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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperDesignRequest: Great examples of very small games
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sonder
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« on: February 23, 2016, 06:45:59 PM »

I need an idea for a game to make with a new engine I'm building and it should be really really simple but I seem to be unable to come up with simple game ideas. 

I was wondering if people could point me in the direction of good games that are stupidly simple and yet a lot of fun.  Not too many screens, not too much game logic but just enough to be just a bit of a tasty programming challenge, and maybe a touch of story.

Just want to see what equivalents of "short film" or "short story" in the indie (and non-indie) pantheon of games people consider good and ripe with inspiration. 

Or maybe just ideas of places or things I can check out to get ideas.  All my ideas are grand.  I don't want to do just a level from one of my big ideas, I want to do something from start to finish and put it out there.
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The Translocator
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« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2016, 07:07:24 PM »

If you want *really* simple, you could try looking at single-screen arcade games, like Pac Man, Galaga, Tetris, a simplified version of Breakout, Snake, or even Clu Clu Land.

The key to making a simple game isn't necessarily simple gameplay, it's more about the depth of the systems you do have: for example, in Pac Man, they could have given pacman a gun. Instead, they unified the ability to fight the ghosts with the idea of eating pellets by making Power Pellets, which then let you eat the ghosts. When going for simplicity, the more goals of a game's design one object or system can accomplish, the better.
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diegzumillo
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« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2016, 12:46:14 AM »

eyemaze.com has some pretty cool little games. One of those underrated developers in my opinion. I particularly like Tontie.

I'm not saying to go copy his stuff, but you can get inspired with his minimalist designs Smiley
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oahda
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« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2016, 03:34:04 AM »

My personal tradition is to make Breakout in new engines/languages, because it has so many of the necessary elements of a game: loop, collisions, spawning, HUD, keeping track of data and states, multiple levels and so on...
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TitoOliveira
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« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2016, 10:52:45 PM »

This http://www.ferryhalim.com/
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JindrichP
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« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2016, 01:32:50 PM »

I like Ernesto RPG - small, yet with fun gameplay.
May be variation of "Eufloria´s" genre?
Today I die - but there is probably too much graphics and too much story.
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Supeconsuma
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« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2016, 12:29:43 AM »

If you have a 3ds, take a look at the GG series (Genterprise / SUZAK). All the ones I played are very well put together and feel like finished little games, here are some reviews:
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/dsiware/gg_series_wonderland
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/dsiware/gg_series_score_attacker
(I also have their Dark Spirit Shooter, which is very good)
All of these are textbook examples of "excellent budget game" term: they're short, well done, interesting and (most importantly to me) control really well and are fun to play (with lots of depth if you try to get a good score!) + the prices are more than reasonable!

These I haven't played but they sound interesting:
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/dsiware/gg_series_great_whip_adventure
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/dsiware/gg_series_drilling_attack
http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/dsiware/gg_series_assault_buster

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arzi42
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« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2016, 11:24:20 PM »

I've often used this when I need to quickly come up with a simple game: http://inventwithpython.com/blog/2012/02/20/i-need-practice-programming-49-ideas-for-game-clones-to-code/
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GaNaDa
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« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2016, 02:31:37 AM »

http://www.redrogue.net/
  Red Rogue! It's a platoformer roguelike that adds twist to both the platforming, there is no jumping, and roguelike, it's real-time. As an avid roguelike player that has played games like ADOM, Slash'em, Nethack and TOME, unlike many other roguelike wannabe games that just tack on random generation and permanent death, this game, despite stripping down many of roguelike system  such as item-tree to the basic, it still retains that feel of the great roguelike! From what I can gather from analysis, I think it's the tactical combat system? Wizard
  Playable in browser, worth every second  Grin
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mleta20
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« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2016, 03:44:47 PM »

Ketchapp is a great company that publishes/makes VERY simple yet VERY addictive games. Definitely check them out on the iOS and maybe Android app store!
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Zaeche
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« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2016, 10:10:07 AM »

I've often used this when I need to quickly come up with a simple game: http://inventwithpython.com/blog/2012/02/20/i-need-practice-programming-49-ideas-for-game-clones-to-code/

I like this! Definitely going to be using this in some capacity, so thanks!

Quote from: kidfingers

... it should be really really simple but I seem to be unable to come up with simple game ideas.


One approach would be to pick a core mechanic and consider it in a vacuum. As to what a core mechanic could be, I like to define it as the game's bedrock; the smallest, most basic unit of the mechanical system(s): say, movement or jumping in Mario games are each a core mechanic.

Let's say we picked jumping: I think 'Downwell' does an excellent job of taking that mechanic and working with all of it's various states--before the jump, during the jump, after the jump. I've actually tried playing the game with just the jump button to jump/shoot (with minimal to zero lateral movement). And you know, it works rather nicely. Although the overall system isn't complete without lateral movement, the jump mechanic on its own feels complete.

There's a kind of simple elegance one can get from considering a single mechanic, then wringing it out dry.
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