Every year, many words are generated on the subject of creativity. Everyone feels that being more creative is a good thing, but becoming more creative remains elusive. Much of the advice offered is about the long term building of creative thinking: have a lot of experiences, generate a lot of ideas, know which ideas are good, etc. Not all of the advice out there is bad, but most is vague and doesn't actually spark creativity when you hear it.
After listening to any number of game designers online and in person trying to crowd source creative problems, such as theming and naming, I thought I would list a few practical methods for designing a more creative game.
1. Give yourself challenges.
When I first started designing games, I generated three new themes that could become game ideas every day for a week. I figured if I couldn't come up with more than my first game idea, I wouldn't need to worry about learning all about the industry, because I likely wouldn't spend much time in it. I haven't returned to almost any of those themes, but the more practice I have coming up with ideas, the better the ideas are likely to be. Generating ideas is more of a long term creativity building practice, but there are other ways to challenge yourself. You can challenge yourself to design in a particular genre or with certain components. Famously, Oscar Hammerstein II challenged Stephen Sondheim to write four different types of musicals to hone his craft. As designers, working outside of our comfort zone will make us better at designing, even if our 'challenges' never get published.
2. Impose constraints.
Another was to challenge yourself is to set restrictions on your next design project. A game with no cards (or only cards) or that uses a specific component or mechanism can send you down design paths you might not otherwise take. If you also add time constraints on how long you can spend developing an idea, you basically have a one person game design jam. Again, not all of these designs need to be publishable.
2b. Remove all restrictions.
Go as far overboard as you possibly can. Remember, if you want this design to go anywhere, you may have to cut all of your flights of fancy. However, sometimes it's nice to exercise creativity by just letting your imagination run wild. Once you temper your ideas with practicality, you may discover that you've come up with something new and original. This works best if you aren't coming at the design from a mechanism or component point first, but rather imagining experiences and worlds you want to create for players to explore. I think every designer should have their 'art game' that they designed not to publish but because they needed to design it for their own artistic fulfillment.
3. Flip tropes.
This is the most practical and also the easiest. Take a common idea that exists in lots of games and do the opposite. Lowest score wins, damage heals, the hero is the villain, etc. Mechanisms may not be the best place to do this, as many of the obvious opposites have already been done. But you can do this all day long with theme. Subverting tropes in ways that are delightfully surprising is an excellent way to increase engagement with a theme.
4. Theme the heart of your game.
This is more for either mechanism first people or those trying to retheme. The heart of your game is the bit that if you change it, it will cease to be the same game. Look at that bit. Find its movement. How does the visual appearance of the game change from the beginning of the game to the end? How fast does it change? What physical movements do the players take as they play? Moving a piece slowly around a circle (Murano, Scorpius Freighter) feel different than moving pieces relatively quickly in a straight line (Tokaido). Kinetic feedback that feels thematic will make your game more immersive and easier to teach. After you do this, you can go back and adjust the rest of the actions and components to be in line with the new theme.
Of course, the best way to know if the idea you have is creative is to know what has already been done and not do that. But research is a long term practice for creativity. The above suggestions can be done today, whether you are trying to come up with your next game idea or trying to fix a game you've already invested a lot of time in.
After listening to any number of game designers online and in person trying to crowd source creative problems, such as theming and naming, I thought I would list a few practical methods for designing a more creative game.
1. Give yourself challenges.
When I first started designing games, I generated three new themes that could become game ideas every day for a week. I figured if I couldn't come up with more than my first game idea, I wouldn't need to worry about learning all about the industry, because I likely wouldn't spend much time in it. I haven't returned to almost any of those themes, but the more practice I have coming up with ideas, the better the ideas are likely to be. Generating ideas is more of a long term creativity building practice, but there are other ways to challenge yourself. You can challenge yourself to design in a particular genre or with certain components. Famously, Oscar Hammerstein II challenged Stephen Sondheim to write four different types of musicals to hone his craft. As designers, working outside of our comfort zone will make us better at designing, even if our 'challenges' never get published.
2. Impose constraints.
Another was to challenge yourself is to set restrictions on your next design project. A game with no cards (or only cards) or that uses a specific component or mechanism can send you down design paths you might not otherwise take. If you also add time constraints on how long you can spend developing an idea, you basically have a one person game design jam. Again, not all of these designs need to be publishable.
2b. Remove all restrictions.
Go as far overboard as you possibly can. Remember, if you want this design to go anywhere, you may have to cut all of your flights of fancy. However, sometimes it's nice to exercise creativity by just letting your imagination run wild. Once you temper your ideas with practicality, you may discover that you've come up with something new and original. This works best if you aren't coming at the design from a mechanism or component point first, but rather imagining experiences and worlds you want to create for players to explore. I think every designer should have their 'art game' that they designed not to publish but because they needed to design it for their own artistic fulfillment.
3. Flip tropes.
This is the most practical and also the easiest. Take a common idea that exists in lots of games and do the opposite. Lowest score wins, damage heals, the hero is the villain, etc. Mechanisms may not be the best place to do this, as many of the obvious opposites have already been done. But you can do this all day long with theme. Subverting tropes in ways that are delightfully surprising is an excellent way to increase engagement with a theme.
4. Theme the heart of your game.
This is more for either mechanism first people or those trying to retheme. The heart of your game is the bit that if you change it, it will cease to be the same game. Look at that bit. Find its movement. How does the visual appearance of the game change from the beginning of the game to the end? How fast does it change? What physical movements do the players take as they play? Moving a piece slowly around a circle (Murano, Scorpius Freighter) feel different than moving pieces relatively quickly in a straight line (Tokaido). Kinetic feedback that feels thematic will make your game more immersive and easier to teach. After you do this, you can go back and adjust the rest of the actions and components to be in line with the new theme.
Of course, the best way to know if the idea you have is creative is to know what has already been done and not do that. But research is a long term practice for creativity. The above suggestions can be done today, whether you are trying to come up with your next game idea or trying to fix a game you've already invested a lot of time in.
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