[originality]

Echoing some other thoughts already stated, but originality is the utmost to me. Classic game design is classic for a reason (usually), and I can appreciate honing craft, but that usually only goes so far.

Take Super Mario Odyssey for example. N preserved many mechanical and aesthetic 3D Mario elements, but designed a new way of perceiving levels and power-ups. See an enemy? Possess it and experience the level through this new set of rules. Try some stuff with it, play around, and oh what's that another new enemy. That is different (for Mario at least). It's captivating.

Especially with indie games (which I love and support and am so grateful for) I think developers try too often to remake older games or simply base their design on combining elements from popular genres (hence the whole "Dark Souls of X" trend/meme). It can work. Shovel Knight made it work by taking a highly established form and making a game that can stand among its forebears. But no matter what I want a game that makes me stop to think about what it would be like to play it, not something that looks like a game I know too well. I always want surprises, too, but don't often get them. Today's sequelitis really gets me down, because it often generates the exact opposite design philosophy.