Category: game design

Lunar Shuriken at Slavic Game Jam 2018

Slavic Game Jam 2018, Warsaw, Poland

This is an edited coverage of Slavic Game Jam 2018, Warsaw, Poland, 20-22.07

Lunar Shuriken at Slavic Game Jam 2018

20.07 Friday

11:20 Game Jam begins! Check-in and the registration. Each participant’s got a shirt button in a color designating an order at meals. Also a map with an event schedule, an ID card, and some swags.
 
12:00 Found a nice, spacy room for work. This is where I’m going to spend most of the weekend.
 
12:30 Keynote presentation starts. Elie Abraham giving a speech about how he has got into game jamming.
 

13:30 The theme for a game jam is about to be announced.

SGJ18 keynote board
 
And the theme is…

COMPETITION

14:00 Lunch’s being served. I’ve had a nice hamburger. There’s also a small kitchen on the site, supplied with apple juice and assorted fresh fruit. Nobody’s at risk of working on an empty stomach (as long as they don’t forget to eat/drink!).
 
Hyde Park is an event where you can talk about any topic or propose any game related activity.
 
15:30 First presentation at Hyde Park:
Adam Bryla. „Procedural Magic”.
A procedural approach to making content. The discussed example was the functionality of Houdini Apprentice application. It allows you to prepare multiple meshes for 3D object procedurally.
 
16:00 Another presentation at Hyde Park:
Luke Spierewka. „Unity toolbox: SGJ edition”. Tips & tricks for maintaining your sanity in check.
Some useful tips on how to write a clear, simpler code in Unity. A presenter discussed the application of functions like AddListener and State Machines. There were also some games presented, both published and pre-released. The games showcased the practical use of different approaches to the programming.
 
16:30 The third presentation at Hyde Park:
Damian „Threef” Komorowski. „Seed based challenges”.
How to have some game elements random and keep the game fair to all the players participating in a multiplayer session. The usage of procedural generation seeds was discussed. Examples of games that create  semi-random challenges for players on a daily basis.
 
18:00 Hyde Park presentation.
Elie, Dalton at SGJ18
Elie Abraham & Dalton: „How to win a game jam!!!”
The talk is actually about how to get the most from a game jam outside of actually winning it (especially if the jam is competition-free!). Elie is a living example of how the game jamming can change one’s life. Elie travels the world, participating in game jams. From kindergarten care to stand-up comedian, to voice actor, to game music creator – he’s a true icon of an accomplished game jammer. And a great person!
 
Game jams not have to be limited to being an opportunity to practice your skills in the game industry. This should also be an opportunity to share a best social experience with a community of gamers.
 
Game jams give anyone a chance to find a friend for a life as it seems. And that’s how you  win EVERY game jam!
 
20:30 Dinner. Hot nuddles with a meat sauce.
 
21:00 Serious game designing begins!

21.07 Saturday

After almost a whole night of designing, the game is 50% completed. I’ve had some rest, napping on a huuuge bag.
 
10:00 A hearty breakfast.
 
Jamming goes on. There are more presentations and fun activities going on at Hyde Park. People are playing all sorts of games, listening to the music, chilling out, flying drones. Generally, socializing and having fun. And making games, of course!
 
I’ve decided to work hard on my game today. After all, I work alone and first time using a new engine.
 
Did I just hear someone strumming on a ukulele? Never mind: an ice-cream is being served! There are all sorts of snacks available: fruits, toasts with salami and cheese, soda water, tea, and coffee. Because one cannot stay alive on a determination alone!
Fruits at SGJ18
 
The logic of my game seems to be working fine. I need to implement all the assets I’ve prepared (the pictures from my smartphone) and test everything. No big deal. ETA: 18 hours, haha!
 
15:00 BBQ for a lunch! Polish sausages, cut meats, salads and full meals for vegetarians and vegans. Spend some nice time talking with people at the table.
 
While the majority of jammers are Polish, no surprise here, we have guests from all over Europe it seems. To mention: Finnish, Danish, German, and quite a number of representatives of different Slavic countries. 🙂
 
Back to work. I don’t feel very tired. The joy of making a fun game, and without the pressure of competition keeps me going. And the game should be playable before dinner.
 
I have the music for my game ready! Brilliant Liz Katrin has generously agreed to lend her amazing musical skills. And here’s the result: E.Y.E. – an official soundtrack for my game titled COMPetition.

Working… Working… And working…

 

19:30 Good news everyone! I’ve made it! Finally, the game is fully playable (two different endings), the winning conditions are reachable. Also, no game-breaking bugs that I can find. Generally, the game is not completed yet, needs lots of polishing but this is quite a milestone! And I’ve reached it right before the dinner!
 
20:00 Dinner time. A classic: Polish pierogi with meat or spinach. Yummy!
 
After the dinner, the said game polishing commences.
 
Other jammers have decided to do karaoke in the evening! Fun and games all around.

22.07 Sunday

Just after midnight, I submitted my final version of the game COMPetition to Slavic Game Jam 2018 collection See all entries here.
COMPetition game screenshot

Screenshot from COMPetition game

 
At the moment there are 48 game developing teams (from solo devs like me to groups of 5+ people). Teams submitted with 36 game projects added to the collection. This consists of more or less final versions of games, ready to play.
 
I’ve had some good sleep on the baggy pillow down at the spacious reception hall and refreshed myself. Now I’m writing this and waiting for the breakfast. Since midnight my game had gained some views so that’s a good sign. Good morning everyone! 🙂
 
9:00 Pancakes for breakfast.
 
Doing some more testing of COMPetition. Also preparing the game for a round of presentation that will happen later today.
 
13:00 The work is over! Time for the closing ceremony of Slavic Game Jam 2018. Then the games will be presented by their developers.
 
13:30 The closing ceremony, thank you for the sponsors, organizers, and all jammers. Short video compilation of some of the games made during this jam was presented.
 
Group photo of all participants taken outside the venue.
 
14:00 Lunch and ice-cream.
 
15:00 The presentations start.
 
Lots of gamers tested my game, going full way to one of the endings. Wow! I’m humbled by such kind reception. A success. :)))
 
18:00 THE END of Slavic Game Jam 2018. Thank you all for reading!
 
Home… Sleep… Happy…
 
GREGG

10 easy ways to find an idea for your game

A guide to inspiration for game developers

In this post, I will give you some ideas on how to find… well… an idea for a game.

They say finding an idea is the easiest part of making any game. There are so many idea-people but only a few ever deliver an actual game. Yet without an idea, there could be no game. Your game may be lacking sounds, music, a plot, a proper user interface, sometimes even graphics (take MUDs) but never an idea…

What’s more, you can have the best visual and audio assets for your game, great object models and stunning characters. But if the idea for your game sucks – your whole product will be a crap.

Conversely, a great idea may be enough to guarantee the success of your game, even if the visuals are not top-notch.

Don’t believe me? Remember your favorite game from 8-bit, 16-bit era. If you’re not old enough to remember those happy times, I’m sure you’re aware the “retro gaming” is all hype right now.

Now ask yourself – what is the greatest element of those games?

Graphics? That surely hasn’t aged well. Compare any 80s game visuals to today’s standards. Even most simple nowadays indie games *look* better. Same goes for music, sound effects and so on.

Pac-Man screenshot

Pac-Man

A plot or a story? Yes, those can withstand the passage of time, just like the good books. But what IS the plot if not a well-developed idea? And looking back, there were so many great games that had no real story whatsoever. There was only a pure gameplay based on a fresh idea.

 

The old game hits were (and are) great. Why? Because of a great idea at their core.

And the same goes for many of today’s successful games. Flappy Bird, Minecraft, Fruit Ninja, Dwarf Fortress. It’s a brilliant idea that has made those games hits.

Everything starts with an idea. This holds true for this blog post too.

An idea is not everything but without an idea, there is nothing (as far as the game’s concerned)

OK, so now that we know what is probably the most important thing about making any game, how do we find a great idea? And how could we make it into the proper game?

In this post, I’m going to show you some ways of looking for an inspiration. This may come especially useful if you happen to experience a creative block or have to conceive something on a spot. (As it happens at most game jams).

You may use those methods in any order you like, one of them, some of them or all of them if need be. There’s no wrong way of using this list, as long as it helps you find an inspiration for your next game.

What follows is actually…

A list of ideas for looking for ideas

 

  1. Start from a single detail, an object, then explore it and develop it.

Look around. Find a first detail that catches your interest. This could be an inanimate object but just as well an animal or even a person.

Now fix on this detail and try to build your idea for a game around it. Don’t get discouraged if your initial idea seems stupid or too crazy. Actually the more unusual the idea, the better chance you have for hitting a new note in your game.

For now, simply explore the idea centered around this detail, get into the flow.

Start noting down every connotation, every association to this detail, however loose they may be. Utilize this sort of “domino” effect, when turning in your mind one detail brings up, in turn, another detail, another idea and so on.

Just don’t try too hard to make this detail into an actual game yet. Don’t bother about building suitable mechanics around it. There will be time for that. For now, set on rolling down the first rock that hopefully will start a real avalanche of ideas.

What do you see in your vicinity? Find any object that catches your eye. Can you make this object or this person the main theme of your game?

Say, you see a cup of coffee standing on your desk. A cup doesn’t sound like an exciting protagonist for a game, right? Think again…

Cuphead

Cuphead

 

 

  1. Build your game around a specific mood.

Find a mood, any mood, that resonates strongly with you. Be it a joy, be it a sorrow, a fear or a longing for something. The list could go on forever. Just find a mood you deeply understand and could identify with.

Now note any associations with this particular mood that comes to your mind. Is that a person, a place, a season perhaps? Most likely an event of some kind or a series of events. In that case try to boil it down to one strongest, prevailing, common element of those events.

Again, this could be a behavior or a specific person (your relative, someone you’ve lost, your worst enemy?).

Write down some adjectives related to this mood. Pair those adjectives with other objects or characters.

Look at your list of the associations. Can you see any element that stands out? Explore this element. Do you think you can make a game around it? Read the method #1 above if your focus is an object or a person.

Darkwood screenshot

Darkwood

Merge the initial mood with the focus object. Example: you’ve thought “darkness” (or, more specifically, a “fear of darkness”). Then you’ve associated it with a “flashlight”. A game in which you use a flashlight to fight the darkness. Instant horror game idea!

  1. Choose a color and explore its associations.

This may sound tricky at first. How could you possibly make a game around a color?

This is actually a first step to finding your idea for a game. Just like the object, a person or a mood could make a theme for your game, a color is just a detail that may spark your imagination.

Make associations with a chosen color. What kind of mood, what feelings would you relate to this color?

Red is anger. Red is flames. Blue? Blue is the sky. You can fly into the sky. Blue sky equals a calm sky, so how about a game in which you fly (as a bird perhaps?) through the blue sky, fighting red, fiery and definitely angry phoenixes? (And if you did think Angry Birds, that’s OK too. That only shows your capability to make loose associations on the *fly*. Pun intended.)

Mirror's Edge screenshotSmart use of colors can also be a focus of your game mechanics. Like in Mirror’s Edge, where red shows your trail across the mostly monochromatic world. Or take any RPG game where green liquid usually suggests a poison. Use those (color) schemes or break them deliberately.

  1. Find a setting and make it into your game.

This is just a step above exploring a single detail. Take a whole group of related objects, characters, and details, then start developing from it a general idea for a game.

Where to begin? Be observant. Look for anything vibrant, distinctive, appealing or repulsive enough to trigger your creative flow.

Find a picture, a drawing, a scene. Distill the important details of it. Make further associations, maybe cull some dispensable elements from it.

Re-create, twist or deform the scene to make it a unique setting for your game.

Gamedevs presenation of Cyberpunk 2077 gameSee, I’ve found this single image among many @CyberpunkGame tweets extremely inspiring. What you see is a group of people (those are some gods of gamedev actually!) talking in front of a neon-colored bar. And guess what has sparked my imagination?

Not the people but the background bar with all its neon, cyberpunk-ish glory!

I have an idea for a game about a cyberpunk bar owner, who sells drinks, this or that illegal stuff, perhaps deals in questionable data or whatever. You run the bar, build it and expand it, buy upgrades for the cybernetic bartender, add more goods to the stock and uncover the sinister plot.

All inspired by a background of a single tweeted picture.

  1. Add (or subtract) something to (from) your initial setting.

Choose any standard, typical game setting. Or, better yet, take a theme from the real world. Then manipulate it, alter it by adding something unexpected to it. Or remove one characteristic element from it.

Take your generic, fantasy setting. You have spells, magical swords, dragons, and monsters. Some fantasy races, like elves or dwarfs, perhaps. Now, remove the magic from it. Spare the elves, trolls, and dragons. Suppose those are just freaks of nature in this world not the result of some magical evolution.

Now add something to fill the void left after removing the magic. Something like a steam power. There are no magical swords in the game but instead, you wield steam-powered rapiers.

Another example – our world, modern times. Everything exists exactly as we know it. Except for one thing… The supernatural is real. There are werewolves and demons and elder gods existing secretly around us.

Secret World Legends screenshot

Secret World Legends

So what we did here, we’ve added a basic element from one setting (supernatural) to another setting (our mundane world). Presto, a game idea!

 And how about an alternative version of our world in which a combustion engine has never been invented? No cars, no diesel trains, no jets. Horse-drawn carriages, wood-burning stoves, and blimps in XXI century, anyone?

  1. Switch the elements of your ideas one with another.

Remember the idea for a cyberpunk bar from method #4? Suppose you like your main idea for a game about running a bar but you also feel that all those cyberpunky themes sound a bit overused recently. On the other hand, it’s been some time since we’ve had any decent space opera setting used in a game.

And who doesn’t love Star Wars?!

Switch the settings then. Go along with the bar but set it in an Episode VI Mos Eisley cantina-like scenery. Your barman is a droid and your space bar caters to the needs of a diversified alien clientele.

Don’t be afraid to take any or all elements of your initial idea and replace them with different ones. Use dinosaurs in place of tanks. Change trees into giant mushrooms. Substitute modern politicians with a cabal of tie-clad psionic warlocks.

Generally, don’t stick too hard with any element of your game idea until you’ve finally decided to go along with it. Change anything and continue searching for things that really nicely fit together and make your game idea tick.

  1. Enhance or reduce a chosen element of your initial idea. Play with a scale.

Let’s say, you’ve chosen a setting for your game. Manipulate the elements of this setting in a way similar to the method #5 described above.

But instead of adding or subtracting, multiply or downsize a given element.

You’ve decided on a steampunk setting. Cool. You probably have some steam-powered contraptions, perhaps mechanical computers. Maybe strange concoctions prepared by deranged scientists. Now go all the way up with it! Extend those elements to the fullest. Scale it up.

Imagine a clockwork planet controlled by a large (mechanical!) supercomputer. People fly space steamships fueled by alchemical mixtures. Build a steampunk game on a galactic scale!

Or… Take it all the way down. Reduce the chosen element. Make it existent but microscopic in scale.

And I mean literally microscopic! Make your hero tiny and explore the inside of a living organism cell. Or play with aliens size of mice, trying to invade and conquer our world.

Man breathing from can

Spaceballs (c) MGM 1987

Make something superabundant or scarce. Take, for example, a post-apocalyptic world in which the clean, breathing air is a most sought for, luxurious commodity. Or a world where EVERYTHING is made from cheese. Cheese people living in cheese cities on a cheese moon.

  1. Manipulate the time

Another take on manipulating the elements that form the idea for a game. This time we manipulate… the time itself.

I’m sure you guess the title of a game where “time moves only when you move”? Yes, that’s Superhot. Brilliant idea with rather minimalistic visuals. (Some clever use of colors!)

Superhot screenshot

So play with time, stop it, make it run faster or slower, rewind it. Make your hero journey through time, visit same places in different historical periods. Or give the player a direct control over the flow of time.

Since The Time Machine, an idea of time travel has been exploited extendedly so try to find something fresh. Combine idea elements devised using the above methods, think about how you can relate them with a control of the time.

Use time control as the main mechanics in your game.

In Arkanoid, there were power-ups that slowed (or accelerated) the ball. TimeShift or Quantum Break is all about manipulating the time. Find something new. Associate your means of time manipulation with something unheard of.

Make a samurai sword your time machine.

Ah well, that one’s been already used in Daikatana… So find another object or a character or a place and make it your unique time controlling device.

  1. A ‘mirror method’.

This is a rather funny way of taking an already used game idea and placing it in front of a mirror, so to speak.

Switch the roles of a protagonist of the game with their enemies. Turn the whole idea around, then make it playable (and fun!).

The enemy becomes a hero, a hero becomes an enemy.

Like in Dungeon Keeper when you are the evil boss controlling the monsters dwelling in trap-filled dungeons. And the enemies are your typical fantasy heroes. Muahahaha!

Take this “mirroring” to a more abstract level. Instead of being a player character who shoots a bullet, BE THE BULLET. Control your target, not the shooter. Control the road the car drives on, not the car itself. Think out of a box.

There are already many games utilizing this method: reverse tower-defense subgenre, the games where you play the bad guy and so on.

Make a game where you play the fish trying to avoid the fisherman’s hook. Or a game about ghosts trying to scare off the new living residents of a haunted (by you!) mansion.

Beetlejuice. Ghost and a scarred man

Beetlejuice (c) WB 1988

  1. Play with children.

Observe children at play. I mean, children just playing around, not only playing video games. Children provide an inexhaustible source of ideas for games.

To children devising new ideas for having fun comes naturally.

And kids have no problem at all with changing any or all the elements of they play, imagining new gameplay “rules” on the spot. Their imagination has no limits but at the same time, kids are rather merciless judges when it comes to testing a *game* being played.

If they like the idea of a game, they play it. If not, so long… No looking back.

So learn to draw ideas from children plays, notice what toys they like most. Make those toys into objects or characters in your game, explore and develop the scenes and situations the kids imagine up.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you would end up making a game for kids. Just find an inspiration, look for a core fun element of children plays and then twist it, manipulate, mirror and transform to your heart’s desire.

Make a horror game based on fairy tales or make a game of “playing the house”. Where house and its residents are made of cheese. And they are able to reverse the flow of time…

  1. (Bonus idea) Take an inspiration for your game visuals from art.

Art could be an amazing source of inspiration for your game. So go visit your local art gallery, read some art albums, search the Web. Drawings, photographs, sculptures, installations, movies, architecture, comic books or even music. Anything may inspire you.

Because a main purpose of art is to inspire…

Less often mentioned sources of visual inspiration are custom, handmade postcards, graffiti and… cover art for records. Honestly, take ANY prog rock album cover from the 80s and I guarantee it will blow your mind. An instant avalanche of ideas for games.

HAVE A GOOD IDEA!


Please comment below if you find any of those methods useful. Feel free to share your ideas for games (if you’re not afraid someone would snatch it from you, of course!) 😉  And please add to the list your creative ways of finding an inspiration. Say what works best for you.

And don’t forget to research your idea to make sure nobody has already used it in their game.

Thank you and good luck to all beautiful idea-people out there!

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