Next, I started brainstorming potential game ideas. I tried to be as broad as I could. There were now two crucial elements of my game established at this point, both the essential experience and problem statement. I definitely knew that I was creating a game based on cognitive behavioural art therapy and that was the driving factor for these designs.

Crazy 8s:

I started off by completing a Crazy 8s. I set a timer for 8 minutes and completed a very quick sketch per minute for each box with a game idea.

Explanations of each drawing:

1. A visual novel that takes the player through the life of a character who is suffering from a mental health issue. Player has to make decisions so that they improve their mental well being.
2. A drawing game where the player is given prompts about what to draw and they have the freedom to express their feelings.
3. A game where you have to unlock new levels by completing mini games - the aim is to reach the top.
4. A side scroller where the player is a sad character who is on a journey of self-improvement. They have to puzzle solve until the character is happy.
5. A pet simulator where the pet gives CBAT advice and helps the player de-stress.
6. A 2D puzzle platformer where the player has to collect items that represent thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and match them correctly by situation.
7. A survival game where the player has to avoid negative emotions, behaviours and thoughts byt dodging them.
8. A restoration game where the player has to balance 3 different planets that represent thoughts, feelings, and behaviours by providing equal items e.g. buildings and houses so that they are equal.

I was really surprised at how stimulating this activity was for the brain. At first I felt like I had no ideas, but in just 8 minutes I managed to come up with 8 of them. Some I liked, some I really disliked, and some didn’t make much sense. But it was a great starting point and I felt excited to develop more ideas.

Verbs/Rules/Mechanics:

This exercise was done during Emma’s back to basics lecture. I found it quite difficult because I wasn’t sure what game idea I was going for, but I did know the general theme so Emma advised us to go with that. I focused on creative verbs because of my CBAT topic. From here I managed to note down possible mechanics, but I struggled a lot with the rules. This was a good exercise to get me thinking about the core fundamentals needed in game ideas.

The Four Basic Elements:

Using the four basic elements, addressed by Schell in his book The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Second Edition, I noted down ideas surrounding technology, mechanics, the story, and aesthetics. This, similarly to the rules/verbs/mechanics exercise, allowed me to focus on the core features of a game, which are essential.