Monday, September 5, 2016

Slot Machine RPG

I want to share a conceptual image showing a preview of what could be my next, 15th game:


Which started as one of many crude sketches that depict a game screenshot:


I find being very sloppy with drawings can help explore ideas. There is a great sense of freedom and curiosity where a lot can be gained, without a great deal of time needing to be invested. I highly recommend people in any field, game development or not, listen to John Cleese's talk on how to be creative:


Currently I am what he describes as the "open mode" to allow ideas to come and go. I am still exploring possible ideas, before I go into the "closed mode" to produce those ideas without second guessing the foundation of my next game. Sure, little bits of details and gaps will be filled in later, but if I choose to go for a particular design then I must stick with it.

The idea shown in the first image above is a combination of slot machine mechanics in a fantasy environment, where the left side is the player's abilities and items. Single coins are used to spin the reel to gain resources (fire, water, etc), or, single coins are used with resources to use skills. There is an emphasis on luck. There will be random events and treasures to choose from, similar to actual slot machine games. The real heart of what will make it fun is the progression to strategically improve and craft your character over time with in-game currency.

This game could be incredibly fun, readily available for PC, Android, iOS, etc. I am still exploring some ideas before I fully settle on this idea...

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