Ideas

So coming up with ideas is tough, but it isn't really. That's just propaganda pushed by the robots that control reality. A lot of people have their own ways of finding inspiration. Some listen to music and scribble, others get a stroke of inspiration in the shower, I know I do. Listen to people's words and sentence structure. Sometimes the ridiculous thing your friend suggested can become the coolest idea for a game. Some of the best games come from joking around.

One of the things I do is try and be aware of the things around me. For instance, the idea of Theism came to me while walking to school and seeing a Book of Eli add that said "Religion is Power". Yeah, it is. People are always grasping for power, what if they could create their own religion and people and test its power against others? Bam, Theism.

Once you have an idea, begin to play with it. Take the words and reassign them new meaning. Maybe take the idea and look at it in its most literal sense then back away and look at it in a more idealized way. This kind of play allows you to form ideas on what the game can be, what moods you want to strike with it, what sort of game it would work best as. Would the game Glamazon be best played a CCG or a board game? Would it rely more on luck, resource management or strategy?

When you get a chance write the idea down on some paper and start writing words or other ideas that contribute to the idea you had. Now you're getting a better foundation of what the game is going to be. You may even lose the original inspiration for something even better. Do this brainstorming in small sessions. Go work or play some other games come back and look at what you wrote. Correct it, change it or leave it as much as you want. Once it looks good begin creating mechanics and working on the game proper.

Discuss your ideas with people! It may rev them up and make them want to play or it may be enlightening as they suggest ideas you haven't looked at yet. Friends and family are a great tool when working on games. Use them as much as possible.

I suggest throwing down some money on a nice big notebook, like a Five Star Binder, and a small Penway notebook. Keep the smaller one with you at all times, so when lightning strikes you can write it down. The Five star is for brainstorming and getting ideas down.

Now, get to it. Go get some ideas. Start working.