I can never seem to come up with a decent title for my projects. After years of experimenting with RPG Maker I've finally got my act together with what I believe is a potentially decent story, though my game is still very early in development.
If this is going to be my first finished game, I want to make sure it at least has a cool title. Though everything I come up with just sounds cliché or rubbish.
Has anyone got any tips to crafting that perfect title? I've been trying to avoid "easy" titles including phrases like "Tales Of" or "Fantasy" or whatever, but man is it hard!
Full Version: Tips for a good game title?
Well, it's very much like song-writing. Just determine the theme of your game/story and make that your title.
If it ends up being very long (5 words or more) you might want to find some way to shorten it, but keep the same meaning (it's English, this isn't too hard because of the vast vocabulary that exists, lol).
The difficult part is likely determining what your theme really is versus just deciding, "oh it's a horror game so I'll name it My Horror Game".
One of the ways you can do this is by revealing something curious/mysterious within the title of the game that applies to something that happens during the game. If it is done correctly, the player will have an "a-ha" moment where they realise the reason behind the game being named the way you choose to name it. =]
If it ends up being very long (5 words or more) you might want to find some way to shorten it, but keep the same meaning (it's English, this isn't too hard because of the vast vocabulary that exists, lol).
The difficult part is likely determining what your theme really is versus just deciding, "oh it's a horror game so I'll name it My Horror Game".
One of the ways you can do this is by revealing something curious/mysterious within the title of the game that applies to something that happens during the game. If it is done correctly, the player will have an "a-ha" moment where they realise the reason behind the game being named the way you choose to name it. =]
The genre of the game matters a lot. Horror games tend to go adjectives and words that set moods. Action games tend to take a plot point and bring it out, or make a slogan (think Gears of War, Halo, Call of Duty). Fantasy games (what you're probably going with) can be trickier. They usually divulge something do with the setting and plot. If your setting and plot are particularly unique, then this'll work.
For example, war of the elements is a great name for a game about a war of elements... It's just that such a game is unbelievably cliche.
'Tales of' is a setting word that applies to pretty much every game ever, which is why it is cliche.
Course, titles don't have to be really imaginative, just draw from the plot. Take the film Kill Bill, the title is just what the film is about. Halo is about a planet called Halo. Hell, if your game makes up any cool sounding words for its terminology, you can use that for a title.
There's no need to go out of the way dressing up your title. It'll only make it worse.
Early adventure games were just named after characters (Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot) and they weren't bad games, in fact, they were good, and the titles made sense. World War Two is what we call the most gruesome war in human history. It's not imaginative, but it captures it well.
So basically. Pick the most defining aspect of your game, the part that sets in apart from any other game, and run with it.
Think God of War. It was named because the main character was, in fact, a God of War. It really is that simple
For example, war of the elements is a great name for a game about a war of elements... It's just that such a game is unbelievably cliche.
'Tales of' is a setting word that applies to pretty much every game ever, which is why it is cliche.
Course, titles don't have to be really imaginative, just draw from the plot. Take the film Kill Bill, the title is just what the film is about. Halo is about a planet called Halo. Hell, if your game makes up any cool sounding words for its terminology, you can use that for a title.
There's no need to go out of the way dressing up your title. It'll only make it worse.
Early adventure games were just named after characters (Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot) and they weren't bad games, in fact, they were good, and the titles made sense. World War Two is what we call the most gruesome war in human history. It's not imaginative, but it captures it well.
So basically. Pick the most defining aspect of your game, the part that sets in apart from any other game, and run with it.
Think God of War. It was named because the main character was, in fact, a God of War. It really is that simple
Thanks for the advice guys. Genuinely helpful
Less overthinking, then? Works for me XD
Less overthinking, then? Works for me XD
Just to add, if you give your game a really outrageous name like um..."You're dead in this game" people will be more drawn to it than say, "Tales of mystery"
That was a terrible example but what I'm saying is that the more outrageous the name is the more interested people will be to see what it's about.
That was a terrible example but what I'm saying is that the more outrageous the name is the more interested people will be to see what it's about.
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