After a few weeks of pondering which game I want to do next I had this epiphany of the obvious: make some prototypes.

“Whenever you don’t know which road to take follow each of them for a short time.” (Steve Pavlina)

This long time of pondering was necessary, even if it feels like wasted time. It flagged many important questions I have to consider BEFORE I start the game:

• How long should it take from start to release?
• What’s the game’s scope?
• What’s the game’s main feature/mechanic?
• Content: high demand (RPG) or low (Tetris)?
• Content: what can/should be generated, what’s going to be handcrafted?
• What’s the budget?
• How to market the game? Where?
• Support modding?
• How to slaughter pirates and decorate your castle walls with their heads?
• What would help to build and maintain a community?
• What will be the biggest risks (e.g. uncharted coding territory)?
• How to fund this game? How to market the funding?
• What’s the revenue model?
• Which platforms should I aim for?
• What’s the best engine for the game?
• Which graphics styles and themes are effective and affordable?
• …

I don’t want to over-analyze this. Yet it’s necessary to get clear about important things like time budget, scope, audience and marketing.

There’s just one gut decision I can’t overcome by rationalization:

Cheers,
Thomas