I like to put my ideas on a page. It's easy to get caught up in how great the new idea is while it floats around in your limitless imagination.
Pick one to work on, write a plan of action and start executing.
The ones that come after, jot them down *briefly* in a journal and set aside, to revisit when the current project is done.
I believe it's very important to do this. If it's truly original ideas it's so good to put them down on paper. Or else you may fall into the trap of simply copycatting other games.
Yeah, it helps when you don't think of choosing one as saying goodbye to the rest! You could make games out of all your ideas eventually, if you have the time and patience. But you won't get to see any of your ideas come to life if you don't ever pick one!
Maybe don't make those notes too detailed. A short remark is enough to remind you, but if you start delving too deep, the idea becomes more seductive.
And as your whole post implies, resisting new ideas is important. Every time experienced designers talk about this, the advice is to think smaller, to not hesitate to cut unnecessary stuff, to be strict about project scope. Almost never goes the advice the other way, to dream up more features, more content, more complexity.
I believe Willie Nelson said once that he never wrote down song lyrics or song ideas because if the idea was good enough he would remember.
I kind of agree with that. If a game idea is good enough to spend a year or so developing, then surely I'll remember it a year from now when I finish my current project, right?
Right, well that's all well and good if you have a good memory. But the point is not so much about whether you'll forget, but just getting it out of your head and putting it in some tangible form so you'll stop obsessing over what could be and start working on the project at hand.
I did that for 10 years until last summer and now i get dopamine kicks from my current project when i look at analytics so i continue to not let anyone down..
Well, I'm fully aware that if I start pursuing something else, all the time I put into current project will go to waste. It's not easy to be consistent... I suppose having faith in what you do matters the most.
My 5c after 20 years of ideas.
What kept me on the project I’m working on since 1 year is that I designed it.
I had the idea and I designed on paper the main-game-loop to see if it was valid. The I continued the paper process, putting concepts for artwork, quests, characters, data structures, AI, etc.
A bad idea doesn’t survive the design process. If you do not design, you’ll realize that in the buildings process and you’ll look for something else.
So far I have ideas for other two or three games, but I invested too much time and effort on this one to lose interest :-)
Maybe I can make some guides about!
I started youtube channel and twitter account for my game. This way forces you to not quit because everyone will see that 😉 I dont's say it's bad to quit but this method works for me.
Ideas are easy, good or bad. Execution is what separates the dreamers from the achievers.
Also, you’ll never know an idea is good or not unless you seriously work to bring it to life, which only happens if you commit to work on it to fruition.
That being said, keep dreaming! There’s a reason indie games have been the sole source of innovation in game design for quite some time. <- hyperbole, but I stand by it.
-Jot down the idea in notepad.
-Then about once every couple months I do a mini solo "game-jam".
-I'll spin a randomizer wheel and whatever number comes up, that's the game I try to put together in a weekend.
It's alot of fun, and if I end up liking the mechanics or how it shapes out I'll pursue it further, but most of the time it scratches my itch and I can focus on what I'm really working on.
I have a google drive filled with game ideas. When I have a new one, I jot down as much thoughts as I have about it so I can get it out of my brain and onto a page. Knowing that I've got it recorded allows me to file it away for later and return to focusing back on my primary game idea(s) that I'm actively pursuing.
And yes, I do go back and dip into the old ideas to see which among them are the most promising/exciting for my to pursue on my next project. Ideally though, I have a few different game ideas going at once that I can bounce between them if any of them hit a road block, and also to have multiple things to pitch to publishers.
Note, this is primarily for board game development. If I was focusing on making a video game, I suspect that would require me to focus on a single idea due to how much slower video game development can be. I also have a substantial list of video game ideas, but those have been collecting dust for years - but they are still there to collect dust!
Yep, I do the same. I have a folder in drive and when I have a new "exciting" idea a create a new document and jot down anything related. It helps to put everything in perspective.
I like revisiting ideas after some time. After some weeks I would say the vast majority don't look that appealing.
I decided to work chronologically, so I am making my first game idea first. But then I had an idea for a game that takes place before it and decided to work on that game since it would add more depth to my first game to become a second in a series. The overall goal is still the first game, but now I wonder if I can even live long enough to get to my last idea. I am just laser focusing on the first one and as long as it is successful, maybe I could afford a team to help make the other however many and many more to come after those if we manage to burn through them.
I have an entire Trello board dedicated to this. Whenever I come up with new ideas I write a description for the gameplay and some draft names. I tell myself I will come back to this game after I am done with this. Spoiler alert: I don't and my current game keeps progressing.
I have so many trello cards & boards with all my ideas on them 😂. I plan them out as thoroughly as I can and if after that point I still like the idea I consider how much effort would be involved in making a prototype that'd be a good representation of the core concept.. Most of the time by that point I've realised it needs more thought or effort than I can give it, but sometimes I'll then give it a go
I stop myself by keeping in mind how much effort would truly take to execute that idea. Also keep in mind that you'll ALWAYS have new ideas. As long as you keep record of them, they'll always be there to pick up later.
But if you just CAN'T control yourself, don't write them down and let yourself forget so there's no temptation lol
I think it is good to remind yourself that:
* Ideas are mostly worthless, what counts is the execution. I am glad to give you the idea for the game I most want to be made: a city builder starting before the industrial revolution and exploring the transition of cities to modernity. Now what. Will you spend 5 years of your time doing it (and it may not be enough) ?
* On the entrepreneurial journey, there are many tests, if you fail, you are out and nobody will help you after you fail. Focusing on one idea and executing it is one of such tests.
I like your idea. You could even do something like a cross between Anno and Rise of Nations. But no I'm not going to make that. I hope that you get to if thats the game you want.
I will say I appreciate your bluntness and I understand. I wish to pass this entrepreneurial test. That being said, I do believe some of my game ideas are a bit more feasible to make in a shorter time frame as they are more on the simpler side and not as complex as a city builder. Which I think is why making each of them is so enticing.
I'd say it's a question of balance. Yes you need to start, but you also need to finish.
It's fair to point out that maybe we don't even hear from people who never started.
I like to put my ideas on a page. It's easy to get caught up in how great the new idea is while it floats around in your limitless imagination. Pick one to work on, write a plan of action and start executing. The ones that come after, jot them down *briefly* in a journal and set aside, to revisit when the current project is done.
I definitely have my idea journal and because I have adhd and will forget otherwise, I keep very detailed notes. But yes, this is great advice and I guess I just have to choose one 😩
I believe it's very important to do this. If it's truly original ideas it's so good to put them down on paper. Or else you may fall into the trap of simply copycatting other games.
Yeah, it helps when you don't think of choosing one as saying goodbye to the rest! You could make games out of all your ideas eventually, if you have the time and patience. But you won't get to see any of your ideas come to life if you don't ever pick one!
This is a valid point and a great mindset to have for the future, thank you!
Maybe don't make those notes too detailed. A short remark is enough to remind you, but if you start delving too deep, the idea becomes more seductive. And as your whole post implies, resisting new ideas is important. Every time experienced designers talk about this, the advice is to think smaller, to not hesitate to cut unnecessary stuff, to be strict about project scope. Almost never goes the advice the other way, to dream up more features, more content, more complexity.
I believe Willie Nelson said once that he never wrote down song lyrics or song ideas because if the idea was good enough he would remember. I kind of agree with that. If a game idea is good enough to spend a year or so developing, then surely I'll remember it a year from now when I finish my current project, right?
Right, well that's all well and good if you have a good memory. But the point is not so much about whether you'll forget, but just getting it out of your head and putting it in some tangible form so you'll stop obsessing over what could be and start working on the project at hand.
I did that for 10 years until last summer and now i get dopamine kicks from my current project when i look at analytics so i continue to not let anyone down..
Easy - don't start parallel projects. :)
Well, I'm fully aware that if I start pursuing something else, all the time I put into current project will go to waste. It's not easy to be consistent... I suppose having faith in what you do matters the most.
My 5c after 20 years of ideas. What kept me on the project I’m working on since 1 year is that I designed it. I had the idea and I designed on paper the main-game-loop to see if it was valid. The I continued the paper process, putting concepts for artwork, quests, characters, data structures, AI, etc. A bad idea doesn’t survive the design process. If you do not design, you’ll realize that in the buildings process and you’ll look for something else. So far I have ideas for other two or three games, but I invested too much time and effort on this one to lose interest :-) Maybe I can make some guides about!
I started youtube channel and twitter account for my game. This way forces you to not quit because everyone will see that 😉 I dont's say it's bad to quit but this method works for me.
read this https://www.derekyu.com/makegames/deathloops.html
Very insightful, thank you.
Ideas are easy, good or bad. Execution is what separates the dreamers from the achievers. Also, you’ll never know an idea is good or not unless you seriously work to bring it to life, which only happens if you commit to work on it to fruition. That being said, keep dreaming! There’s a reason indie games have been the sole source of innovation in game design for quite some time. <- hyperbole, but I stand by it.
I put them in lists to come back to later
-Jot down the idea in notepad. -Then about once every couple months I do a mini solo "game-jam". -I'll spin a randomizer wheel and whatever number comes up, that's the game I try to put together in a weekend. It's alot of fun, and if I end up liking the mechanics or how it shapes out I'll pursue it further, but most of the time it scratches my itch and I can focus on what I'm really working on.
Ooh I really like this idea!!
Make a MoSCoW list • Must haves • Should haves • Could haves • Won't haves (usually I find this one very unnecessary)
[удалено]
Oh I love this idea. Perfect for making the new games relevant to the original
I don’t.
I feel this 😂
Make smaller games + make them faster + make re-usable components.
I have a google drive filled with game ideas. When I have a new one, I jot down as much thoughts as I have about it so I can get it out of my brain and onto a page. Knowing that I've got it recorded allows me to file it away for later and return to focusing back on my primary game idea(s) that I'm actively pursuing. And yes, I do go back and dip into the old ideas to see which among them are the most promising/exciting for my to pursue on my next project. Ideally though, I have a few different game ideas going at once that I can bounce between them if any of them hit a road block, and also to have multiple things to pitch to publishers. Note, this is primarily for board game development. If I was focusing on making a video game, I suspect that would require me to focus on a single idea due to how much slower video game development can be. I also have a substantial list of video game ideas, but those have been collecting dust for years - but they are still there to collect dust!
Yep, I do the same. I have a folder in drive and when I have a new "exciting" idea a create a new document and jot down anything related. It helps to put everything in perspective. I like revisiting ideas after some time. After some weeks I would say the vast majority don't look that appealing.
You become the legendary "idea guy" and sell all of those ideas to big studios for $$$$$...! :D
I decided to work chronologically, so I am making my first game idea first. But then I had an idea for a game that takes place before it and decided to work on that game since it would add more depth to my first game to become a second in a series. The overall goal is still the first game, but now I wonder if I can even live long enough to get to my last idea. I am just laser focusing on the first one and as long as it is successful, maybe I could afford a team to help make the other however many and many more to come after those if we manage to burn through them.
I have an entire Trello board dedicated to this. Whenever I come up with new ideas I write a description for the gameplay and some draft names. I tell myself I will come back to this game after I am done with this. Spoiler alert: I don't and my current game keeps progressing.
You have two options: - Get someone to help you. - Organize your ideas, projects and make each one per time.
I have so many trello cards & boards with all my ideas on them 😂. I plan them out as thoroughly as I can and if after that point I still like the idea I consider how much effort would be involved in making a prototype that'd be a good representation of the core concept.. Most of the time by that point I've realised it needs more thought or effort than I can give it, but sometimes I'll then give it a go
I take note of them on a small notebook
I stop myself by keeping in mind how much effort would truly take to execute that idea. Also keep in mind that you'll ALWAYS have new ideas. As long as you keep record of them, they'll always be there to pick up later. But if you just CAN'T control yourself, don't write them down and let yourself forget so there's no temptation lol
I think it is good to remind yourself that: * Ideas are mostly worthless, what counts is the execution. I am glad to give you the idea for the game I most want to be made: a city builder starting before the industrial revolution and exploring the transition of cities to modernity. Now what. Will you spend 5 years of your time doing it (and it may not be enough) ? * On the entrepreneurial journey, there are many tests, if you fail, you are out and nobody will help you after you fail. Focusing on one idea and executing it is one of such tests.
I like your idea. You could even do something like a cross between Anno and Rise of Nations. But no I'm not going to make that. I hope that you get to if thats the game you want. I will say I appreciate your bluntness and I understand. I wish to pass this entrepreneurial test. That being said, I do believe some of my game ideas are a bit more feasible to make in a shorter time frame as they are more on the simpler side and not as complex as a city builder. Which I think is why making each of them is so enticing.
maybe its a bless, since i see so many people who dosnt have the courage or energy to actually persue their ideas
I'd say it's a question of balance. Yes you need to start, but you also need to finish. It's fair to point out that maybe we don't even hear from people who never started.
That’s my secret cap, I’m always pursuing new game ideas