Ludum Dare time! For those that don't know, Ludum Dare is a thrice-yearly event in which people from around the world attempt to create video games from start to finish in 72 hours centered around the theme. The theme, which won't be announced until the start of the contest, is chosen through multiple rounds of voting, and has been narrowed down to twenty finalists.
I thought it might be fun to go through the different proposed themes, talk about potential ideas, and cite already existing games for inspiration. The way I see it, the challenge lies not just in following the theme, but in taking a different twist on it then everyone else.
Abandoned - This is a pretty broad theme. It could be about an abandoned town or house, in the vein of Gone Home, or about a person or child who has been abandoned. Definitely expect to see a lot of horror-themed games for this one.
Alone in the World - The obvious way to go on this one would be an I Am Legend style, post-apocalyptic setting, but I think there's other options. Maybe you're in a populated world, but you're totally unique, the only one of your kind - maybe the last of your species, or maybe the world's first fully sentient robot.
A Map Will Be Useful - I'd expect to see a lot of dungeon crawlers and Zelda-style adventures on this one; probably a fair share of Metroidvanias, too. An interesting twist might be forcing the player to create their own map, a la Etrian Odyssey.
Attraction - Expect to see a lot of visual novels on this one, but probably some magnet-style puzzlers, as well. Might be interesting to do a Katmari Darmacy or Bit.Trip Void style game here.
A World in the Skies - an easier theme, as it really only informs the setting, not the gameplay. Still, expect to see a lot of airship games in the style of Skies of Arcadia or Guns of Icarus.
Beyond the Wall - Another pretty broad theme. Probably going to see a lot of RPGs on this one, as it sets up perfectly for a hero's quest style story - you're the first person in eons to venture outside your home town's walls, etc.
Build Your Way Out - Expect everyone to make Minecraft or Gary's Mod clones for this one. It's going to be hard to come up with a game that meets the theme without going in that direction, and thus very hard to stand out from among the crowd. Maybe a Lemmings clone?
Can’t Stop Moving - Here's a prime example of where creativity will be required to stand out. Expect everyone to make endless runners - they're popular, easy to program, and fit the theme to a tee. A better way to go would be to look at it metaphorically - maybe you're a guy on the run from on town to the next, being chased by an unseen enemy.
Chain Reaction - I'd expect to see a lot of match-3 puzzlers here - another genre that's easy and popular. Probably some science games, too. A more interesting take might be to do an Ikaruga-style shooter.
Companion - Another theme that would probably see a fair share of visual novels. You could do a game based around controlling two characters, like Cookies & Cream or ilomilo.
Day and Night - The obvious angle would be to do a game based around a day and night cycle, like Majora's Mask or Castlevania 2. You could also take a more yen/yang approach and do something in the vein of Ikaruga.
Death is Not the End - You could do something centered around killing yourself - see the next entry - or something like Shadowman or Two Brothers where the afterlife is a big part of the gameplay.
Destroying Yourself - There's actually been a number of puzzle games over the years - Karoshi, End of the Line, Five Minutes to Kill Yourself, Life Goes On - where the point of the game is to kill yourself. A more creative take might be an action game where your deteriorating - you have one less ability each level, for instance.
Expanding World - This seems like a perfect fit for randomly generated levels, where you can have a game world that expands infinitely. Maybe something roguelike or Minecraft-like.
Growing Things - I'd say an RTS game, in the style of Pikmin, would be the obvious way to go with this theme, but RTSs are extremely difficult to program, and definitely don't lend themselves to a three day challenge. Maybe something in the style of Tamagotchi or the Sonic Adventure Chao Gardens? Definitely a harder theme.
Limited Capacity - I don't think you're going to see any one definite trend on this one. Political games, police games, platforms with limited ammo/resources... there's a ton of different interpretations.
No Enemies - One of the trickiest themes on here, because it sets so many rules about the game's design.... unless you wanted to interpret it as "leave none of my enemies standing" or "killing your friends: the game".
One Rule - Sorry guys, I'm gonna be a jerk on this one, but I've got a really awesome idea for this one and it's actually the theme I'm voting for, so I'm keeping my thoughts to myself...
Power Supply - Lot of different ways you could go on this one. A game about robots? A game about limited ammo or resources? A game about robots with limited ammo and/or resources? ...okay, maybe not that many different ways.
You are the Monster - You'll probably see a lot of Rampage and Destroy All Human clones with this one, maybe with some Last Of Us inspired stuff sprinkled in. Me personally, I'd just make a full-length version of this Warioware game....
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