Hi!

I'm trying to make a game in my free time, which I have lots of, and I was thinking about a base for the story. I was sure I was going to make something about a post-apocalyptic world and immediately though about zombies. Then I realised that, well, maybe there's too much games about zombies and maybe mine wouldn't make any difference and would be swallowed by the huge mass of generic zombie games and changed the subject.

But then I though again (yes, I change my mind a lot): why wouldn't I be allowed to create something just because there's lots of other games about a subject? So I need your opinion.

I intend to make my game kind of like this:

• Zombies are living beings and don't ressurect from the dead (like The Last of Us)
• You don't need to kill any healthy people even if they are "bandits", so you can always find another path or sneak past them
• Bullets really hurt (will usually kill or incapacitate) and first-aid kits don't fix the wounds, so you would have some kind of armor or a "luck" system which would work like this: some bullets that would hit you actually won't, but will decrease your remaining luck. It is confusing, and I don't have a lot of time to explain, so if you don't get it ask and I'll explain better later.

Thank you for reading.

EDIT: Of course, there was a lot more details than that, but I was in a hurry and couldn't write them all down. My bad. So this is the continuation.

First of all: it's going to use third person and will have lots of story while, hopefully, a very good gameplay.

As I've already said, the zombies are still living beings and, well, kind of human, but controlled by a incurable pathogen. They try to bite you in order to spread the disease. And survivors will do anything to survive.

I'm going to make a deep and sad game, which makes you think. It'll have many little stories scattered throughout the maps about lives destroyed by the outbreak.

There will be many different weapons: pipe, baseball bat, pistol, revolver, bow, shotgun, BB rifle (to practice shooting), hunting rifle and assault rifle. Ammo for the assault rifle is harder to find.

Your equipment is your backpack. You can make mods on it, so you can have more guns, for example.

Because the virus is probably going to be a mutation of the rabius one, animals can also turn.

I'm going to worry about the story later.

I probably forgot something again, but this is what I remember fow now. (this is the first time I write it down) I'm going to make a prototype first, of course.

I think there's more room for funny zombie games, especially if they make use of zombie animals rather than just humans. But I don't really see any room left for games that are just about shooting zombies who are trying to eat brains. Also if zombies are living beings, that kind of undercuts the original reason for using zombies as bad guys, which is that they aren't actually people and have no right to life, thus it's unequivocally good to slaughter them.

I think there's more room for funny zombie games, especially if they make use of zombie animals rather than just humans.

I think there's room for both extremes really, animalistic zombies, and zombies that are basically people shuffling around. It's the middle ground that people seem to be getting sick of, where you have some special zombies, and most just shuffle around.

Specifically, games that have well thought out stories (or at least "deep" survival stories) seem to be doing well with zombies right now.

I think there's more room for funny zombie games, especially if they make use of zombie animals rather than just humans.

I think there's room for both extremes really, animalistic zombies, and zombies that are basically people shuffling around. It's the middle ground that people seem to be getting sick of, where you have some special zombies, and most just shuffle around.

Specifically, games that have well thought out stories (or at least "deep" survival stories) seem to be doing well with zombies right now.

Personally i think the zombies are irrelevant.

What makes the game fun ? L4D for example is not fun because of the zombies, its fun because of how its mechanics push people to cooperate, You could take that game and move it to a sci-fi setting with aliens and it would still work.

I think there's more room for funny zombie games, especially if they make use of zombie animals rather than just humans.

I think there's room for both extremes really, animalistic zombies, and zombies that are basically people shuffling around. It's the middle ground that people seem to be getting sick of, where you have some special zombies, and most just shuffle around.

Specifically, games that have well thought out stories (or at least "deep" survival stories) seem to be doing well with zombies right now.

I meant, like, zombie tigers and zombie penguins would be hilarious.

I'd say if you can put it all down into a game design document, and I mean ALL of it, not just generalities, then go for it. It's far too easy to make a plan where you have a non-specific fuzzy ideas that get really difficult to pin down in writing. If it's too complicated to write down you probably don't really have a clear enough picture, just a general feeling that it would be awesome. You don't have to tell us the details but make sure you can map it without generalities before you start. (eg. have a full list of weapons, monsters and equipment) Save any new ideas as you make it for the sequel, make sure you write them down and forget about them or your game will suffer from feature creep and you'll never get it finished. Hope that's not too deterring but "cool idea" based games are the ones that need the most grounding.

Definitely have a go at it though and at least aim to get a demo slice working with the goal of deciding if it's worth fleshing out into a full game. There's no shame in storing it next to the ark if it's not working but maybe if it doesnt work as a zombie game you can re-theme it into a different genre of game that could suit the gameplay that does work better. Don't worry so much about what theme you use, zombies can always be swapped out for robots or aliens or ninjas or sharks with lazer beams on their foreheads.

Of course, there was a lot more details than that, but I was in a hurry and couldn't write them all down. My bad. So this is the continuation.

First of all: it's going to use third person and will have lots of story while, hopefully, a very good gameplay.

As I've already said, the zombies are still living beings and, well, kind of human, but controlled by a incurable pathogen. They try to bite you in order to spread the disease. And survivors will do anything to survive.

I'm going to make a deep and sad game, which makes you think. It'll have many little stories scattered throughout the maps about lives destroyed by the outbreak.

There will be many different weapons: pipe, baseball bat, pistol, revolver, bow, shotgun, BB rifle (to practice shooting), hunting rifle and assault rifle. Ammo for the assault rifle is harder to find.

Your equipment is your backpack. You can make mods on it, so you can have more guns, for example.

Because the virus is probably going to be a mutation of the rabius one, animals can also turn.

I'm going to worry about the story later.

I probably forgot something again, but this is what I remember fow now. (this is the first time I write it down) I'm going to make a prototype first, of course.

Well, if you're soliciting opinions, one zombie game is already one too many. Do you want me to tell you how I really feel about zombie games?

If you want advice, make the game you're heart tells you to. You'll be playing it more than anyone else (because testing) so make the one you want to play. Dance like no one is watching.

I meant, like, zombie tigers and zombie penguins would be hilarious.

Resident Evil had zombie dobermans, and one of the really bad Blade sequels (part 3?) had zombie vampire chihuahuas. Neither one struck me as funny (rather repelling).

Speaking of funny, do you know Juan de los Muertos? It's somewhat picking up Shaun of the Dead, placing the story in Cuba, main protagonists being a couple of social benefit scroungers who come up with the "business model" of having people pay to kill their zombie relatives. Apparently, there is a Chinese parody of that parody already, too...

Zombies are living beings and don't ressurect from the dead

Hmm... but one of the most interesting features of zombies is that they are undead. Which means that they need not breathe and can walk under water (which is pretty cool) and they are still 50% operative after you cut them in half. Otherwise, if they are mere "infected living people", they are just, well, a meaningless mass. You could replace them with anything else to shoot at, and it would be the same.

What about a game where you play a zombie? Does that exist yet?

You would be slow and your opponents would be wielding guns, but you would have the typical "special undead powers", like being able to smell non-zombies (game could for example show an orange fog around living beings), feign death, call other zombies, create more zombies with a bite, and of course you would be able to walk under water.

I meant, like, zombie tigers and zombie penguins would be hilarious.

Resident Evil had zombie dobermans, and one of the really bad Blade sequels (part 3?) had zombie vampire chihuahuas. Neither one struck me as funny (rather repelling).

Speaking of funny, do you know Juan de los Muertos? It's somewhat picking up Shaun of the Dead, placing the story in Cuba, main protagonists being a couple of social benefit scroungers who come up with the "business model" of having people pay to kill their zombie relatives. Apparently, there is a Chinese parody of that parody already, too...

Zombies are living beings and don't ressurect from the dead

Hmm... but one of the most interesting features of zombies is that they are undead. Which means that they need not breathe and can walk under water (which is pretty cool) and they are still 50% operative after you cut them in half. Otherwise, if they are mere "infected living people", they are just, well, a meaningless mass. You could replace them with anything else to shoot at, and it would be the same.

What about a game where you play a zombie? Does that exist yet?

You would be slow and your opponents would be wielding guns, but you would have the typical "special undead powers", like being able to smell non-zombies (game could for example show an orange fog around living beings), feign death, call other zombies, create more zombies with a bite, and of course you would be able to walk under water.

What I don't like about undead zombies is the fact that it doesn't make much sense.

I don't think that they would be "a meaningless mass". "A meaningless mass" wouldn't have as objective infecting you or potentially eating you alive. But that's a good point of view.

Thanks you for your answer.