Game Brainstorm
I got my first game idea after looking at endless runner games such as "Temple Run", "Subway Surfers", "Sonic Dash" and "Super Mario Run". I noticed a lot of these games in this genre are on Android and iOS devices. This got me thinking about creating a similar game for PC. The first of these games to become popular was "Temple Run" back in 2011. This game made the genre popular on mobile devices which later inspired the other endless runner games I mentioned. Endless running games have very simple controls, such as jumping over and dodging oncoming obstacles. A player's score is generally determined by how far they travel without hitting any obstacles. The games have simplistic controls but are difficult because you cannot stop the forward momentum of your character. Although these games have different art styles the gameplay is the same.
I think this would be a good type of game to make because the gameplay and controls are usually simplistic. I'm interested in these types of games as I think they are addictive. When playing games in this genre, I find myself wanting to beat my last top score. I have a lot of previous knowledge with endless running games as they are usually my go-to games when I play on my phone. I'd like to learn how to make a game that is "endless" as I think it really improves a games replay value. I could tackle this problem by looking at tutorials and other peoples work online. I think looking at other peoples games could be a useful way of finding new game aspects. I could then alter them and implement these aspects into my own game. I don't like that these games only give you one life per run, this forces you to begin the level all again after only one mistake.
The second idea I came up with was for a game that requires you to collect gems. I think it would be cool if a timer ticked down as you rush around the map collecting the gems. Players could challenge each other to see who can collect the most gems before time runs out. My inspiration for this idea came from thinking about different games I played as a child. I thought of a 3D platform game called "Spyro". You play as a dragon character that collects gems and defeats enemies. Many of the missions ask you to collect a certain amount of gems before progressing onto the next level. To put my own twist on this idea, I thought the player could collect gems against a timer rather than having to fight enemies. I could vary the value and colour of each gem. The term 3D platformer describes games where jumping on different platforms is the main part of the gameplay. This genre first became popular in the mid-1990s with games such as "Super Mario Sunshine".I'm interested in this type of game because I played many similar ones as a child. A lot of these were 3D platformers which had some sort of collecting system like "Spyro". I also have a lot of experience with this game genre because I mainly play 3D platformers in my spare time. I don't like that most platforming games are in third person perspective, it would be a nice change to see more games like this first person perspective.
My third game idea is a jumping platform game. I was inspired by the game "Doodle Jump". These types of games are very popular on mobile devices such as phones and tablets. This game has a similar concept to my first idea except for this time players constantly jump upwards for as long as they can without hitting any objects or falling off the map. The idea is to get as high as possible for a better score. I really enjoy these types of games as they leave a person wanting to beat their top score, which adds a competitive nature to the game. I want to make a game like this where the number of platforms is reduced the higher you get so it becomes more challenging. Another cool feature the game could have is a changing background as you gain altitude. A nice twist to this game would be to have falling objects and enemies that interrupt your path to the top rather than having a static object in the way. I think if I added collectible items like diamonds or fruit pieces, players could save up these collectibles to spend on other in-game items. You could spend these collectibles to possibly further unlock new characters or levels. In this game, I think one life per round would work better than for the first game idea. Checkpoints could be set up so when you die, you end up back at the last one you passed. If I create a similar game to "Doodle Jump" I want it to feature a unique looking character with a quirky art style.
The "Call Of Duty" franchise was the inspiration for my final game idea, I found their "Zombie Mode" particularly interesting. In this first-person shooter game, you have to fight off endless amounts of zombies in waves. Each wave increases in difficulty as more and more zombies are added after every round. I'm interested in this game because their "Zombies Mode" helped increase their sales dramatically and because I've played all these games myself. I think it would be a good idea to make a similar game as the demand for this type of mode seems to be very popular. Another game I researched had a similar concept was "Left 4 Dead 2". This game has different levels where waves of zombies constantly attack the player. You have to play through the level to finish unlike the "Zombie Mode" where there is no end. I noticed that "Call Of Duty" and "Left 4 Dead 2" had multiple different types of zombies. My game could have a variation of enemies too. These games both look kind of realistic, I think having a more cartoon art style would be an interesting change. Monsters could have wacky looking faces and bodies to make the game have less of a serious feel. I'd like if the playable character used a gun to protect himself from the oncoming waves. Guns could be scattered around the map and picked up off the ground if needed. The controls for this game are more complicated than the previous games I mentioned as you will have to aim, shoot, move, and reload. The game ends when the player dies and the round number is recorded. If I create this game I want it to be played in a first-person perspective for a more immersive feeling.
Resource Links For Each Game
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Thinking Man
( Image from https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=37788&picture=thinking-man)
I love the game ideas Con(n)or! I can't wait to hear more about your project idea's in the future! I feel like I should write more just so I can reach the 60 word limit and I think this is working out well. BTW, when you google image search your photo of "thinking man" the result of http://ilikr.net/15-of-the-most-brutal-comebacks-people-have-ever-heard-by-collegehumor.com-100690.html appears... Are you trying to tell me something?
ReplyDeleteHey Conor, I loved your game ideas they are very interesting to read. I liked the mix of different genres and I think that your examples were very good. I can't wait to read more about what you choose as the one you want to do. I'm really excited to see what you come up with, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Conor! I liked reading your ideas, one example I especially liked was your 3D platformer. I think adding a timer to try and see how many gems you can collect in the time instead of fighting enemies to get to them is a really cool idea and I don't think I've played any game with this kind of concept. Do you think having it in a first person perspective compared to a third person one will have a big impact on the game play or do you just want to do it to create a different feel to it? One suggestion I would have is to look into adding two modes one where you can free roam and explore and one where you have to race against the timer. Overall I think this is a really cool idea and similar to my idea, I'm interested to see how it turns out. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteHI Conor,
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea for the endless runner game most of all, it is a very basic game but it is packed full of fun. I also find myself also wanting to beat my high score over and over again. I also think it is a great idea to include the gems and multi lives into your game play. I cant wait to see how your game turns out. I look forward to seeing the final product of whatever game you choose and can not wait to give it a try.
Good luck!