How to Find Inspiration for Your Next Games

The first step to making a game is to generate ideas. From the storyline, to the gameplay, every game developer has to think of a unique idea about the game they are about to make before doing anything further.

Finding ideas can be hard, though. At some point, some people might say they've run out of ideas or inspiration.

Inspiration can actually be found anywhere, but perhaps we just don't know where to look for it. If you are stumped for ideas on your games, check out the article below for tips on how and where to find inspiration for your next game!

Take Inspiration from Existing Games

As a game developer you should play as many games as you can. Any existing game, including your favorite ones, can be a great source of ideas for your game. Do remember to use these games for inspiration only, and don't blatantly copy them. You can try and analyze your favorite games, and incorporate some elements that you think work out best for that game.

It's okay not to be completely original, since it's extremely difficult to have 100% authenticity. The most important thing to remember is: among all the similar games out there, what can you add to your game to make it different and stand out? Remember to add certain unique components that separate your game from the others!

Draw Inspiration from Other Media

Other than games, you can also draw inspiration from other media. You can watch movies, read books, or you can even gain inspiration from a song. The ideas you can gather from these media are endless and definitely more diverse.

Once again, incorporate the elements that you find interesting from these media. What do you think are the best things about your favorite movie or books? The plot? The settings? The characters? = Make those as your source of inspiration for your game.

Ask Other People about their Dream Games

When you're stuck for an idea, you can always ask someone else for help! You can ask anyone to give you ideas for a game. Another great way is to also ask fellow gamers on what kind of game they have been dying to play-their dream games, so to speak. Then, you can work on delivering the game to them. Don't forget to give them credits for their ideas.

Explore Your Surroundings!

You can't just sit in front of your computer screen, hoping for an idea to suddenly pop up. You need to get out and explore your surroundings! Walk around, travel somewhere, and try not to think about it too much. Take your time to look at the things around you. Sometimes, the best ideas come in the most unexpected time and place. Don't forget to always bring a pen and notebook with you so you can jot down the ideas the moment they come to you.

Now that you know how to find inspiration for your next game, go ahead and start making it now! You can easily make your dream games using Melon Gaming's very own game engine, MelonJS! MelonJS is the most lightweight HTML5-based game engine. It's compatible with a lot of third-party-tools to help make your games in 2D a lot easier. You can directly go to http://melonjs.org/ now to try it out!