LD46 Theme Ideas

LD46 Theme Ideas

Dreams
-- anything can be a dream

You are the power source
-- BOTW electric puzzles

Turn violent genre non-violent
-- Fighting game -> tickling game
-- FPS -> Cupid shooting people to make them fall in love

An Abandoned World
-- Set piece, could be anything

1 minute to prepare
-- Tower defense?
-- Build some kind of shelter with tetronimos for 1 minute and then... ???
-- Some kind of typing game where you have to memorize a short paragraph within 1 minute and then type it back

Decay
-- Robot falling apart. Possibly gain repairs as you progress.

Side Effects
-- ship with side-mounted gun turrets which are the "side effects"

Fragile
-- One touch and you die
-- catching glass objects with pillows
-- balancing something with 2D physics

Outdated Technology
-- Can't use modern technology. Have to use outdated technology to escape a house or room or something

Ruins
-- Similar to Garden (just a setting in ruins)

Momentum
-- Downward Suckers
-- Dillo Hills

Automation
-- The Incredible Machine

Keep It Alive
-- Similar to Growing a Tree theme
-- Tamagotchi
-- Furby

Garden
-- Green platformer
-- lawn mower racer with commentators who make fun of the game

Connections
-- Match 3
-- Pipe Dreams
-- Airport or bus stop connections
-- Planetary Devourers



An ancient language
-- ciphered language could justify any kind of gameplay from the plot perspective
Butterfly Effect
-- Chain reaction game
Deja vu
-- Time shmup
You are the Dungeon
-- rotate walls or activate traps
Grow a tree
-- nourish, water, heal a tree as you try to get it as large as possible
Four Elements
-- Match three
-- Elements interact with each other, strategy/tactical decisions
Three rules, only one active at a time
-- platformer where player controls rules such as "no running" or "no jumping" or "no shooting"
You are the princess waiting to be rescued
-- in a tower, helping your friends rescue you by throwing rocks or shooting arrows at the enemies
Equilibrium
-- Tetronimos or objects balancing a scale (using numbers and trying to keep the sum on each side equal)
Sabotage
-- Spy vs. Spy
-- Alien Swarm map mod -> destroy servers to prevent competitive organization from taking advantage of alien invasion
-- use sabotage to justify any kind of gameplay ("quick, escape before th sabotaged reactor blows up!")
Echo
-- Time Shmup idea
Tower Offense
-- Swords & Soldiers
Mythology
-- ??
Fragmentation
-- Break a stone into smaller sizes that fit a shape dug out from the ground
Turn a job into a game
-- Desert Bus
Evolve
-- Pokemon, or anything where you upgrade to something better over time
-- Mutant Motorcycles
Replication
-- Time Shmup idea, modified to require you to gather materials (nanites) to replicate yourself and double your power
You Can't Save Them All
-- Fruit catcher style game
-- Trolley dilemma/problem
Control two things at once
-- Twin stick shooter racer
Stuck in the loop
-- Time shmup idea?
Multiple Perspectives
-- ??
Magnetism
-- Some kind of physics puzzler that deals with pulling or pushing objects around
Malfunction
-- Similar to Sabotage ideas
Reflection
-- Deleveled?
Planets
-- Anything in space?
-- Planetary Devourers
Seasons
-- Don't Starve
Protect the King
-- Pengo the penguin with a hammer (enemies approach the king, you smash them to protect the king)
Shelter
-- Dino Run or similar platformer where you have gaps of safety and you need to get to shelter before fireballs rain down on you or whatever
Inconvenient Superpowers
-- Growing too large to navigate a cave or something
Delayed Effects
-- Lag Simulator 2020
-- Collect powerup and it doesn't go into effect until later