Starting a New Design

Ideas

I'm constantly inspired by things I see in other games. I think "This is great, but I could do this better." Sometimes I just want to take one piece of a game, and make a whole game about it.

If you're short on ideas, just play some games.

I also have a document, where I write down any ideas I have, for new games.

Conception

When I begin work, I open up a blank document. I just start writing my thoughts, as though it's a letter to someone else.

My adventure game initial thoughts document begins with:

I want to create a game where you go adventuring, and travel across a land. I want to evoke feelings of exploration, item discovery, survival, fear, and empowerment.

I talk about various big picture things for a few paragraphs. After a few lines, I start digging into how the game should function.

Get around movement lack of access by giving the player "go home" and other potential long-distance travel cards, plus lots of short ones. Maybe just a hand of 4x1space, 2x5, 1xanywhere.

By the end of the document, I'm laying down data and the turn structure, and it's time to go off and actually create the game pieces.

Ask the fundamental questions

This is the point at which you make the fundamental decisions about what the game is. This can't really be changed, as I'll explain later in the site.