Concept First Worldbuilding

Concept-First Worldbuilding

Start with a game concept

Focus on a narrative element or specific mechanics, or focus on game logic

Ask “what if” to brainstorm, let wild ideas flow

• What if everyone is a superhero?

• What if the player is on a moving train?

• What if the player knows the future?

Examples

My Hero Academia - every character has super powers

One Punch Man - the main character can knock out anyone with a single punch

Omniscient Reader - the main character is the only reader of a dark apocalyptic web novel that becomes a reality, with scenarios and skill leveling like a video game

Examples in The Sandbox

Space Hero

Multi award winning creators Sho, Tokinari, and Senm made the winning entry for the Gamee game jam. “Space Hero” is an innovative top down game where the player stands on top of a spaceship to shoot at a variety of enemy ships and collect helpful items for health, defense, and offense.

The game simulated light speed travel through space with a combination of a fixed camera, a stationary object as the player's center of gameplay, and moving platform behaviour on the scenery, including light streaks, stars, planets, and more.

With basic movement buttons and pressing E to interact, the gameplay fits the casual genre well, but it feels like there is a lot more depth due to the attention to visual details and the agency the player has to impact the outcome even with a small range of motion.

Train of the Dead

This top 3 winner in The Walking Dead game jam used a similar concept of using a stationary object as the center of gameplay and creating a sense of motion with platform behaviour applied to all of the scenery. However, "Train of the Dead" included added pressure that made the gameplay quite thrilling.

Creator _Nickk pushed players to get to the end of the train before it's too late, all while fighting off zombies while evading obstacles, making difficult jumps, and using objects to make progress forward. It's a challenging game that adds a layer of complexity through action and a sense of urgency.