Topic: Game Pitch Competition - Round 8: "Pitch It Like It's 2019" (VOTING to 20. Jan)

[Bulbapuck]

Didn't expect to win this at all, I thought my pitch was trying to bite off too much. I had to cut it down from about 150 words which meant cutting out some essential bits. I'm happy that I still managed to get the general idea across, thanks for the votes and kind words! ^^

The Luck Goblins

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I love the concept of luck goblins. The story sounds serviceable, but what isn't clear is how exactly it is conveyed: if you can't leave the side of your human, how do you learn about the bad goblins and their plans? Do you interact with other luck goblins? And how do you manipulate the environment? Do you even have a physical body? What does your human do while you do this? I have many questions. Next ten words: Yeah, probably those things.

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These were some of the things I was hoping to answer but had to cut. I was thinking to go the "dark comedy"-route starting the game of with a news report concerning the wave of fatalities due to poor luck. You would also be able to talk to other luck goblins you come across which would give further exposure.

In my mind the goblins were sitting on top of peoples heads, invisible to humans but not to other goblins. The ways you can manipulate the enviroment were through "luck-spells" that can change specific parts of the scene. Things like a "break"-spell that you could use on an elevator to force your human to take the stairs, or the opposite: a "fix"-spell that would avoid the stairs.

Some thoughts on the entris:

Dash & Nicky in: Serum Scarum

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This was a great pitch, my runner-up and the one I thought would win. With such a big limit on words I love that you focused on the characters, it sounds super charming.

Dwarffall

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This was my vote, I'm a sucker for dwarven culture and I feel it could be a great setting for an adventure game. Really quite surprising how rare it is considering how much lore there is on dwarfs.

Serious Games

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The idea of childhood games turning serious is really hot right now with a lot of movies centered around that theme. Mafia or warewolf games could easily fit this mold and turn into something quite scary. But I fail to see why you should switch characters, and also as Snarky said: why do they keep playing?

Bedroom Vigilante

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While I like the idea of this, I've never really seen it done well. I saw this playthrough of an FMV game called Voyeur that was like this, and it seemed convoluted and confusing for the most part (and this specific example was also quite creepy :p). I would love to see a game like this done well, but I think it's hard to make.

The Cripple in the Castle

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This pitch didn't give a great first impression, when I read it I just felt that the magic stuff came out of nowhere and I was a bit put off by it. When rereading it to write this I feel that the concept was actually quite solid and there are some intresting ways that story could go. I don't really know why  I got such a bad first impression.

the bookworm

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I think this could be a fun little game, but I don't get the eBook-part. It feels like it would play better as a short "mad-lips" type concept.

Luxury item mayhem

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I like that you're trying to switch up the classic point-and-click format, but I struggle to see what gameplay would be like here. Do you just pick things up and try everything untill you find the useful item? Or do you have to evaluate the situation and choose? I need a bit more info here.

[TheFrighter]

Uff, no suspense this time! 

Well, my idea was based on two consideration:
1 - when you make a game is reccomended to create only objects useful for the puzzle solving, if not are just luxury item like the blue cups in AGS games  ;
2 - A thing that I find frustranting is when two similar item don't do the same thing. For example: I have to cut a ROPE and in my inventory there's a SAW. But I must a KNIFE for this task. Why I can't cut that damn ROPE with my SAW?

So I imagined a game when in different scenarios you have to use only one item in the garbage in many creative ways to solve the puzzles and escape. A wodden stick could be used to break and then to start a fire, an umbrella could pierce something and then gather liquids... and so on.
The game is short but could be challenging due the time limit so you have to think fast to find the right item. Yes, it require a lot o work for the scenarios.

Oh, I'm glad I have the same score of Selmiak! 

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[Snarky]

Since there's still some interest in this contest, how about another round in February? But first, I'd really like to hear how many people want to do the author-guessing game after the voting, and how many would rather just jump straight to announcing the identities once the winner is picked.

Oh, and also: Does someone else want to run it? Should we switch to the model used by some of the other competitions, where the winner hosts the next round (or at least has "dibs" on hosting it)?

[TheFrighter]

Should we switch to the model used by some of the other competitions, where the winner hosts the next round (or at least has "dibs" on hosting it)?

It could be funny! I say yeah!

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[Durq]

But first, I'd really like to hear how many people want to do the author-guessing game after the voting, and how many would rather just jump straight to announcing the identities once the winner is picked.

I'd pick jump straight to announcing identities.

[Stupot]

If no one else wants to, I don’t mind hosting it again. I was a bit slack last time I hosted it because I suddenly got stupidly busy, but I should be good to go in Feb.

[Snarky]

Yeah, I guess Bulbapuck has right of refusal, but unless he expresses interest in doing it, I say go ahead!

[Bulbapuck]

Go on ahead, I'm not gonna be around too much in february so it's better if someone else does it.