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[stevesan]

Just wondering, when you guys are coming up with new game ideas, what are some things that trigger them? Or what are some questions you ask when coming up with new game ideas? I'll start:

- You want something and it doesn't exist (like, X-Com on the iPhone)
- You think combining two genres would be awesome (Asteroids + Rogue-like??)
- You get inspired by nature (a platformer where you play..a squirrel??)
- Incremental improvement on an existing game
- You get inspired by math/science (Braid, Portal)
- You get inspired by other media (scifi novels, fantasy, history)

So what are some other "prompts" that you guys notice tend to inspire you?

[mirosurabu]

I make simulations so I get inspired by the things that I simulate.

[John Sandoval]

japanese anime

[Udderdude]

Neurons misfiring. >_>

[seigiac]

Anything really. Sometimes playing a certain game leaves me wondering if a specific mechanic could be combined with another mechanic. Sometimes a movie, a book or comic makes me experience something I want to turn into a game.

But it could be anything, from staring at a brick wall to playing bowling to watching cartoons.

[iffi]

For me it's mainly other games, especially those that are promising but flawed to me. Sometimes movies as well. Also, The Neverending Hybrid Game Design Game.

[Moczan]

My own version from favourite genre. My dream game is a tactic RPG, because I'm huge fan of the genre and would like to make 'an ultimate tactic RPG'. It all comes down to making the game you would like to play yourself I guess.

[peous]

Be inspired by an existing game, take a subpart, and develop it until it is a game by itself

[Ozoh]

I play with colors. When I find a nice color that I like, I think what could be made from it. (e.g. What does the color symbolize? What does it mean to normal people? Where can you find this color?)

[vinheim3]

I find that I see the weirdest things in dreams. I note them down before I forget, collect a list after a few nights and see how I can combine ideas/objects I've listed. Not sure if lucid dreaming would help, but I'd definitely want to try it and see what else I find

[stevesan]

I play with colors. When I find a nice color that I like, I think what could be made from it. (e.g. What does the color symbolize? What does it mean to normal people? Where can you find this color?)

Very interesting..can you give some examples?

[Claw]

Expanding my knowledge base around programming and simply playing interesting games seem to be the main triggers for me. I think about code a lot. When I'm playing other games I think about how they might have coded certain parts, and how I would have done it myself; thinking about that often makes me go off on and say "hey, if I use some of these methods and push them in this different direction I get an interesting result/new mechanic!"

Sometimes the ideas work, sometimes they don't, but it gives me something to try.

[Ozoh]

I play with colors. When I find a nice color that I like, I think what could be made from it. (e.g. What does the color symbolize? What does it mean to normal people? Where can you find this color?)

Very interesting..can you give some examples?

It's kinda hard to explain. Hmm...
First, I absorb inspiration from various sources. Nature, photography, digital art, other pixel art, youtube videos, etc etc.
Then I open a pixel editing program, and try to remember the things I liked on the sources. I might remember a cool color, a cool color scheme, an awesome color palette or color combinations.

So let's say I remember a nice tone of green.      
Now, where would we see this color? - Almost everywhere. I know.

1. Try to find things and items around you that are almost like the color you found.

I found:
-My bible
-A calendar of year who-knows-what
-Wacom Bamboo-drawing board
-A little jar of vaseline
-Blanket
-My little brother's water gun
-A couple of green marker pens.

2. Now, what does this color symbolize?

-Happiness, maybe.
-Jealousy
-Life, nature
-Youth
-Balance
-Self-respect
-Green energy
-Green tea

3. Which counties have green in their flags? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_colors_of_national_flags) as source

For example: Bolivia, Mali, Lithuania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ireland, Idia, Jamaica, Macau

Now you can  take a look at the cultures of these countries, or just see what comes in mind when you think about one of these. This is also good when trying to find a nice landscape/world.

4. Of course, you can always think about games. What comes to mind when you think about green?

-Wizards
-Lizards
-Dinosaurs
-Earth magic
-Slimes!
-Fantasy games
-Creeper
-Tall grass
-Goblins
-Neon lights
-Almost every single game with soldiers

5. You can now pick up things you were interested the most and then combine your results, and see if you get anything that inspires you.

-My little brother's water gun
-Life, nature
-Green energy
-Green tea -> Asia

>>> Located in a fictional Asian country, people (or maybe panda bears, that would be cool? ) fight against an international company that tries to destroy their green and peaceful home (Generic enemy, complete opposite).....aaand I think I'll let you do the rest.


TL;DR I have no idea if this was helpful at all. I'm not very good at explaining my own methods and stuff. Plus, I've never actually released a game and I'm always out of good ideas.

[C.A. Sinner]

sex drugs and rocknroll

[stevesan]

Hmm no this was quite interesting. I never thought about following a single stimulus, like a color, all the way through everything to find inspiration. I can already imagine a game about Nigerian Wizard Lizards with a very well thought-out green color palette

I think I'm much more of a musically minded person, so perhaps I can do the same with a sound. Like, a drop of water sound...interesting...thanks for sharing!

I play with colors. When I find a nice color that I like, I think what could be made from it. (e.g. What does the color symbolize? What does it mean to normal people? Where can you find this color?)

Very interesting..can you give some examples?

It's kinda hard to explain. Hmm...
First, I absorb inspiration from various sources. Nature, photography, digital art, other pixel art, youtube videos, etc etc.
Then I open a pixel editing program, and try to remember the things I liked on the sources. I might remember a cool color, a cool color scheme, an awesome color palette or color combinations.

So let's say I remember a nice tone of green.      
Now, where would we see this color? - Almost everywhere. I know.

1. Try to find things and items around you that are almost like the color you found.

I found:
-My bible
-A calendar of year who-knows-what
-Wacom Bamboo-drawing board
-A little jar of vaseline
-Blanket
-My little brother's water gun
-A couple of green marker pens.

2. Now, what does this color symbolize?

-Happiness, maybe.
-Jealousy
-Life, nature
-Youth
-Balance
-Self-respect
-Green energy
-Green tea

3. Which counties have green in their flags? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_colors_of_national_flags) as source

For example: Bolivia, Mali, Lithuania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ireland, Idia, Jamaica, Macau

Now you can  take a look at the cultures of these countries, or just see what comes in mind when you think about one of these. This is also good when trying to find a nice landscape/world.

4. Of course, you can always think about games. What comes to mind when you think about green?

-Wizards
-Lizards
-Dinosaurs
-Earth magic
-Slimes!
-Fantasy games
-Creeper
-Tall grass
-Goblins
-Neon lights
-Almost every single game with soldiers

5. You can now pick up things you were interested the most and then combine your results, and see if you get anything that inspires you.

-My little brother's water gun
-Life, nature
-Green energy
-Green tea -> Asia

>>> Located in a fictional Asian country, people (or maybe panda bears, that would be cool? ) fight against an international company that tries to destroy their green and peaceful home (Generic enemy, complete opposite).....aaand I think I'll let you do the rest.


TL;DR I have no idea if this was helpful at all. I'm not very good at explaining my own methods and stuff. Plus, I've never actually released a game and I'm always out of good ideas.