Level Up.pdf

32 LEVEL 2 Ideas
3. Something to write on
4. A place to work
5. Collaborators, preferably ones who also have working brains.
Before you start brainstorming, you need to set some ground rules. First,
there is no such thing as a stupid or bad idea. Say yes to everything at this
stage. Make sure you collaborate with people from other disciplines than
game design: programmers, artists, testers, writers. The more diverse your
brainstorming group is the better9 . People always surprise me with what
they bring to the idea creation process.
Think about all the things you want your game to be. Then write them down.
Your goal is to free associate an idea as far as it can go. Milk the idea
completely. When you have reached the ridiculous, then squeeze it once
more and let it go. Here are some of the notes from one of my
brainstorming sessions:
9 Keep in mind that everyone you invite to your brainstorming session should understand how
to make a game though, otherwise you might waste a lot of time on unrealistic ideas.