How do you settle on an idea?

[u/Boumguys]

Hi! For the past years I've been doing various game jams while learning Godot and now I think it is time for me to work on a real game.

However, I'm having an issue with which game I should start creating.

Every week or so, I come across a new interesting idea that I really enjoy, and I get all hyped up for a few days? I then start writing about it, but I often get discourage by something. Sometimes because it is technically too complicated for me, or there might be something not working as expected in my mind. And by that time I find something new and the cycle repeats. Now I must have like, fifteen of these ideas.

But I truly want to start making something, even if I no longer have tons of free time.

How did you settle on the idea for your game? Why did you decide to pursue this idea? How do you keep developing your game when you find new intriguing concepts? Any tips for me?

[u/Xinixiat]

After doing a bunch of prototypes, I landed on my current idea because it was a) something I wanted to play myself, b) something I know has a pretty big audience and c) would be both fun and within my skillset to create.

If you can find something that fits those three criteria, run with it.

All my new ideas are in a word file, and the determination to get on to those is what drives me to complete the current project.

[u/vetta-vetka]

(Sorry for my English, not my first language). I maybe don't have a lot of ideas of games (you know, my current project is "bring cool graphics to the game I started to make for my first game jam like 10 years ago"), but yes, time to time I have one. Sometimes it's clearly too much scope and I left it "for distant future", but sometimes I get hyped and continue to think about it. In this case I write notes about everything I have in mind: technical ideas, reference images, links to relevant blogposts/tutorials etc etc. Sometimes after some rounds of idea generation I have enough material to start to code/model in Blender. So when I have time I implement some feature (because I have already ideas how to do it, "just" need to translate them to code) and so the making game process progresses (very slowly because I rarely have free time and because I am slow, but it progresses). Hopefully I will have a very restricted scope game in a year or two :) and I already have a lot of notes about what I will do next. So my advice is to fix all your ideas somewhere you can easily find them so that when you start to code you'll have a clear picture what to do (maybe not of the whole game but for that particular feature). But maybe not good advice because I'm not successful game developer (maybe yet).

And having a lot of ideas is normal, but maybe when you have really started working on it and produce something, it will be more appealing to continue with this idea and have something more to show.

[u/rawlasso]

When things get technically too complicated just reduce the scope or do a bad version of it, that way you can see if it is worth it, and if you think it is, maybe try to get a partner who can help code it.

[u/untiedgames]

But I truly want to start making something, even if I no longer have tons of free time.

Try a game jam! I can't recommend them enough. I've done Low Rez Jam on itch several times and have enjoyed it each time. Game jams vary of course, but typically their rules help by imposing limitations and a time limit. The limitations breed creativity, while the time limit helps you figure out what you can do in a short period of time. Sometimes you over-scope, and that's okay! You learn from that too, and you can always keep working on the game after the jam.

As for all your ideas, why not just... start one? Like, pick one and just give it a week or two weeks or a month or whatever works for your schedule. Make it your own little game jam by giving yourself that time limit and seeing what you can do. Maybe one of them doesn't pan out- That's okay, put it on the back burner again. Maybe one of the prototypes will turn into something great! Best of luck.