How to Build a Game (part 4/5)

Innovation in your game design doesn’t necessarily have to involve breaking traditions of that genre, though if you are willing to go that route and take the risks, it can definitely make your game stand out. Innovation can also exist within a genre and its traditions through the subject matter or characters. As a random example, I don’t think there are currently any RPG’s about playing as an accountant or bank teller, but who knows, maybe someone will find a way to make an interesting game with characters in those professions. Even if all the standard RPG game mechanics were still present, the setting and characters—and consequently, the storyline—would be unusual enough to possibly gain the curiosity of gamers. The point is that something needs to make your game stand out, because you should be asking yourself this question from the very beginning: Why would people buy my game instead of other, similar games? However, one of the biggest challenges when trying to innovate is not to do it just to be able to claim you were innovative. In any creative profession, it is often easy to identify when a person has a genuine, unique idea and when something has been entirely contrived. Whether you break traditions through a unique story, setting, characters, or by altering traditional gameplay within a genre, remember that you really need to be a believer in those changes and put a lot of thought into the new design. Otherwise, it won’t be long before you’ll be called out on it in game reviews.