Need 2D game ideas for school project!

Hi all,

I am tasked with creating a 2D game, but seem to be having trouble coming with something that'd be interesting.

There's not much variety when it comes to 2D. I guess I like platformers and tower defense type games, so I think I'd riff on one of those. Personally, I really enjoyed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and The Lost Vikings. If I was going to make a platformer, I think finding things to unlock more parts of the map or controlling multiple characters/co-op with different abilities would be pretty cool. I don't know though. Doesn't even have to be a platformer or tower defense.

Keep in mind I only have 2 months to code it in a small team, so it can't be too ambitious. Currently just playing random flash games on Newgrounds to see if anything comes to me.

If you guys have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! It would also be helpful if you could link some of your fav 2D flash games or something! Thanks!

Do a platformer rogue-like with a sci-fi theme. Have the character take on the role of a bad-ass alien bounty hunter. Make his personality similar to Duke Nukem and Space Dandy. Kill hordes of alien lackeys and then take on the bounty target in the form of a boss fight. Then you get money and go back to your ship where you can choose to go back to Hub Station to get new equipment (essentially skills/stats in this game, and money you get from killing the lackeys and the bounty target is basically exp), accept new bounty contracts, and other stuff.

Real time based games are much harder to code than turn-based ones. Roguelikes are probably the easiest, you can create good ones in as little as 2 days (except for assets).

You could also just invent some kind of board game.

If you are capable of making a platformer, though, and since you mentioned tower defense. Why not make a tower defense platformer hybrid game? Like a tower defense game that you see from the side with ladders and stuff. And you can carve statues and stuff into the wall in the back that will attack the units. And when the phase plays out you also take part in it and can jump around and climb ladders and shoot attackers.

Back in high school, we made some 2D side-scroller for our project. Now that I think about it, it's pretty much like the Mario games, but with no platforms.
It was really simple, you were given a 'package' at the beginning of the game, and you had to deliver it to your friends house (at the end of the map). There were monsters in the way, so you'd either have to jump over them to dodge them, or jump on top of them to kill them. Once you make it to the end, you win!


I'd say go with side-scroller/platformer, OR, something with a 2D grid-movement system (like the older Pokemon games).

Have fun, good luck with that, hope you get an A :D

Short project?
I would do a side scrolling action game.
Maybe a ninja. Basic slash attack. Projectile attacks based on pick ups. Shuriken, Bow, Magics.
Allow wall jumping.

Was part of the school project having other people come up with the idea?