ABSTRACT
The chapter discusses ideation for games, going into the stages of the creative process -- preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, and elaboration – and the ways we can make ourselves ready to be great creative team members. Some of these include analyzing other games and understanding the ways that defining creative constraints can actually make us more productive. The chapter also discusses best practices for brainstorming and alternate methods of coming up with ideas, including list creation, idea cards, mind maps, stream of consciousness, shout out and cut up techniques, inspiration from surrealist games, and the benefits of research. Methods for evaluating ideas against goals and other constraints are described, as are methods for turning raw ideas into game concepts, including treatments, storyboards, and understanding the difference between ideas and designs.
