Video game ideas worth making, from tiny to big

Small: one mechanic, one evening

• Gutter Boat. Endless runner as a paper boat in a rain gutter. Try: "paper boat runner down a gutter in the rain, leaves sink me, puddles boost me"
• You Are the Mole. You are the mole, dodging the hammer. Try: "I am the mole, pop up for coins, dodge the hammer, it gets faster"
• Windy Stack. Stack crates while the wind changes. Try: "stack crates on a rooftop, the wind changes every drop, 20 crates to win"
• Catch the Cat. Cats fall from a burning tower, you hold the trampoline. Try: "cats jump from a tower, move the trampoline, miss three and lose"
• Last Bus. Run to the stop before the doors close. Try: "run to the last bus, dodge people on the sidewalk, 30 seconds"

Medium: a few systems, a weekend

• Moving City Courier. Delivery where the streets rearrange. Try: "food delivery, the city blocks rotate every minute, 10 orders"
• Loser Picks the Map. A 1v1 shooter where the round loser picks the next arena. Try: "1v1 arena shooter, five rounds, the loser picks the next map"
• Ghost Cleaner. Clean a haunted house before the owners return. Try: "clean a haunted house in 5 minutes, ghosts mess up rooms behind me"
• Museum Night Guard. Exhibits move when the cameras are off. Try: "night guard in a museum, statues move when I switch cameras"
• Kitchen Table Rally. Toy cars racing across a messy table. Try: "toy car race across a kitchen table, cereal ramps, the cat is a hazard"

Big: a world to explore, a season

Big ideas need one clear hook so the world has a reason to exist. Play a rough version early; it is much cheaper to change a sentence than a finished map.

• Giant Slayer. Grapple through a city full of giants. Try: "grapple hooks and two blades, giants walk the city, free each district"
• Sinking Island. Survive with friends while the island shrinks a little every day. Try: "island survival with friends, the sea takes one beach a day"
• Lying Town. A detective game where some people lie. Try: "detective in a small town, two people lie, find who stole the bell"
• Horse Road. An open road on horseback with a sword. Try: "ride a horse down an endless road, sword fights, find the next town"

Questions people ask

What is a good video game idea?

One you can explain in a sentence, with one action you repeat and one twist that makes it new.

What game ideas are easy to make?

Runners, catch games and stacking games. They need one mechanic and finish in an evening.

Where can I turn a video game idea into a game?

On a computer, engines like Godot or GDevelop. On iPhone, Roam turns a sentence into a playable game.