You're navigating different game genres. How can you keep your creative spark alive?

Keeping your creative spark alive is easy if you're enjoying what you do. Remember to experiment, try new things, ideas and approaches. Be happy when you fail, and try something else. If you're not failing, you're not pushing the boundaries far enough and you're too close to your comfort zone. You'll only be truly creative when you let go of what you've done before, and do something you haven't. Or work with new people if that is too difficult for you. But if something really is difficult - you know you should be doing it, right?

"Necessity is the mother of invention." Starting a new project in a game genre you’ve never explored before can be intimidating, but always be open to change and embrace new challenges. Stepping out of your comfort zone will push you to learn new things and refine your skills as a designer. Learn from your mistakes and use them as a power-up to keep improving your ability to create exceptional game experiences. Remember to stay humble and grateful whenever you face a new challenge, as these are the best opportunities to grow and improve. Lastly, share your knowledge with others. Teaching is one of the best ways to question what we know and continuously enhance our understanding.

Keep a positive work/Life balance. Most often we get our creativity from our everyday lives. The experience and imagination of a person and the "small quirks" we all have is what seperates us all and often times we get stuck in a "daily grind" and sadly overlook or take many things for granted. Having a balanced personal life helps break out of monotonous task's and simple thing's like taking a "break", and watching movies, or indulging in other activities that helps calm you down or focus.

More and more games are coming out these days that are exploring multiple different genres as a part of one game itself. As a game designer or a game developer, it is always good to be trying out different different genres games from smaller independent developers who have experimented with different engagement methods. You never know what might resonate with you and what can work for you as a possible solution in your game.

When trying to understand a new genre or a particular game, I find it best to watch Retrospectives on YouTube. This is my favorite way to learn about niche games that I've never heard of or games from the past that I missed out on playing

It's impossible to reinvent the wheel, so stick to what you know and like. A good designer is a dedicated player and researcher who can easily identify accessible and pleasurable solutions in design. Translating them into their own designs and experiences is something that allows coming up with incredible feature combinations. Yes, you can have an old school RPG with surreal art like Disco Elysium or a fast paced first person shooter with a heart wrenching story like Halo - it's all about playing, analysing and incorporating your favourite game elements into your design, regardless of the genre.

Playing games and keeping my creative spark alive? It’s the best gig ever. With over 30 years of gaming under my belt and 15 years in game development, I’ve learned that the secret sauce is simple: play, learn, and repeat. Every new genre is like a fresh shot of inspiration. After all, what better way to stay sharp than by doing what you love? It’s been a wild ride, and I’m just getting started!

Always record play sessions, and then go back and transcribe at least portions of them. Set aside your own ego and look at what is happening through a neutral perspective.

Keeping the creative spark alive while navigating different game genres can be a thrilling challenge. Here are a few strategies to help you stay inspired and innovative: Immerse Yourself in Each Genre: Play a wide variety of games within the genre you're working on, and explore both classic and contemporary examples. This will help you understand what makes each genre unique and how you can bring fresh ideas to the table. Blend Genres: Combining elements from different genres can lead to exciting and novel gameplay experiences. For example, mixing puzzle mechanics with a narrative-driven RPG can result in a unique game that stands out.

Be humble, honest and open to others ideas and feedback and don't be afraid to share your own. Try to make sure everyone has the same end goal and vision in mind that everyone is working toward. And remember, games are supposed to be fun so make sure you have some while throwing ideas around.

One thing i've found helpful is to always be aware of new development ideas during any conversations and interactions with other game master or game enthusiasts.

Always try to listen more than you speak, and ask questions. Record conversations with permission and transcribe them, you can find nuggets of great ideas you may have missed.

And also reach out to your friends to tell you what they think and tell them to criticize it so you can know the ups and lows.....let the developer see the technical and let friends and families see the world view of non developers

In my experience, one of the most helpful thing is, that some of the most innovative ideas have come from bouncing thoughts off of fellow game designers, artists, and programmers. Collaboration pushes you out of your usual thought patterns, leading to more dynamic and unique game designs. The best work often comes from a team that’s willing to listen, experiment, and build on each other’s strengths. It’s not just about adding more hands to the project; it's about challenging each other and thinking in ways you wouldn’t normally consider. So, yeah collab with the people that you can vibe with.

The best place to spark innovation and creativity comes from indie game designers who are creating the game out of passion for unique game designs. Don't just analyze AAA games but gain inspiration from those low rated steam games which have 5-10 players monthly and you may be surprsied!

Try to learn at least what a new popular game, movie, book, song or whatever is about and preferably check it out, even if it "isn't your thing per sé".

Being keen on whats coming out and new in the industry is always a plus. It can help make things otherwise thought undoable all of a sudden doable. Or it might just help in simplifiying something you want to do, suddenly sparking your interest again or fludding your thoughts with new ideas.

Unless you are making a game just for yourself, share your ideas early and often. If you want other people to play and enjoy your game, work with your target audience from the start to make sure you are steering your game in a direction they also enjoy. It is way easier to scrap or change a games design in the beginning rather than after working something for a long time and then finding out your game only appeals to you.

I've learned that seeking feedback is not just a step in the process—it’s a game-changer. Early on, I used to be hesitant about sharing my work, fearing criticism. But once I started opening up and sharing my projects with a community of gamers and fellow designers, I realized just how invaluable feedback truly is. I remember one particular time when I shared a game prototype I was excited about. I thought I had nailed the mechanics, but a few testers pointed out how certain elements felt repetitive or could be more engaging. At first, it stung a bit, but then I took a step back and saw their comments as opportunities rather than criticisms. Those insights pushed me to think differently and later made the game better.

Playtest and gather the feedback. Filter out the trolls and nonsense then dig in and see if new ideas have been given. Do this a lot, in all aspects of your game, and communicate with your fans.

While developing a game, it’s crucial to test it with users and friends and seek their feedback. This helps you gain an outside perspective, as your own ideas might seem great to you but not to others. Constructive feedback is essential for identifying areas for improvement and can inspire new ideas, making your game better overall.

Remember to not just get feedback from gamers, sometimes the testers who dont normally play come up with the greatest solutions or ideas.

Les idées ne viennent que quand notre cerveau est disponible. Quand il est noyé par le flux de notre activité, il est difficile de générer des idées innovantes. Alors prendre du temps, alléger son agenda, dormir, sont des actions essentielles pour continuer à "trouver les bonnes idées" ^^

When relaxing, a few things that help me stay creative are playing new and unique board games with family and friends, reading fantasy novels, and exploring engaging books that help me unwind and enjoy my downtime.

This is the most important part for creativity. To be creative is not to think a lot, it's actually the opposite. You let your mind rest, and then ideas come. I usually take a walk surrounded by nature, I play with my son, or even meditate. Breathing help as well. Visiting other places, get distracted with things you like. The biggest idea came to me playing Ocarina of Time when I was stuck in a project. So, let your mind rest, have fun, take some distance of what you're doing or trying to do. This will help you free your fixed ideas and let new ideas to come in.

I may be a little different here, but I really like going back to a game I absolutly love when recharging. Just having fun and relaxing to something I enjoy.