Devin
How do i know what kinds of games to make?
Hi my name is Devin and i am looking for info on what kind of games to make #video-games #game-design #genre
3 answers
Scott Stevens
Scott’s Answer
Hi Devin!
The best answer I can give you is to make a game that sounds fun to you. If you are looking for mechanics that will work for your game, take a look at what else is out there and see if there are any mechanics that might also work for your game. For example, if I was making an Indiana Jones game, I might look at games like Tomb Raider, Pitfall, Assassin's Creed, or Prince of Persia for ideas on game mechanics that might also work for Indiana Jones.
It's also important to think about who is going to play your game. Lots of times I find myself designing games that are very different than the types of games that I play, or making games for people that are very different than me. Again, research is your friend in these situations! Take a look at other games that your "target demographic" are playing, and learn about what those games have in common. Read the reviews for those games - what do people like? What do people dislike? Do a Google search with your specific question; for example "What kind of people like to play Candy Crush?", or "Who plays Clash of Clans?" - you should be able to find a few helpful blogs, articles, or posts that give you more information to work with.
Lastly, try to make sure that the theme of your game matches up nicely with the mechanics you are shooting for. Sometimes mixing up themes and mechanics can lead to new ideas and be really fun - but most of the time you want to make sure that the target demographic for your game like the IP and the type of game you are making for them. You probably wouldn't want to make a Match-3 game for Call of Duty, for example.
Scott recommends the following next steps:
Jameel Alexander
Jameel’s Answer
Great question. Some games are expected to bring a huge crowd of fans, but they flop. A great game knows it's audience, and focuses on what putting something new out there to the gamers. Look at what the gaming industry doesn't have and see if there's a population of gamers who would be drawn to the new feature you come up with.
Good luck
Mario Macías Lloret
Mario’s Answer
Just do what you enjoy.
Hi Mario. Could you elaborate on what you mean there? Are you saying to make games that relate to themes you enjoy? Or are you saying to focus on doing what you enjoy, which might include things that don't relate to gaming? It would be interesting to understand how you think about doing what you enjoy when some parts of the "work" are not enjoyable. For example, in building games you might enjoy coming up with gaming concepts and strategy / art work, but not necessarily in some other aspects such as presenting your work to collaborators. Any suggestions based on how you've addressed those "not enjoyable" aspects of your job in the past?
Jared Chung, Admin