Games Development / W1: Individual Game Ideation

22nd September 2025 - 2nd October 2025 (Week 1 - 2)
Natalie Chu Jing Xuan, 0354589
Games Development, Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

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Table of Contents

1. Module Information Booklet (MIB)
2. W1: Individual Game Ideation
• Brainstorming & Inspirations
• Game Concept
• Art Style & Moodboard
• Unique Selling Points
• Canva Slide
3. Feedbacks
4. Reflection

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Module Information Booklet (MIB)

Fig.1 Module Information Booklet (MIB)

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W1: Individual Game Ideation

Instructions

Individually come out with a game idea (or many ideas, remember the limitations), and make your first game pitch. Some lucky (or unlucky) students will be selected to do a 10-minute presentation of their game idea(s) next week in W2. No specific format for now (we’ll do Game Design Document in later class), so try to find the most creative and effective way to convey your game ideas. This may not end up being your Final Project, but will still contribute to your Continuous Assessment grade. Hence document the process in your blog. 

Submit the link to your blog post by 11:59PM midnight before W2 class as a TXT file attachment in Teams.

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1. Brainstorming & Inspirations

At first, I honestly didn’t know what kind of game I wanted to create. To get started, I asked myself a simple question: what type of games do I actually enjoy playing? 

I even opened up my Steam account and looked at my game library, and realized that many of the titles I played had something in common. They were mostly cozy organizing and sorting games. That reflection made me see the type of gameplay I naturally enjoy and would be motivated to design.

Fig.2 Inspirations

Some of my inspirations are Unpacking, A Little to the Left, Ship, Inc., and the demo Organized Inside. These games are all about arranging or tidying items, but each has a unique twist like narrative, puzzle-like challenges, or satisfying item management. I wanted to take a similar approach, but with a theme that was relevant to my own life experience as a university student living in a dorm for two years. 

2. Game Concept

Since I wanted to create a game that reflects my own student experience, I came up with the idea of designing a cozy organizing game set in a university dorm room. The messy dorm becomes the main stage, and players get to tidy, arrange, and gradually uncover the story of student life through everyday objects. With that, I document down my ideas in a Google docs:

Fig.3.1 Game Concept

Title: Dorm Life: Room Tidy Up!

Game Description: A cozy single-player organizing game where you tidy and arrange your messy dorm room through different stages of university life.

Genre: Casual / Simulation / Puzzle

Target Audience: University students, and casual players who enjoy cozy, stress-free gameplay.

The game is divided into five stages, each representing a milestone in the student journey:

1. Freshman Move-In – Unpack luggage and decorate the first dorm room.
2. Club Activities – Organize sports gear, instruments, or hobby items that pile up.
3. Exam Season – Sort through piles of books, notes, and empty coffee cups.
4. Relationship Phase – Place gifts, stuffed toys, letters, or shared photos.
5. Graduation – Pack belongings, keep mementos, and prepare to leave the dorm.

Fig.3.2 Game Levels

The goal is not just to clean up, but also to experience the evolving story of student life through objects.

3. Art Style & Moodboard

For the art direction, I imagine a warm, cozy, and slightly cartoonish 3D style. The color palette will mainly use muted pastels (like soft beige, light pink, and pale blue) with pops of brighter colors for decorations such as posters or plants. The overall environment should look a little cluttered but still comforting, giving the sense of a “lived-in” dorm room.  

Fig.4.1 Art Style & Moodboard

4. Unique Selling Points

• Authentic Student Life Theme:
• Focuses on the relatable dorm experience that many players have gone through.

• Organizing + Storytelling:
• Each level tells a part of the student’s journey through the objects they own.

• Progression Across University Years:
• From freshman to graduation, the room evolves along with the character’s life.

• Relaxing Atmosphere:
• The cozy visuals, calming audio cues, and simple gameplay loop make it a therapeutic experience.

Click HERE to view my Canva Slide:

Fig.5.1 Individual Game Ideation Canva Slides

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Feedbacks

Week 2: Nicely thought out and I like that the idea is very relatable!