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byearthithatius • last Tuesday at 9:21 PM • 3 replies • view on HN

Is there a place I can read about taking unique creative approaches to original topics/games/concepts like this? "Thinking Different with Basics". I like this so much but its because it gets at an essence of creativity applied to the obvious I don't know how to learn or search for:(

Replies

wonger_ • last Tuesday at 10:40 PM

I watched this GDC talk recently about practical creativity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyVTxGpEO30

I like his perspective that creativity = using an existing pattern in a new context.

You can be more creative by first consuming lots of different patterns in all sorts of contexts (e.g. playing lots of games, and also reading and experiencing lots of topics unrelated to games).

Then you try all the different permutations of patterns in your mental toolbox. Kinda like how the sibling comment rattled off different what-ifs.

EDIT oh and oblique strategies might be helpful to come up with variations on an existing theme: https://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html

rustystump • last Tuesday at 9:48 PM

Sadly i dont know if this can be learned persay as it wobbles along the “creativity” line.

Id say that youd need to have a genuine curiosity along with a “what if” mindset that is hard to teach. The path to these ideas is often a train of what ifs, what if snake was 3d? Then what if it was 3d on a planet? What about a cube?

You can take the same thought to other games. What if pong was 3d or on a sphere? What if pong supported 100 people playing together? How would that work?

Often what ifs will be deadends or uninteresting. It is like sales, a volume game. But u got to like the process or you wont get far.

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