Rant: how do you people even think up these simple games?

Without going into too many details, I want to work on a project that won't take too much time; something simple enough that would just take a couple months to finish up and release. I just want to have SOMETHING finished, something released under my own company name.
I want to state that again just to drive it home. Not just "have a game that's done" but have something I could actually try to sell like on Steam or another online store, and have this be something that would be a title posted under my company name; a brand I intend to carry with me and use throughout my life. It doesn't have to be grand, but it can't be something I'd be embarrassed to be associated with.

But for the life of me, I can never think of anything I'd be satisfied with. I want to make games like the ones I like to play; that I grew up playing. So I always have grand ideas for full-length adventures. I want to create worlds to explore and monsters to fight and princesses to rescue. But games like that take a lot of time.

I should be doing something simple and inventive. And I see games like this all the time; I see dozens of teams create them in game jams and other competitions. All kinds of simple or casual games, from guiding leaves through a stream to physics-based puzzles. Hell, even new takes on tile-matching games.
But I just don't have the mindset for something of that scope.

I hear people give advice like "remake pac-man" and "remake frogger" and that's great advice for people who need to learn how to use Unity and other such tools, but I've already learned those kinds of basics, and I want to make something that I can sell, and that I don't mind having mentioned on my company's site as "the first game we released." And for that I need something at least a little bit original.

I don't know how people do it. No matter how many times I try to think of something simple that I could do, I just can't invent something simple. I need a larger world to explore. I need a hero in my game and some kind of story. I need dragons to slay. And there's just no easy way to make a game like that.

 

It sounds more like you don´t want to rather that you can´t. If you keep trailing off to thinking about grand adventures while trying to come up with an simple idea you naturally won´t make any progress.

My advice would be to capitalize your good feeling about something specific you like - for example the idea of fighting a giant dragon - and trying to extract the essence of what awokes the feeling while always looking for easier design which accomplish the same goal. This way you can be passionate about the simple idea while actually keeping it within scope.

For example:
Dragon has to be massive -> But making a complicated moving large creature to fight takes too much time -> Hm, how about making the dragon fly so high that the player can only see the massive shadow moveing on the ground.
Ah, but how do I fight the dragon now that he is just a shadow -> Maybe he just on occasion exposes one part of him like a giant foot from the air.
The awesome thing is how destructive a dragon can be -> But making many different destructiable things is a nightmare -> Hm, how about picking an art style where I can just make smaller components to recombine in larger structures for variety for example bush like leafs for different trees and vegetation.
I want a level up and equipment system -> Hm, actually this ain´t needed when I just want to make a game about fighting dragons (Side note: I "want" is already a red flag for this approach - the question is what the idea needs not what kind of things you like from other games)

And so on.
Of course this approach won´t guarantee that you will come up with a fun and simple idea but the good thing is that you have a leading principle you are passionate about as a target. If a system turns out too complicated or just not fun you always have your principle to fall back on so that you can replace it without losing the core of your vision.

 

I would somewhat agree with this statement. I think that the motivation for making this simple game – producing it quickly, having something to identify with – might be what is holding you back. I also think your expectations might be too high. To be more specific, I think it's difficult to expect to make a decent game in two months. Even simple but decent games require sacrifices.

On a more positive note, you have some really great ideas and it sounds like you do want to undertake a meaningful project. A challenge for many people is to concentrate on a few cool ideas rather than trying to include all your ideas in one project. Good luck!

 

Usually - people start with a single mechanic - as an example - click the correct shape or color to gain points, or fit the shape in the hole.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/578850/640/
http://ultraflow.net/

This is - imo - contradictory to the previous quote/statement, so you have to write a list. Which is more important - creating something that is small/core, simple mechanic that can be completed in a couple months. Or do you want to create something that can be sold on steam.
The list is pros/cons for small/quick release - OR - sellable steam game (longer with more polish)
Whichever one has more pros wins! Hey - - that could be a game?!?

Yes - there are some successful products that are created in a couple months on steam, but those are exceptions, probably less than 1%. The VAST majority of successful content on steam was not created in only a couple months.

Which is more important - scoping for only a couple months dev time, or releasing something you can sell? If the answer is - both - then the game has to be very light on complexity - both in mechanics and visual fidelity.
Pixel art with minimal mechanics - where you can create as many levels/stages as you can to be viable for sale, OR pre-made assets - that you can modify in relative short time to make them look distinct - compared to the other games that are using those same assets.

A solo developer can still create those games - IF - they reduce scope in areas that take the most amount of time.
i.e. visual fidelity, polish and complexity. Reduce graphic quality/fidelity and a single person can create 'grand' full-length adventures, set in worlds to explore with monsters to fight.
Emphasis here should be paid to reducing scope, fidelity and complexity. So how many worlds do you need to create to make a full-length adventure, and how many monsters are needed to keep the action fresh and not repetitive. Remember each monster needs to be designed, created, animated and coded in engine.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/475240/ORCS/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/316810/Shadowcrypt/ (most likely this took 4x more time to develop than 2 months, but this could be scoped down to be something manageable in a 2 month time frame).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/674210/Rush_to_Adventure/ (same as above)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/643200/Keep_in_Mind_Remastered/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/760700/FYD/

A couple free game examples - released on steam - which any developer should/could be content/happy with the end result.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/751690/The_Mammoth_A_Cave_Painting/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/798280/CrocoMars/

Also - 2 months isn't a measurement of anything except for 60 days.
Better to measure scope in hours available. If you have at least 8 hours a day to dedicate to game development, that is 480 hours available in 2 months. If you work full-time, you might not have as much time available, maybe 4 hours max a day, so that only leaves 240 hours available within a 2 month window.
How many development hours are you expecting to have available during that 2 month time frame? That time estimate along with your skill/ability will determine how much 'game' you can scope within that time frame. That narrows down the type/complexity of game you can create - so that focuses your mind to think about games that fall within that 'scope'.
Here is an example of the first version of celeste, a pretty great game, revised and released on steam recently.

In my opinion - any creation similar to these games - with reduced gameplay length and/or scope could be completed in 2 months (480 hours) and could be something a person could be content with releasing, even if it doesn't sell many copies.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/463220/Dungeon_of_Zolthan/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/227580/10000000/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/391170/Void_Invaders/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/422970/Devil_Daggers/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/727020/Arcade_Moonlander/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/639650/1982/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/711560/Stone_Flower/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/220780/Thomas_Was_Alone/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/723500/Warlock_Revenge/
https://baku.itch.io/legend-of-xenia

And - not my preferred choice - but starting with a template isn't terrible, can save time - as long as you modify the base template so it does not look exactly like what is in the asset store - (asset flip)
Some examples (not sure about gevaudan) of games started with templates/assets, that aren't terrible asset flips.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/304930/Unturned/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/636520/Gevaudan/

Those are great places to get 'inspiration' to create something yourself. Look at some gamejam games. Are they incomplete, do they spark an idea - to create something for yourself?
https://itch.io/jam/lowrezjam2016/entries

https://lucregames.itch.io/lost-ethereal
Create the game you just described - in this low resolution constraint, similar to lost-ethereal. That would be a cool game!

 

Great ideas above. I would also suggest: participate in a game jam. No, participate in every game jam available to you. Interacting with other creative people, and the constraints imposed by the jam time limit and theme, are likely to spark creativity in you you never realized you had!

 

Most games are an iteration on existing gameplay, not an entirely new idea. This is especially true in the AAA space, where virtual all popular and highly profitable AAA games out there are just slight updates on ground already tread over and over for decades.

Don't get so hung up on making something brand new. Instead take something existing, and put it out with your own unique twist. Just do the equivalent of making your Dr Mario from Tetris.

For my first released game I wanted to do something simple as well. I looked at the games Waves and Geometry wars, and decided to do something like that but with a 3D perspective and my game evolved from there. My game wasn't a financial success but it got positive player feedback, and I'm still rather proud of it.

 

make rpg maker game

 

Dual-Purpose Design

There are ways to make a meal out of something simple.

 

I suggest you go through some iterative creative processes. They are probably harder to do alone as you tend to get stuck in your own loop without outside input, but if you keep at it you should be able to move forward a bit.
Write some words on a bunch of notes, mix them up and draw them in pairs. Try to think of some mechanic and design that involves those two words. Write it down. Keep doing it. It doesn't matter that it seems nonsensical, because sometimes that is exactly what you need to break out of the bubble. Something might be a bad solution to your problem, but sometimes that train of thought allows you keep going and then circle back and reach something that is feasible since it's not restricted.