Every game, from puzzles to action, starts with an idea and only then turns into a project. But on the way to creating an original idea, developers face many obstacles. Finding an idea that is innovative yet understandable and attractive to the audience is truly a challenging task. Moreover, technical constraints and market needs must also be considered.
To formulate unique ideas for creating competitive games, we asked specialists from Stepico, a company that has been developing exclusive games of any format for their customers for 9 years.
Market analysis and idea formulation
The first step is market research, which includes examining the current game market and finding unoccupied niches.
The second step is genre analysis, which means exploring where innovations can be introduced in a specific game type. Novelty attracts players. To find inspiration, one can turn to cinema, literature, and art. This can provide fresh ideas for the game world and plot.
Brainstorming is the next stage. This is a key method of idea generation, involving the free discussion of any proposals without criticism. During meetings, developers quickly write down all ideas that come to mind, develop ideas dynamically, and may use specific methods such as the “6-3-5” technique (6 participants write down 3 ideas each in 5 minutes).
“What if?” is a powerful question that promotes creative thinking. For example, “What if the main character cannot die, but each of his ‘deaths’ changes the world around him?” This approach allows developers to go beyond the ordinary and explore new perspectives. It is necessary to compile a list of such questions and discuss possible answers. This will help deepen the initial idea and give it originality.
Once the idea is formulated, it is important to check it for uniqueness and attractiveness. Here we return to market analysis, but now to check for similar games. Game developers can use analysis tools and refer to player reviews of similar projects. In this process, team members typically seek answers to questions such as: How does our idea differ from existing ones? What unique elements of gameplay or plot can we offer? Will our idea attract the target audience?
Creating an attractive game concept
The main concept of a game is its heart and soul. The plot sets the tone and direction, the characters are brought into life, and the game world creates the atmosphere. It’s best to start with a general idea of the plot, answering the question: What central problem or conflict drives the story?
In addition, it’s important to define key characters: heroes and antagonists and their motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. The next step is to create the game world – by thinking through the locations, their connections, and the peculiarities and laws of this world. All these aspects should be described in detail in a game design document, which serves as the basis for the entire development team.
Next, it is necessary to define the gameplay mechanics that support and help realize the concept. Gameplay mechanics are how the player interacts with the game. Developers determine what actions are available to the player, how these actions affect the game world and other characters, what tasks and obstacles players will encounter. It’s important for the mechanics to align with the plot and characters, complementing and enhancing them.
Visual design plays a key role in creating an attractive concept. Concept art helps visualize ideas of the game world, key scenes, and characters. This is an important step that allows the entire development team to have a unified vision of the project. Prototyping helps test playability and understand how gameplay mechanics work in practice. Prototyping can be done on paper or through specialized software. This stage allows for adjustments to be made before the full development of the game begins.
Evaluating and adapting the concept
Feedback is a critically important stage in the game development process. You can share the concept with potential players, other developers, and industry professionals to get their opinion. It’s also valuable to use online forums, social networks, and specialized platforms for game testing.
It’s important to gather feedback from both professionals and ordinary players. They can point out shortcomings and suggest improvements.
After collecting feedback, developers should be open to possible changes in their game. One of the main keys to success is finding a balance between the developers’ own vision of the project and the preferences of the target audience.
Implementing flexible development methodologies like Scrum or Kanban helps organize the work process so that it can easily adapt to changes at any stage of the project. These approaches involve building the development process so that it’s easy to make changes based on new data and feedback.
Required knowledge and skills for game development
Successful game development requires a combination of technical knowledge, creative skills, and the ability to work in a team, according to Stepico developers.
Programming is the foundation of game development. Knowledge of languages such as C++, C#Python, and Java are critically important for implementing game logic, mechanics, and interface. Programmers create the code that sets the game world in motion, controls the behavior of characters, and ensures physical realism.
Graphic design defines the visual style of the game. Artists work on creating characters, backgrounds, objects, and the user interface. Using graphic design and animation software allows for the creation of attractive and emotionally engaging visual effects.
Sound design for the game includes creating music, sound effects, and voicing characters. Sound designers work to ensure that the sound accompaniment enhances the atmosphere and adds depth to the gameplay.
Game design involves the development of gameplay mechanics, plot, levels, and overall game balance. Designers must understand how to make the gameplay interesting and engaging for different categories of players.
Overall, game development is a process that requires close interaction of specialists from different fields. Stepico specialists emphasize that effective communication and the ability to work in a team are critical for coordinating common goals and tasks. Developing skills in these areas takes time and practice, but mastering them significantly increases the chances of successful game development.
“It’s important not only to deeply understand your specialization but also to have an understanding of the tasks and problems faced by other team members. This allows for more effective collaboration and contribution to the overall project,” as Stepico experts like to say. And they are certainly right!
