The following is the first in a series of game concepts that I thought would be good to get written down for future use or inspiration, either for myself or for anyone else who wants to take the idea further. Be sure to let me know if you make use of it – I’d love to see it fleshed out into a playable game.
A simple character that presents an element of reality: no matter how hard we try, the results usually only last a short time before fading away.
This main character has the ability to create opportunities. Initially, I imagined these opportunities to be represented as stairways that could lead to new areas in the environment. But like our efforts in the real world, these stairways eventually fade away sometime after their creation – or in this world, very shortly after their creation.
As a game where the character uses his or her powers to explore the environment, similar to the Paper Mario series, it’s natural to expand the player’s abilities and powers for more gameplay options. Instead of only being able to only create stairs, maybe he can also create doorways into new areas. Barriers could be created to prevent enemies from attacking you, etc. This kind of gameplay would lead naturally into a reusable world/environment or sandbox.
All of this could be intertwined with a story explaining the struggles of the character and the limitations of his power. Through many trials and growth, the character will overcome obstacles and achieve new heights previously unimagined.