My hobby is making game, web, and story concepts. I create them on my own. So many people here talk about ideas and methods for game design, so I was wondering if anybody would be willing to making a community game design document. Not a completely detailed finished concept just a raw fun to make concept. I'll just pick a random theme, write down some rules to follow and post it on google docs. I think it would be fun and I am willing set it up if anyone wants to participate. We could create a new one with a new theme each week. Comment or post if you think this sounds fun or interesting to you.

You're looking for a reusable game design doc template? Or what? Design docs tend to look quite different for different genres of game.

Personally, I have enough half-finished designs and ideas sitting around. The thought of collaborating to make more doesn't really appeal to me.

Personally, I have enough half-finished designs and ideas sitting around. The thought of collaborating to make more doesn't really appeal to me.

I'm not trying to have people create an official game concept. Its more like having a simple game theme and everyone contributing their own ideas and small game mechanics to it. People can write down outrageous or simple things. I think that would be neat. Should I make one as an example?

I also have quite a lot of half finished and just started ideas too.

I'm not totally sure how game design docs work, but I'll be happy to help.

An example would go a long way if you have time to make one.

Are you looking to make a full game design document or something more akin to a concept document? The latter I can imagine doing in a week easily enough, the former not so much.

In my own opinion designing a game by committee (which I think is what you are aiming for) tends to result in uninspired games. Part of the reason for that is there is obviously a lot of clashing of egos (designers do tend to have rather big ones at times) which inevitably result in compromise. I can imagine that over the internet these issues would be magnified. I would favour a competition similar to the one held over on the writing forums by Sun. A basic idea is put forward with a set of requirements then everyone is required to design a game following these requirements and then submit it to you. Everyone then reads through them and gives feedback.

Another thing that you need to keep in mind (and sorry if you knew this already) is that a lot of designers jealously guard their ideas out of fear of them being stolen. I have seen in a few times on this forum as well as plenty of other times in real life/other sites. This just means that you may very well get little in terms of response to such a competition.

An example would go a long way if you have time to make one.

Are you looking to make a full game design document or something more akin to a concept document? The latter I can imagine doing in a week easily enough, the former not so much.

In my own opinion designing a game by committee (which I think is what you are aiming for) tends to result in uninspired games. Part of the reason for that is there is obviously a lot of clashing of egos (designers do tend to have rather big ones at times) which inevitably result in compromise. I can imagine that over the internet these issues would be magnified. I would favour a competition similar to the one held over on the writing forums by Sun. A basic idea is put forward with a set of requirements then everyone is required to design a game following these requirements and then submit it to you. Everyone then reads through them and gives feedback.

Another thing that you need to keep in mind (and sorry if you knew this already) is that a lot of designers jealously guard their ideas out of fear of them being stolen. I have seen in a few times on this forum as well as plenty of other times in real life/other sites. This just means that you may very well get little in terms of response to such a competition.

I'm not asking for something as complicated as you guys are thinking. I'm talking about a very simple easy theme and then everyone just thinks up simple game mechanics they would add pertaining to that theme. Then everyone can read other peoples ideas for that theme and add small notes to them on what they think would make that idea better. So really the longest someones idea would have to be is a paragraph. I'll make one on google docs soon as an example and post it here.

I am also very secretive about my ideas just like everyone else, but if there is a random theme that will most likely not have anything to do with their own ideas, they will probably be more likely to contribute.

What is the purpose of being secretive about ones ideas? No one is out their waiting to steal some random person's not even prototyped or tested or fleshed out idea.

What is the purpose of being secretive about ones ideas? No one is out their waiting to steal some random person's not even prototyped or tested or fleshed out idea.

If you hear a good idea you will automatically remember it and incorporate it into one of your own ideas and you might not even know it. You will also never achieve anything by telling random people on the internet all your ideas.