what makes your games unique?

Hmm I was just thinking that that game making is becoming more common these days and was wondering what your plans are to set your game apart from the others. I suppose my question would be what do YOU do to set your games apart from the others.

Personally I try to keep as much of the game original as I can. I try to make my graphics old school or even vector. I also like a very high level of emergence, lettiny complex systems and situations evolve through carefull and limited use of the random function.

What do you do? What's your stratigy?

The first thing I do is stay away from genres that are already flooded with games.

For example, first person shooters. There are tons of them out there, but almost every one of them follow the EXACT same gameplay. Also, there are more than a few AAA titles in this category so it would be very difficult for an individual or small team to come out with something that can go head to head with one of them.

What I tend to do is look at games I enjoy (or used to enjoy) and see if I can bring something new to the game. This could be something as simple as improved graphics, or maybe a different control scheme.

One of my ideas, for example, involved a clown on a unicycle. The main idea of the gameplay was marble maddness, but instead of rolling the ball around, you peddled the unicycle around while also having to maintain your ballance. It used a tried and true formula, but was also very unique in it's look. See the Bigtop Bob images here

I finish them.

I don't finish them.

I never start them.

Well, uhm... :P

I avoid anything that I even vaguely recognise from somewhere else like the plague. Results are mixed.

I just design my own games. Simple.

I think everyone has their own style. Its a bit like music, you can usualy recognise who wrote it.

Originality.

Yeah. Chances are it'll be Prince.

Slightly off topic - some original ideas in the tabletop wargaming field can be found here :

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_153

Look at the 'Pax Limpopo' range...it even includes clowns on unicycles (with meat cleavers of course)

Some of their games could possibly be converted to electronic format such as 'Pig Tickler'...(quite an entertaining board game actually)

Making a game unique is sure to make it also shortlived because for as many games that are unique there are 10's or hundreds that copy it, and then it isn't unique anymore. Being unique is temporary and fashionable. It comes and goes. You should be looking for longevity and consistent depth that makes the game transcend time and be something people will want to keep playing, regardless of what else comes along. If you don't protect yourself against the next new greatest thing, in that way, your product is going to disappear under a pile of rubble.

By that logic you will never make anything, because you're always expecting somebody else to do better (which sooner or later, they will).

Better than doing the same crap over and over again :)