What is an Idea?

In game design, an idea is not a pitch or a feature — it’s a seed. A high-level premise, emotional hook, or conceptual provocation that sparks the design process. It lives before mechanics, before systems — and shapes how the player might feel, act, or reflect.

Ideas are cheap. But good ones? Good ones invite structure.

1️⃣ Definition

A game idea is a pre-mechanical concept that defines the intended player experience, tone, or dynamic — without yet specifying systems, rules, or content.

It can come from:

Emotion ("I want players to feel lonely in a crowd")
Action ("What if the player could rewind time, but only for others?")
Theme ("Build a society without violence")
Metaphor or aesthetic ("Play as a shadow in a world of light")

📍Ideas are not games. They are questions with emotional weight — and design is the act of answering them.

2️⃣ Why Ideas Matter

Function	What It Enables	Example
Creative anchor	Guides tone, mechanics, and narrative	Journey started with “emotional exploration without words”
Rapid alignment	Helps teams rally around a vision	“Bullet-time puzzle shooter” → Superhot
Exploratory frame	Encourages experimentation	“No violence, but conflict” → Peaceful city-builder
Differentiation	Sets the game apart early	“Death is progress” → Loop Hero

📍If your idea doesn’t shape constraints, decisions, or mood — it’s not ready yet.

3️⃣ Types of Game Ideas

Type	Description	Game Example
Mechanic-driven	Starts with a gameplay twist	“You can only move when they do” → Superhot
Narrative-driven	Premise that defines tone and role	“You are the last voice on Earth”
Systemic idea	A conceptual challenge in systems	“Build without war” → simulation/political layers
Emotional/aesthetic	Anchored in feeling or style	“Feel lost, but not alone” → Journey
Platform-driven	Native to device or input	“Use your voice to solve puzzles”

📍Not all ideas are worth prototyping. The best ones demand to be tested — because they promise something no other game quite does.

4️⃣ Good Ideas Are…

Trait	Why It Matters
Testable	You can quickly prototype and validate it
Evocative	Suggests a player fantasy or emotional loop
Flexible	Can survive iteration and genre change
Constrained	Implies limitations, not infinite sprawl
Player-centered	About what the player experiences, not what the dev thinks is cool

📍“I want a game about time travel” is vague. “I want the player to undo time — but regret it anyway” is a seed.

5️⃣ What Ideas Are Not

Mistaken For	Why It’s Not the Same
A mechanic	That’s execution. The idea comes before verbs.
A genre	“A 2D roguelike” is structure, not vision.
A feature list	“Open world + crafting + co-op” lacks emotional direction.
A story	Plot ≠ premise. “You are a hero” is generic — “You’re the villain, and don’t know it yet” is an idea.

📍If your idea can be summarized in store tags, it's not yet a design compass.

✅ Idea Quality Checklist

Does it define what the player will feel?

Does it suggest a constraint or twist?

Can it guide tone, mechanics, or pacing?

Is it memorable in a single sentence?

Can it evolve with prototyping?

📍Think of an idea as a lens. If you can’t see your game clearly through it — refine or replace it.

Summary

Term	Idea
What it is	A pre-mechanical conceptual seed rooted in experience
Why it matters	Anchors development, guides iteration, and defines player intention
How it’s used	As a design compass, emotional hook, and system-shaping constraint
Design goal	Generate meaningful constraints and direction before building

📍In game design, ideas are not sacred — they’re scaffolding. Their job is not to survive unchanged,

but to guide us until the game becomes real enough to speak for itself.