Game Design: Programming Challenge

[bob]

Hey Guys,

In case you didn't notice, there's a new challenge up in the programming section. It's a contest to make the best game using "indirect control." I'm going to write a game using Flash. Whether you're planning on entering the contest or not, I thought a thread for brainstorming ideas would be cool.

My first two ideas:

Bullrush:
You are a guy with a stick in a field with a cow. Your objective is to poke the cow and make it move. Then keep poking it and make it move faster. Eventually, the cow is moving at lightspeed and crashing through galaxies, all with you frantically running beside it poking it with your stick to keep it moving. Crazy? Yes. Amazing? We'll see.

TMNT:
A sequel to the classic SNES TMNT using "indirect control." The game uses a top-down perspective like TMNT. You are some omniscient being that throws boxes of pizza onto the level to make the 4 TMNT do things. Throw a box of pizza behind a crowd of enemies and the Turtles will fight their way through the enemies to get to it. Each turtle has his own favorite kind of pizza too, so you can throw different kinds of pizza onto the level to make the turtles accomplishes objectives independently. I think this could be a really awesome game. I might start looking into ways to program it... COWABUNGA!

[Protector one]

Bullrush sounds pretty cool. It reminded me of the scene in X-Men Last Stand where Juggernaut chases Kitty Pryde through the walls. Oh, and Muscle March.

[Digitalpolarity]

Bob,

Your TMNT idea instantly reminded me of the old NES game A Boy and His Blob

The Bullrush idea had me thinking along the lines of any of the Battletoads titles, with the segments of gamplay where you have to navigate your ship/motorcycle whatever through walls of spikes.

Just knee-jerk reaction!

[bob]

Hey, I'm glad you guys think my ideas are cool, but the point is for you to post your own! The programming challenge is a great opportunity to make something for your portfolio - if you have the skills, you should do it. Or even if you don't, find someone who wants help with design, or if you're an artist you could help there. Art is a HUGE part of any game.

[Isaak]

So, I was walking the dog and the moon peeked through the clouds.

Tangent in 3... 2... 1...:
Game where the player controls the moon to peek through the clouds to illuminate the way for a character (a young girl for instance). The player has to seek out traps, obstacles and enemies for the girl to overcome.

Alternatively the player could control the clouds to cover a character from moonlight (a 17th century burglar) to allow him to achieve his or her goal. When the character comes across guards, the player has to quickly maneuver clouds in front of the moon to shroud the character in darkness and avoid detection.

[bob]

Isaak,

That sounds like it could be fun. You should flesh it out for us.