So you’ve just finished a game… or you’ve shelved it. Either way, it’s time to start work on a new idea. It’s an exciting – and sometimes overwhelming – challenge to decide what project to tackle next. If you’re anything like me, you have lots of ideas floating around, so how do you choose which ones deserves your time and effort? Here are ten questions to help you narrow down your options and find the right game to develop.
Just a few of my prototypes…
1. Which idea excites you the most?
Passion fuels creativity along with your desire to take it forward. If an idea is keeping you up at night, fills your notebook with sketches, or gets you talking non-stop to friends, it might be the one to pursue. Excitement goes a long way.
2. What fits your current resources?
Consider the components, playtesting needs, and production costs of your ideas. A grand strategy game with lots of systems might feel like an epic adventure, but do you have the time, budget, or experience to make it a reality right now? If you’re going to take the self-publishing route, consider what fits your current audience or brand as well. Consider what it will take to complete the game, not just start the game.
3. What aligns with your strengths as a designer?
Some designers are great at designing card games. Others excel at crafting puzzles, adding in storytelling mechanics, or making amazing themes. Lean into your strengths, but consider whether a project can help broaden your horizons or give you a chance to try something new.
4. Which game has a clear hook?
if this idea is a game you want to bring to market, it’s time to make it a great game (not just a ‘good’ game). A unique selling point makes a game stand out. If your idea can be explained in a single, intriguing sentence, it might be more viable than one that requires an elaborate explanation.
5. Does the game lend itself to an amazing theme?
Whether it has one now or you can find one, the theme of the game naturally leads to an art style, and can lead to mechanics that match. What’s trending shouldn’t dictate your design, and some themes are timeless.
6. Does the game have a clear audience?
Who is the game for? This goes beyond ‘a party game’ or a ‘gateway-plus game’. Think about the experience you want to create, where they want to play it, and how you might entice players to give it a try. Don’t worry about selling the game (unless you’ll be self-publishing), just think about how your game might get them excited to try it.
7. What elements of making games are important to you?
There are two important design elements in my games: interesting decisions and player interactions. The better an idea matches those elements, the more likely it’ll rise to the top of my list.
8. What idea is the most fun?
Lots of games are fun – but then, they’re supposed to be. This pairs nicely with #1, but what’s fun for players and what excites you personally can be two very different things.
9. What idea has some momentum?
Whether you already have sketches, mechanics, rules, or even an early prototype, it might be worth continuing rather than starting from scratch. Sometimes an idea has a lot of promise and needs some brainstorming to bring some fresh life to them.
10. Which idea do you keep coming back to?
If a concept keeps resurfacing, inspiring new ideas each time you think about it, that’s a strong sign it deserves your attention.
There’s lots of other questions to ask – both from a creative perspective as well as a professional perspective.
One trap to avoid falling into…
Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s incredibly tempting to compare your progress as a game designer with someone else’s, whether that’s by number of signed games, published games, games you’re working on at a time, how many times you playtest, or a thousand other things.
When I starting taking running seriously, one of the first things I heard from more experienced (and faster) runners) was to never compare myself to another runner. Their standard is not my standard, their abilities and gifts are not my abilities and gifts, and so on. There are people on the Parkrun I will never catch up to, no matter how hard I try. My best comparison is to myself a month ago, six months, a year ago – my pace at a 5k Parkrun, or my performance at a 10k race.
Final thoughts
You are probably blessed (and cursed) with a plethora of ideas. There’s no way to work on all of them at the same time, and there’s definitely no way to complete them all. Narrow your focus on a smaller number of games to give each of them the best chance of being completed, and to get them out for the world to enjoy.
Have begun creating a bunch of smaller games rather than more big ones. Certainly helps them to the finish line as they are faster to make and test and pitch 🙂