Ideation of games for the common man

All games, regardless of medium or success, spring from the abstract construction of thought that we fondly know as the "idea." After all, it all has to start somewhere, whether it's on the proverbial drawing board, along the margins of your thesis paper, in your sister's journal, or even on the back of a paper towel.

It goes without saying that simply having an idea is practically useless (this applies to most, if not all industries). These days, you 12betthailand up the street and you likely have a couple toss-worthy game ideas up your sleeve - ideas that will probably never see the light of day. Simply put, game ideas abound. On the other hand, game ideas that are acted upon and further developed, however, do not appear as often.

Indeed, it takes a good deal of dedication and perseverance to make your own ideas come true. That, however, is a topic for another time. For now, let's shift our focus to the actual birth of a game idea.

And no, there is not going to be any 'thinking outside the box' happening here. I mean, who has the floor on what or where is the box? What really makes up the box and why do we think about it to begin with?

I come to you now as a game enthusiast and aspiring designer to share a number of tips and 'soft techniques' that I have personally found helpful while in the process of creating and brainstorming, for games or otherwise.

- - - - - - - - - -

That's not a game idea

Before delving into the subject, let's clarify one thing. An idea for a story (character, background, fluff, lore, etc., whatever) is NOT an idea for a game. A story may or may not influence the overall design of a game and even its mechanics, but a story IS NOT STRICTLY a game idea. The premise of a story can also influence the design of a game, but DO NOT make the premise the central design philosophy of a game.

This is one of the most common mistakes novice designers make, including yours. I'm sure most of you, at some point or another, have come across a situation like this: "I HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A GAME. IT'S ABOUT ARMED DRAGONS FROM SPACE ATTACKING THE EARTH AND KIDNAPPING OUR WOMEN!" That is an idea for a story, not a game. Get the picture?

So let's take a step back now and just look at this. Ideally, a game idea (in the strictest sense of a "game idea") implies an abstract collection of rules, restrictions, limits, and possibly a goal. At the very least, it can even simply manifest itself as a general direction or premise of the game. In essence, it is about laying the foundations or the manifest of a set of mechanics that, with further development, will become "playable".

Impose self-control

One of the first things to consider is the need for reach and self-control. It's just too tempting to just step out into the vast expanse of the ocean that is collective consciousness and, with our bare hands, just fish for the next great game concept. As beautiful as it may sound, sadly, it is not very practical in terms of productivity.

It is very exhilarating (not to mention enjoyable) to simply ride the stream of consciousness in hopes of finally landing on the shore of a brilliant idea. Our mind, however, processes thousands upon thousands of thoughts at an incredibly fast rate, and without the proper cognitive sanctions, the chances of getting lost in the train of thought are quite high.

This is where scope, themes, limitations, and focus come into play. As an individual or within a group, identify a topic, or a range of topics, that heightens your interests and brainstorm with those topics in mind. Better yet, set yourself a challenge or set of constraints that your brainstorming must adhere to. These methods do not stifle the ideation process. Rather, it forces you to explore more options and perspectives within a specific domain, which in itself is very conducive to brainstorming.