partner.
Final Notes: This game has a lot to expand on if it is meant for Facebook. Re-playability is major, or figuring out a way to keep making the players play. Its a start.
Platform: Facebook Game
Why it needs to be made: Co-op competitive games are fun. Team vs team. Often times, however, you can easily communicate with each other. This game takes away that ability to communicate, and has the players try and complete more of their tower before the other team.
Description: You and a partner have been put in charge of building a tower that will reach to the Celestial Realms themselves! Of course, the town next door must do the same and so they've begun to erect a tower as well! If that wasn't enough, as you begin to make some real progress, a celestial deity has taken offense to this tower building and has taken away your ability to understand words! How are you going to build the tower now?
There are four players split into two teams of two. The two roles on the team are the Spotter and the Builder. The Spotter communicates to the Builder what to do and the Builder responds by doing it. This could be the Spotter telling the builder to place a box in a location, tie a rope to another rope, pull up a heavy load or tear apart a wall. The partners are randomly matched online so they won't be able to communicate.
The tower is built in square sections and each section has objects randomly generated in it. As sections are completed another square is placed on top and the players move up. The players either play for four minutes or until they finish ten levels of their tower.
At first its easy. A room is generated at the bottom. A rope and wench, boards and hammers, decorations and a concrete like mixture. The Spotter is given an instruction such as: "Lift the supplies to this level". This means the Builder will need to tug on the rope until the supplies are lifted up. The Spotter can choose an action to perform, like a movement, or type a message to the builder. A Builder is unable to perform an action until the Spotter says or does something. After that, the Builder is offered three pictures of actions. One of them is the action that needs to be completed. The builder would click that action and preform it.
As the levels rise, anything the Spotter types becomes garbled. By the fifth level it is completely indecipherable. Now when the Spotter is given a command they need to communicate in a new way. With the above instruction, this may mean moving over to the rope and winch and making a motion that looks like pulling. The Spotter will have a set motions that they can do. After doing a motion the Builder is given the same thing as above, options to choose from. With the increase of the levels more options are added until the end there is five actions.
Why it will be fun: I'm a fan of abusive gameplay as well as a subtle themes. This happens to be a game about communication and how important it is for teamwork and success. It would be fun to have bragging rights to building a tower the fastest with a partner.
Final Notes: This game has a lot to expand on if it is meant for Facebook. Re-playability is major, or figuring out a way to keep making the players play. Its a start.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Writings and Other Creative Work
No, that is not the name of this week's game. It is an aside where I'm going to talk about other creative projects I'm pursuing or wish to pursue.
First is using Twitter as a medium to tell stories. I was bouncing around the idea of trying to write a short story using the popular web service for a while, but after getting one and actually experiencing the limit 140 characters have I almost wanted to give up. Then I had an epiphany. A story told by three different characters in the same world, experiencing the same story over three different time spans. I also wanted to be able to justify only using 140 characters or less to tell the story. The story is chronologically out of synch. Sounds too confusing? Bear with me.
Its a sci-fi horror story about an alien invasion. The three characters are the Decaying Astronaut, the Infected One and the Operator. The Decaying Astronaut is floating out in the black, devoid of ship and hope. His oxygen reserves are running low and he is fairly certain he is going to die. He is trying to preserve what oxygen he has left and thinking is getting more and more difficult for him. He'll be telling the origin of the invasion, when he isn't having flashbacks to happier times in his life. His story is told over the course of the few days he has left to live. The pain and lack of air justify the 140 characters.
The Infected is a man in the woods of Michigan infected by the alien parasite. His story is what is happening on Earth during the now. It is told over a longer time period than the astronaut, as he is going to be experiencing weeks and possible months as the infection's host while the Astronaut only has a few days left. The justification of 140 characters here is his frantic thoughts as he tries to piece together what is going on and the reader is likely to gain insight into the parasite's mind as well.
The Operator is locked down in a secure government facility. He is trying to monitor whatever broadcasts are left after the invasion. He is our eye on the rest of the world. If the Astronaut is the past and The Infected is the now then the Operator takes on a kind of future. His posts are days, weeks, months and years apart, don't worry it'll say when. He is keeping a log. The lack of power in the facility he is in is why he can't use the computer for long and justifies the 140 characters.
Yeesh. I've created the Twitter accounts and I want the story going for a while before I release them. Lets see if I can pull this off.
The second, smaller and easy bit, is that I recently wrote a page for a Horror Anthology comic called Horror Haikus. It needed to be a one page, seventeen bubbled or captioned story. Its a little rough grammatically speaking and there are few typos, but it gets the message across and it will be cleaned up soon. You can read the draft here:HorrorAnth1.2
Alright. That sums this up. I'll be back Sunday with another game. I know you just can't wait.
First is using Twitter as a medium to tell stories. I was bouncing around the idea of trying to write a short story using the popular web service for a while, but after getting one and actually experiencing the limit 140 characters have I almost wanted to give up. Then I had an epiphany. A story told by three different characters in the same world, experiencing the same story over three different time spans. I also wanted to be able to justify only using 140 characters or less to tell the story. The story is chronologically out of synch. Sounds too confusing? Bear with me.
Its a sci-fi horror story about an alien invasion. The three characters are the Decaying Astronaut, the Infected One and the Operator. The Decaying Astronaut is floating out in the black, devoid of ship and hope. His oxygen reserves are running low and he is fairly certain he is going to die. He is trying to preserve what oxygen he has left and thinking is getting more and more difficult for him. He'll be telling the origin of the invasion, when he isn't having flashbacks to happier times in his life. His story is told over the course of the few days he has left to live. The pain and lack of air justify the 140 characters.
The Infected is a man in the woods of Michigan infected by the alien parasite. His story is what is happening on Earth during the now. It is told over a longer time period than the astronaut, as he is going to be experiencing weeks and possible months as the infection's host while the Astronaut only has a few days left. The justification of 140 characters here is his frantic thoughts as he tries to piece together what is going on and the reader is likely to gain insight into the parasite's mind as well.
The Operator is locked down in a secure government facility. He is trying to monitor whatever broadcasts are left after the invasion. He is our eye on the rest of the world. If the Astronaut is the past and The Infected is the now then the Operator takes on a kind of future. His posts are days, weeks, months and years apart, don't worry it'll say when. He is keeping a log. The lack of power in the facility he is in is why he can't use the computer for long and justifies the 140 characters.
Yeesh. I've created the Twitter accounts and I want the story going for a while before I release them. Lets see if I can pull this off.
The second, smaller and easy bit, is that I recently wrote a page for a Horror Anthology comic called Horror Haikus. It needed to be a one page, seventeen bubbled or captioned story. Its a little rough grammatically speaking and there are few typos, but it gets the message across and it will be cleaned up soon. You can read the draft here:HorrorAnth1.2
Alright. That sums this up. I'll be back Sunday with another game. I know you just can't wait.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Game Idea #5 : Crying in the Bathroom Stall
High Concept: This is an angst filled game with angst filled things. You play as a highschooler who has locked yourself in the bathroom stall. Its a puzzle / art game about figuring out what to do, while the player figures out why they are there.
Platform: PC Title, really small Indie Game.
Why it needs to be made: Its an art piece as well as a game. It needs to be made because often small events like these shape who we are, or where we'll go. The hard part will be hitting the sweet spot between making the player's remember moments like these, and giving them a satisfying game without being too contrived.
Description: You've been crying and its your lunch break. Class starts in 45 minutes and you don't want to go. The player has 45 minutes to come to a decision about staying in the bathroom, going to class, going home, or a few other "endings."
You explore the bathroom, your backpack, skin and reflection to figure out what is keeping the character down and what decision you need to come to. The game would play like a mystery game where the player puts clues together and solves problems.
At one point in the game you would have to interact with someone entering the bathroom, or you could hide. The interaction could lead to clues as to why you've been crying and colors the ending choices.
Since I love the weird, this game will have to have an element of the weird as well. I'm thinking it takes place in a Orwellian style dystopia, or one the last survivors of a school torn apart by some awful creature. The idea behind this is to offset some of the utterly reprehensible idea of playing an emo style game. I want to give it a tangy sci-fi flavor while trying to keep a very serious narrative about decisions and being a teen.
Why it will be fun: High School had such high points and low ones. Experience them again! With a twist! Solve the mystery and try not to be moved to tears.
Final Notes: This idea was vaguely inspired by the pen and paper game Misspent Youth.
Platform: PC Title, really small Indie Game.
Why it needs to be made: Its an art piece as well as a game. It needs to be made because often small events like these shape who we are, or where we'll go. The hard part will be hitting the sweet spot between making the player's remember moments like these, and giving them a satisfying game without being too contrived.
Description: You've been crying and its your lunch break. Class starts in 45 minutes and you don't want to go. The player has 45 minutes to come to a decision about staying in the bathroom, going to class, going home, or a few other "endings."
You explore the bathroom, your backpack, skin and reflection to figure out what is keeping the character down and what decision you need to come to. The game would play like a mystery game where the player puts clues together and solves problems.
At one point in the game you would have to interact with someone entering the bathroom, or you could hide. The interaction could lead to clues as to why you've been crying and colors the ending choices.
Since I love the weird, this game will have to have an element of the weird as well. I'm thinking it takes place in a Orwellian style dystopia, or one the last survivors of a school torn apart by some awful creature. The idea behind this is to offset some of the utterly reprehensible idea of playing an emo style game. I want to give it a tangy sci-fi flavor while trying to keep a very serious narrative about decisions and being a teen.
Why it will be fun: High School had such high points and low ones. Experience them again! With a twist! Solve the mystery and try not to be moved to tears.
Final Notes: This idea was vaguely inspired by the pen and paper game Misspent Youth.
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