Brainstorming
You can’t schedule creativity, there, I’ve said it. You can schedule the work that goes into building an idea into a solid workable prototype, you can schedule the different aspects of the development cycle you intend to follow … but coming up with new ideas?
You might find these are best uncovered in the traffic on your way to work, while your mind wanders while doing the dishes, or reading a book before bed. Personally, I find with Kodu Game Lab, it’s when I’m pulling apart somebody else’s game that I’m most often inspired by a new idea.
And where does brainstorming fit in? Well, there are a number of ways you can try to kick start the creative process. It might be simply by messing around with the Game Lab, or you might find making a list of the things you want to achieve in your game brings out some ideas. There are numerous approaches to brainstorming, the trick is finding the one that works best for you.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Automatic writing
Simply start writing as quickly as you can, all the things you want in a game. Don’t stop for spelling or punctuation, don’t stop to consider or flesh out your ideas. Just write as fast as you can, everything that pops into your head on the subject. Set your self a time limit, a couple of minutes perhaps. Now, stop writing, sit back, and put a circle around anything that catches your eye.
Switch off
Sometimes just switching off for a while is the best way for new ideas to spring forth. If you find the new ideas just arn’t coming, take a break and go for a run, have a bath, and give your mind a rest for a while. You’ll be surprised how often getting off the task for a short time can be the best way to inspire a new idea!
Messing about
Playing with the Kodu Game Lab with no clear goal is another way you can find inspiration for a new game. Don’t head in with any clear intentions in mind. Simply start up Kodu, and start building! Try things you’d normally not consider just to see what happens. You can discover allot about the Lab when you’re not placing yourself under any pressure – and you might just find a new idea will surface from all your unplanned messing about.
Paper prototype
Sometimes using a different medium can a great way of inspiring new ideas. I know for example, that I approach problem solving differently when I’m typing, as opposed to when I choose to sit down with paper and pencil. As I tend to type very fast, using paper and pencil forces me to slow down and more closely consider the language I’m using and the ideas I’m exploring. The same applies to designs on paper with Kodu. Draw an approximation of your world and then start putting in characters and ideas. Once you’re done, try recreating it in the Game Lab.