Gamestorming: A Game Design Brainstorming Tool

This is a brainstorming exercise designed to produce about four game ideas per person. It is best at generating game premises.

How to Play

Click the cue cards above to flip them, then describe a game idea that would match all the turned cards together.

In a group of 3-6 players:
  1. Set a timer on your phone for 90 seconds
  2. Player 1: Turn up the cue cards, press Go on the timer
  3. All players: Write down whatever thing you can think of to link the 3 cards together before the timer ends
  4. At the end of 90 Seconds put your pens down
  5. Set your timer again, 60 seconds per player
  6. Each player gets One minute to present their idea to Player 1
  7. Player 1 collects all the ideas for their cues in no more than 6 minutes
  8. Play moves to Player 2, Player 3 and so on
  9. At the end of the game, your team should have the number of players^2 ideas to work with

What each card does

  1. Pick a setting, ranging from the familiar to the remote
  2. Select a feature that may not be immediately clear, but would be an important part of the game premise
  3. Choose a mechanic or way the game could be played
  4. Quickly write down your game idea, keeping it as fast as possible

The goal is to harvest as many ideas as possible within about half an hour.

Some card combos will be awkward or you'll blank! Write down anything you can, what's important is that it exists. It can be made good later.