Game Brainstorm

Game One.

Undertale is a game that interests me because it doesn’t have any complicated graphics that make you lost. The game is played in a top-down perspective, a style I’m interested in using for my own game. I would like to design a game like this as I like the freedom you are given. You are able to walk and explore the areas, talk to different ‘monsters’ and are able to make the choices you want. It makes the game more interesting to play because you believe you have freedom when there are certain rules in place limiting choices (even though you believe otherwise). I would like to learn how to create a role-playing game similar to this. I like the graphics and the storyline. It is simple and easy to play which is something I like in games, but it’s not to everyone’s taste. On the website we learn more about the game itself and how to play. The game itself, and even the website about page, are filled with witty comments rather than serious dialogue making the game far more enjoyable than a serious role-play game. If I choose to create something similar to this game, I would prefer to make a different plot, maybe even less dialogue more gameplay, but keep the style of the game somewhat similar. The simple 2-D graphics, easy characters and a gripping storyline. I would like to try and attempt making my very own top-down game. There are quite a few videos on making a 2-D role-play game on YouTube and after some searching, I found Brackeys (YouTube) to be the most liked and best YouTuber for these tutorial videos. And here is another set of useful playlist filled with tutorials. I believe these will be extremely beneficial to me when creating my own game as they are tutorials on how to create a game similar to Undertale.

Undertale Character. (Source)

Game Two: 

Another game that is to my liking is Animal Crossing. Although it is played on Nintendo, the idea of creating a game similar to this but on PC/Mac is very appealing. The game itself is simple and very easy to learn to play. I prefer games like this as I’ve never been a fan of violent war games etc. This is a game I am able to play freely with no rush and it’s a game that helps me relax.The gameplay is open-ended. Players have no defined objectives, but are instead encouraged to spend their time in the village performing any number of activities, which include collecting items, planting plants or other items, and socializing with the village's residents. There is a high level of customization available in the game, some of which may affect the outcome of the game itself. This is something I’d like to learn – how to add levels of customization into my game. I would also like to make a game that is open-ended, much like Animal Crossing. This tutorial is very helpful in showing how to create a game as close to Animal Crossing as possible. The pixel art may be more like Undertale nevertheless the idea of the game itself is similar to both. This blog post is helpful when learning how to use unity in order to create the retro-8-bits game, I imagine I will be using this post a lot when learning how to set unity for the game. Along with these tutorials and blog posts another post that is helpful is this post, as it will help to create the pixel art into better quality. Although quite similar to Undertale, this would be a far more advanced pixel game rather than like Undertale which is very pixelated. 

Animal Crossing Gameplay. (Source)

Game Three:

A genre of game I have an interest in is Platform games (or platformers), much like Super Mario Bros or Donkey Kong. In a platformer, the player controls the character who must jump and climb between suspended platforms avoiding obstacles. Unlike the two games above this would be more action than role-play. Platform games are frequently classified as a sub-genre of action games. When researching idea's for platform games I found out that a Single Screen Platformers would be the best type of game play to try and create. I learnt more about "What is a Platform Game?" from this blog post and decided on trying to create a Single Screen Platformers game, much like in Donkey Kong. By using this platformer I have the advantage to choose whether or not I wish to have a new screen or the same screen once a level is passed. This is a great advantage as you have control over what you want done. This can also be easier if you are stressed about using Unity and have only completed one scene, giving you the advantage to keep one screen and develop the game itself more than a new scene each level. Brackeys again has many useful videos, such as this one, in helping you create games similar to Super Mario Bros or Donkey Kong. I am a big fan of this idea and being able to combine retro-8-bits into this Single Screen Platformers is an appealing idea.

Super Mario Bros Home Screen. (Source)

Game Four:

Lastly, I would be interested in creating a Life Simulation game much like Sims. Even though this is a far more difficult game design it is something I find intriguing. My bigger interest is towards RPG nevertheless I do still adore playing life simulation games. The games in the Sims series are largely sandbox games, in that they lack any defines goals giving you free will to do as you please. You can create, destroy and build as you wish. Upon trying to find tutorials on how to create such games, the only results I obtained were all paid courses in making life simulation games. It was incredibly difficult to learn how to make such games without having to pay and take online courses and unlock paid tutorials. This made me lose interest in the idea of making a life simulation game as I would like to learn for free, rather than pay for courses and find them useless and uninformative. Life simulation games prove to be problematic as it requires more time and effort to create storylines, characters, scenery and such. Provided you have the time this would be fascinating to create. Another advantage to creating such games would be the customisable context you are able to add and subtract in the game when designing. With no end to the game and the endless possibilities, the game design almost seems impossible to make in the short spam of time we have during this module and therefore it is not an idea I will likely go forth with. Needless to say, I will continue to play and enjoy the Sims as a game itself but I am not appealed to the idea of creating a game like this myself!

Free will being used to construct an obscure house in Sims gameplay. (Source)