100% Free to Use Game Ideas/Storyline Concepts

[Silent Darkness]

I thought i'd crack open a fresh thread on here, where people can post any game concepts or storyline ideas that you don't mind anyone else using. Royalty-free, as it would be :3

A communal pool of cool ideas that someone can pick through. Who knows, maybe it will spawn some projects, or even a commercial game or two.

I'll start off with one of my own. You can change names at your own leisure. You don't have to keep them.

She was living alone. Not for her safety, but the safety of those around her. Pandora had always preferred the peace and quiet. Made an immense contrast against the preferences of her nemesis.

In a world that is split between two halves, a light side and a dark side, a secret war rages. The ultimate fight between good and evil. Purity against depravity. Common sense against madness. The valiant versus the horrific. And although this war has quieted, to the point where the gods themselves have ceased to watch, Pandora knows that it continues still, for it is her duty to try everything she can to put a stop to it. For all eternity. Seems that immortality truly is it's own curse.

On the dark side, he waits, and schemes, and plans. Bion, the King of the Abyss, the Abyss being a place that even most denizens of the Dark Side fear to tread. He begins to lay out a plan to crush Pandora, forever. Unreachable in her isolation, perhaps, he thinks, he should strike her where it would really hurt.

Her family.....her friends....her livelihood.

And so, Bion began his act, summoning striding, monstrous demons, with the appearance of rough-hewn marble, piercing red crystal for eyes, full of an eon's worth of hate and avarice.

No god can have mercy on what is about to transpire.....

 

[deaddrift]

hi!

great idea for a thread!

i like your idea man, and nicely worded! you have a flair for dramatic prose indeed- hopefully someone out there might get inspired and make something great with it!

my contribution is a simple game mechanic: and im sure its been used here a bunch (but hey, im new here!)

- day/night dynamic

- at "night" the lighting gets very very dark (maybe even totally dark with the only light just a torch effect area around player)? and at night new, stronger enemies appear

- in day less monsters appear, and are generally not as strong as nightime enemies- more npc's are outside at daytime to interact with

could work for a vampire theme or a horror theme game

makes getting "caught" outside at night in dangerous areas like woods or swamps something for the player to have to think about!

hope this might spark an idea for anyone!

im going to try using it myself on my first game

cheers!

 

[Silent Darkness]

I am glad you like it, sir or madam, as it were.

And as for your idea, I am actually planning to use a similar idea. Except you can end up in total darkness. And get eaten by the Grue. Zork-Style.

 

[deaddrift]

I always enjoyed the imagination fueled joy of early days playing Zork as a kid! I can still see in my mind's eye the white house in a field where you start heh heh


i was lucky enough to be a part of the community when the Zork online game reboot happened like 6-7 years ago, it was fun brainstorming gameplay ideas with the devs, i got to see a little behind the screens action on how to implement ideas into actual gameplay!


Your idea sounds like a good homage to roguelike games! I see by your avatar you are familiar with Dont Starve, a great game- I also have been influenced by its survival take on gameplay dynamics. Sounds like we can compare notes when we are making our games.


good luck with your game!

 

[Silent Darkness]

Thank you!

If I could just find a willing artist or two, my game idea would really take off.

 

[SLEEP]

No matter how "royalty free" it is, nobody is going to flesh out your game idea for you, especially when your opening post reads more like a sales pitch than an actual plot summary.

 

[Silent Darkness]

Well, no, of course not. I wasn't expecting someone to make a game idea out of something here wholesale! And....I haven't the foggiest what you mean about a sales pitch. Wat.

The intention is to try and get some literary sparks flying, SLEEP. Not to just transport some fire. Let someone else read these, and maybe, just maybe, it'll spark their own idea for a game. It doesn't have to be my idea to the letter.(Actually, i'm expecting that to not be the case)

Think of these as "Game/plot ideas that are up for adoption."

 

[SLEEP]

Your "plot summary" sounds like a sales pitch in that it teases out details, makes them sound tantalizing, and ends with a hook that leaves the reader wanting more. It's written in a way that tells little about the story, but is trying to entice a reader into discovering more. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_write_a_plot_summary Wikipedia provides us with how to write a plot summary, including an example with Little Red Riding Hood. Notice the summary is straightforward instead of teasing, and ends with the end of the story and not a plot hook. Now, I understand, you haven't written your story yet, so your summary structure can't go like that. But let me do a quick edit and...

The setting is a world split into two halves, a good side, and an evil side. Although the gods believe this war to have ceased FOR SOME REASON, Pandora knows that it continues, for it is her duty to a stop to it.

Yeah the protagonist is named Pandora. She is living alone. Not for her safety, but the safety of those around her (????????????FOR SOME REASON). She's also immortal. And stops this war, because it's her doody.

The antagonist is Bion, the King of the Abyss, the Abyss being a place on the evil side of the world, that even most denizens of the Dark Side fear to tread. Because he's on the dark side, he wants to end Pandora, so he can win the war. So he wages war on Pandora personally, summoning forth creatures to do his bidding, sort of like Dr Wily but not robots.

Some super-generic angels vs demons idea is really all I have so far, so if you couldn't think of that yourself, you probably need to take this idea from me.

...voila! An actual summary!

 

[Silent Darkness]

SLEEP, you are almost getting the point here. The point, is to let imagination run wild and devise the rest of this storyline for me. Nothing more, nothing less.

I don't care what gets done with this idea, I am throwing it out there, see who can do what with it.

And plus, the "sales pitch" is supposed to get the literary idea flowing in the reader's head. Plot summaries don't do that.

 

[Galenmereth]

At the middle of the ocean stands a tower as tall as the sky and as deep as the sea itself. Surrounding it are rapids so strong no boat can get close. All that is known is that it is an unnatural structure, but nobody can remember who built it. Every year a piece of the tower falls off into the surrounding seas, making the oceans around the whole planet boil for seven days and seven nights. When the waters finally calm down, the rapids around the tower have spread a little farther out. Parents tell their children that unless they behave nicely, the tower rapids will swallow the world; it's an old tale that has been told for generations now. And every child remembers this tale while growing up; looking at that tower on the horizon, counting their age by its crumbling structure, and fearing that the story they remember so well - a story they may one day tell a child of their own - might just be true.

 

[deaddrift]

Hi all, im back again!

I think Silent Darkness and I both have intentions along the same lines with our ideas when it comes to rougelike survival games

I know we both want a higher degree of difficulty and a bit more depth gameplay wise, so here is another idea for whoever just might be inspired by it:  you pick up an item, and unbeknownst to the player, it starts to infect you and steal your health! bwahahha!  the player will eventually see the HP of the character going down and be like "???"



eventually your character will say something to the effect of " i dont feel so well.." and eventually if the player doesnt heal the character he will again alert the player that death is imminent! and then, the character will indeed die if the player didnt heal or remove the "radioactive" item from his inventory!

could be "cursed" could be "poisoned" could be "radioactive" etc etc


check out this scripting idea, i think it might help you as i helped me courtesy of orathan:

:

Spoiler

Make a common event, set to parallel process and bind to a switch.  When you first pick the radioactive thingy activate the switch that is bound to the common event.

 

The common event should contain the ff:

A conditional branch which checks if the player has the radioactive item in his/her inventory.

If yes, inflict the player with poison state

Else, remove poison state

 

Another conditional branch which checks if the player's HP reaches a certain percentage of his/her MHP (max HP).

If yes, show message but put a wait because if you don't it will appear again after closing the message.

e.g. Show Message: "I'm feeling kinda sick." (or whatever you want)" then wait 600 frames (10 seconds)

 Checking the player's hp ratio needs certain script calls.  I know it can be done without using external scripts but I forgot how.  But if you're after a certain amount, like 100HP, just make use of a variable bound to player's HP and check in a conditional branch if variable[x] <= 100.

titania then did this with that info:

Spoiler

Conditional Branch:[radioactive object] is in the inventory
  >Change state [player], + contamination

  >Control variables:[HP]=Player's HP
  >Conditional branch: Variable [HP] < 100
     >Text "Player": I'm feeling tired...
      >Open menu screen
    > Wait:600 frames

>Else:
>
>Branch End
>
>Else:

Change State: [Player], - Contamination
>
>Branch End

so then you assign a Player KO when the HP reaches 0!

and of course all the other timing and dialogue stuff is changeable- so have fun with it!

hopefully it inspires some people out there!

 

[Silent Darkness]

Yes, that would be interesting.

Now, me, personally, i'm not sure if i'd want always permadeath. Maybe i'll ease the blow a bit with a continues system, Devil May Cry style. That means there's an item you can use upon death to continue. Unless it was my DS rpg project, in which case, meat effigies. BUt i digress.

Interesting idea. But a developer should try to avoid constant, incessant trolling like this. Perhaps give the player a reason to be holding this item.

Ps. You don't need to add the check for HP being 0 in VX Ace. You can automatically set a KO check when slip damage falls.

 

[The Dragon God]

Is there a Commercial version? IF not I'll make one but the OP has s good idea!! 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

A game that says The End when you choose new game

 

[Silent Darkness]

DUN DUN DUUUNNNN

 

[Ksi]

Here's one that I'll probably never make that might spark an idea in someone else.

A game that follows the story of a hero through the eyes of the people s/he interacts with. Uh, let me grab my notes for examples.

Spoiler

A hero makes his way through a heroic journey. While that happens, small snapshots of his travels are revealed by looking at the people who influenced his journey.

The Evil - Hero's twin brother who wasn't the favourite. He tried his hardest at school, but wasn't quite as good as Hero. Hoping to get some spotlight he convinced Hero to swap report cards with him so that their father would dote on him at least a bit. Hero agrees, happily, and when they get home their father is upset with Hero, thinking that he requires more attention. He ignores Evil outright, saying it was about time he got his act together. This causes Evil to go off the rails and start mixing with the bad group. It doesn't help that he's close to Hero and that every girl he's ever liked ended up going out with Hero, either.
One day it all leads to a parting of the ways and they both head in different directions, finding their own life. Years pass and eventually they meet up at their fathers' funeral. It's there that everything comes to a head and Hero is determined to save his brother from his own darkness and pain. That is what begins Hero's journey. In the end Hero ends up dying to save Evil and Evil's heart breaks and he stops caring about any and everything as he goes to bury his brother. Snapshots of them together and apart through the years appear during the credits and after the credit roll there's a small scene with Evil taking up his brothers' sword and swearing to do the right thing.

Girl - she goes to play and ends up losing her teddy. Hero comes up and gives it to her and she's happy to give him a prize.

Heroic Dude - Another hero heads through the wilderness but is killed by a monster. You learn that he's trying to save his sister. Years pass and Hero wanders by, finds his sword and takes it for his journey. Funnily enough, Heroic Dude is Hero and Evils' uncle. Their mother, his sister, was saved by their grandfather and she lived to marry their father. After her death he becomes bitter.

Animal - a mother bird monster is looking for food for her chicks when Hero stumbles apon her and kills her.

Angel - The angel goes through a forest area and refills treasure chests. You have to choose what items to put in about 10 chests and where. They are added to Hero inventory for the last battle.

Diplomat - He's killed before the hero can meet him but is thought to be an evil man. He's just being used, though, and has to do what he's told since they have his family under threat. He is tortured and eventually killed.

Guard - A guard in a jail where Hero has been locked up. He approaches Hero when he says he's sick and gets attacked, the keys stolen.

Thief - a thief who finds a way to get the hero distracted enough to let down his guard, then steals all of Hero's money and valuables. He tries to get away but Hero catches him and gets his items back.
The player plays as the characters most of the time - a few times they might be the Hero himself, but preferably the other characters. Maybe Uncle and Diplomat could be ghosts or maybe cutscenes?

All items gained are added to inventory. Last battle seems winnable but is cutscened after a while. Then death.

I tend to write my thoughts like that. Chances are I'd never make this game but if someone wants to take ideas from it, feel free.

Oh and another idea:

A dead soul who in life committed suicide must work their way to heaven. To do so they must save 7 people - each from one of the seven deadly sins. So, one from greed, lust, envy, wrath, sloth, pride and gluttony.

 

[Silent Darkness]

Ooh, I always get a kick out of stuff along the line of your second idea.

 

[The Dragon God]

Good ideas everyone! We all got talent!!

 

[Hitman26]

Here is my Idea. I do not have very much imagination myself so I hope you like it.

Intro: You awaken alone in a forest (eerily music is playing). There is only one direction to travel as it has a pathway. You reach a town that is burning. You hear screams. You feel pain. You vision darkens and you go into a flashback type thing.

Story: You a typical person living a typical life until your home village gets raided by a mysterious race known only by the name of Ister'in (eestireen). Instead of revenge as one might expect you decide to join them. Throughout the story you'll learn more about the Protaganist and his life. How he was tortured by his relatives due to him posessing weird powers. His village absolutely hated him and the day before he was going to be hanged. You do not join them at first, you go to various different places looking on more information on them. You do various tasks from this one masked man who says is a part of the Ister'in Race. You eventually gain their trust... Until the Varadians start organizing a special force to take out the Ister'in. One by one you must defeat their members, you learn that your village

leader is still alive. You absolute hate the village leader's guts. He was the one who first occused you of being a witch. You decide to take the ultimate revenge upon him. By destroying the empire he treasures so much. In this game you're goal is to assassination the village leader who also happens to be the empire of the kingdom.

Mechanics: Boy/Girl Choosing (Pick the gender of the protaginist), Pick the Protaganists Name. A fame level (Kind of like the one Fable uses except that there is only a badguy fame and you gain fame through quests to unlock various rewards)

Art Style: I'd like to keep this game to a medieval setting so I'd prefer if the artstyle is similar.

Music: The music can be decided by the game Developer.

Anyone can use this and do whatever they want but I'd appreciate in their ending credits they put "Story Originally Thought of by Hitman26" or similar. Thank you for reading my idea!

 

[Kes]

Hitman26, please refrain from necro-posting in a thread. Necro-posting is posting in a thread that has not had posting activity in over 30 days. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.