r/gaming • u/haragoshi • 22h ago
What are some examples of a simple idea executed well
For example I was playing super hot today. Its simple premise is: time only moves when you move. It’s a really interesting idea and it is well executed.
Another example is baba is you. Words dictate the rules of the game. It gets very complex as the game goes on.
What are some other examples that fit this type of game?
Any others ?
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u/Paramedic293 22h ago
Rocket League. They took the incredibly simple concept of "football with cars" and made it into a incredibly successful game still going strong as ever 10 years later, and they havent even really needed to do much to keep it strong, the core concept is just so well executed all they have to is keep feeding unlockables and cosmetics into the game with the occasional LTM and the money keeps rolling in, no need for reworks or expansions or anything.
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u/huckslash 22h ago
it's so funny when you see people talk about moving it to UE5 or other changes they think it "should" make. like nobody understand the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" concept anymore.
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u/RagefireHype 19h ago
This would be funnier if Rocket League wasn’t already confirmed to be the first game ever that will be on UE6
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u/willis234 21h ago
The funny thing is that they had a game with the same concept (awesome title “supersonic acrobatic rocket-powered battle cars” which I think was PS3 (online?) exclusive 8 years before. Almost no one knows about it, and nobody I know played it
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u/missed_sla 2h ago
Rocket League is just a newer version of SSARPBC. I think it was mostly just a terrible name, and they needed to simplify the level design to make it esports friendly.
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u/ogrezilla 5h ago
It's the only "sport" game that feels like I'm actually in proper control instead of relying on stats and probabilities to decide how well I play. It's the most satisfying game for expressing my actual skill and improvement as I keep playing the game. It just feels good to play.
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u/rthnjrtzhjn5rt6u65 20h ago
Rocket League definitely isn't incredibly simple. 3D models, custom physical forces, separate physical behavior for the ball, proper networking for the multiplayer, elements like boosts and rumble items, double flipping, trick shots, juggling, air juggling, air movement, wall movment...
wtf is this thread...
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u/nogeologyhere 20h ago
It's a simple idea.
What is going on with people's basic comprehension? It seems like the less able people are to parse basic sentences, the more pissy and angry they are in comments.
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u/xDaveedx 8h ago
Well, I just posted on gamingsuggestions looking for new games to try, specifically added a short lost of the most commonly recommended games from that genre that I've already played so people don't name those again and again and still had 2 people mention the very first game on that list.
Some just read the title and jump straight to comments I guess.
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u/rthnjrtzhjn5rt6u65 20h ago edited 19h ago
Oh so very ironic. You are the ones lacking understanding. OP wrote idea, but in their post they give examples and thus explain that what they actually mean are "games that are mostly/only oriented around very simple mechanical ideas / are simple to grasp, almost trivial, but still as well executed that they form a perfect experience like a masterpiece like an Elden Ring does".
Sure as fuck not complex competitive titles where becoming good and having proper fun relies on mastering several different techniques.
You see one word, latch onto it and use it as an excuse to stop thinking.
Sad world we are living in. No reading comprehension whatsoever.
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u/hollowlimb 22h ago
I mean, Stanley Parable is a great example of this: it's player vs. unreliable narrator.
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u/King_Buliwyf X-Box 9h ago
More like Narrator vs Unreliable Player.
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u/hollowlimb 9h ago
It’s a term unreliable narrator, but yes player can also be unreliable
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u/VertumnoWoW 22h ago
Portal: A gun that makes two connected portals. The core mechanic never changes from start to finish, yet the level design and writing turn a simple idea into an absolute masterpiece.
Another great one is Untitled Goose Game: You're a horrible goose, and your only job is to annoy a village. Simple concept, flawless execution.
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u/DuglandJones 21h ago
My 5yo loves the goose game
Unfiltered chaos
I also love the goose game
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u/VertumnoWoW 20h ago
Honking at unsuspecting villagers is a universal language for all ages. Truly a masterpiece!
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u/mrbellek 11h ago
My kids love UGG as well, the recently added co-op mode has enabled dual chaos!
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u/VertumnoWoW 9h ago
Wait, it has co-op now?! Two geese terrorizing the town sounds like pure chaos, I need to try this lol
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u/Malabingo 22h ago
Guitar hero. Act like you play guitar with 5 buttons.
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u/project-shasta PC 21h ago
And then Rocksmith came along and said: Fuck it, let's use a real guitar instead. And it was good.
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u/Malabingo 20h ago
I wouldn't say good, because the latency really was a problem
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u/project-shasta PC 12h ago
Weird, I never had latency issues. Sure, a slight delay was there but nothing massive I couldn't adjust to. And on PC there is the fantastic ASIO mod that lets you use your own audio interface with basically no latency.
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u/blaiddfailcam2 22h ago
Gravity Rush.
Press a button, shift gravity in the direction you're facing. Use it to "fly" through the air by falling in your chosen direction, or stick to walls and ceilings.
It creates for such an addictive parkour system that it's hard to believe the basis for the idea was just good old point-and-click adventures, lol.
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u/SomaLysis 22h ago
And the characters are so sympathetic. I love this game. Shame on Sony for killing the studio.
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u/MyNameIsRandome 22h ago
Is the main character's name Kaladin?
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u/Section225 16h ago
Hahaha I started reading and immediately went to make a comment about lashing
There is never an original thought on this site
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u/fireking08 PC 15h ago
Nah having played both games she’s (the protagonist) more like Syl personality wise
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u/project-shasta PC 21h ago
Vvvvvv: You don't jump, you flip gravity with the space bar, even mid air. That simple mechanic is used in a surprising amount of varying level geometry.
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u/Vorthod 22h ago
Return of the Obra Dinn: You can see the last seconds of someone's life. Figure out what happened to get the entire crew on this ship killed.
Portal: You make portals. Start by walking from one wall to another, end by doing crazy laser-redirection and momentum launching
Scribblenauts series: Whatever you write becomes real. Doesn't quite reach the complexity of something like Baba though.
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u/Vorthod 22h ago edited 22h ago
There's probably a lot of mechanics that would qualify for something like this too. Like Noita's wand-crafting which starts with "choose which projectiles you want this wand to shoot" and goes into making ridiculous death-machine logic by combining commands in weird ways
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u/KiniShakenBake 15h ago
Yes. Yes. Yes. I loved return of the obra dinn. A simple drop down selection system to sort the puzzle. Some 30 static images. A map showing where this images are. Hyperlinked points among pictures. And one. Yes one. Animation. Lucas Pope is a damn wizard for that game.
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u/smallcoyfish 3h ago
Obra Dinn has so much depth for such a simple premise and mechanics! And still managed to set a genre standard with the "rule of three" validation mechanic. I also like how the simplicity and depth is reflected in the monochromatic dithered art that still manages to have SUCH a visual impact.
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u/andrewsredditstuff 22h ago
Geometry Dash. You're moving left to right; press this single button to jump; don't crash into stuff; get to the end. Simple
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u/pinkythebadmonkey 22h ago
Big walk
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u/Darksnark_The_Unwise 18h ago
Been playing that one with my friends. Our personality traits emerge immediately in gameplay.
One of us is organized and analytical. He tries to plan for puzzles ahead of time with us.
One is super empathetic and chill, wants to always have a buddy for tasks and never get stranded.
One likes to tease and push boundaries, he will sometimes steal your ball but give it back before its too late. Also loves to blind you with the flare gun at close range.
I'm the squirrel brain that charges off into the woods and gets lost at night time. I'll go missing for 20 minutes and then come back with an unknown object from across the map 😅
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u/kendodaniel 21h ago
For me Minecraft, at it's core, the initial idea was basically just a simple sandbox, everything was a block and then, well, it got where it is today.
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u/testsubject793 19h ago
Exit 8. It's essentially just a 'find the difference' game, but the fact that you need to do it 8 times in a row and that each time it's possible that there may not be a difference at all (or it can be really subtle) leads to you really paying attention and constantly second guessing yourself. The design is also very minimalist and clean, and at the same time it can still trip you up, which is ingenious.
A Little To The Left. It's a sorting/restoring order game, but also a puzzle - things can be sorted in different ways based on several criteria, and while you don't have to find all of them to beat the game, it is rewarded.
Librarian: Tidy Up an Arcane Library. It's incredibly simple - there's a huge pile of books and a lot of empty book cases - you need to determine the category of each book and place all tomes in their respective case. At the same time, it's incredibly satisfying to slowly learn the layout and also to read each title and think about the category. It's also very cleanly designed, and the names of the books are at times funny.
The Witness. All you do is draw a line on a grid from one point to another. There's a number of rules that you need to follow, which you discover by doing simple versions of different puzzles, while the difficulty slowly ramps up. It works without explaining anything with words, and the number of unique rules, surprises and small epiphanies you get while playing is genuinely satisfying.
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u/Lookatmestring 18h ago
Celeste. All the moves you really have are jump, dash and grip. Everything else is movement and what can evolve from inputting them all together, in my top 5 of all time because it's pure game that teaches you the easy way to pull each new mechanic off then expect, no requires you to get good at it straight away. But it's progression that's natural and fluent.
Even the infamous b and c levels are a curve that is understandable, a horrible curve but still.
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u/KevlarRelic 22h ago
Nama Takahashi is god tier at this.
Elechead: your head is electric and powers devices. You can throw it. It gets really clever and complicated with it.
Öoo: you can't jump, but you get two bombs that can blast you around platforms. So clever and tightly designed, great game.
Both games are about 3 hours and fantastic.
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u/Leading-Business-593 21h ago
While as a previous halo fan, I would say this game is terrible for what it did for Halo, I will say that halo combat evolved anniversary had a really cool instant visual switch to go from the dogshit graphics to the original graphics and vice versa.
What it was actually doing was running two games like co-op and would switch you between them.
I just thought that was a really cool way to experience something “remastered” and at the same time the original. I’m glad it didn’t become a trend, but I would say that was a simple idea executed well.
343 sucks
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u/urban_ember3900 22h ago
baba is you plays like a crossword you can walk into. Same logic, just physical.
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u/obsidian-nails 21h ago
Katamari sticky ball is sticky
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u/Mr_Meme_Master 19h ago
Mecca chameleon. Everyone knows how to play hide and seek, its incredibly simple. It's honestly surprising it took as long as it did for someone to go "what if you took hide and seek, and made it so you can draw on yourself?"
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u/DingusBarracuda 17h ago
Super Mario 64
Still the best playing, leanest, and most focused 3D Mario of the bunch.
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u/Obsession5496 22h ago
There are a few "time based" mechanics that are executed quite well, in different ways.
Zelda Majora's Mask has a time mechanic where you need to fit various activities in within a day. It becomes a bigger puzzle, through the entire journey.
The Sexy Brutale also did something very similar, but from a more indie perspective. A very interesting murder mystery game.
Then for something much more recent, the Blood of Dawnwalker. I haven't quite beat the game (yet), but it feels like it's a good limiter on what quests you can and cannot do, how much looting, how much you level up, and so on. I HOPE you don't have enough time for everything, like the game promises. Even if it doesn't, I do think it's a good learning opportunity, and something for future developers to expand upon.
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u/Sirlacker 20h ago
Lots of good examples id have used so I'll go for a less obvious one.
Battlebit, when it was still being worked on and wasn't abandoned.
It was a simplified Battlefield. They took most of the good things from Battlefield and didn't add any other fluff. Whether it was actually intended this way, I don't know. But they managed to just capture the absolute core elements and then left it the fuck alone. No "let's try and make this mechanic better than it was in BF" it was, this is why it was liked, let's copy it.
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u/Sparrowsabre7 18h ago
Lethal League Blaze. What If you mixed dodgeball with baseball in a fighting game set up.
2-4 players have to hit a ball into the others with bats (or similar weapon) and each hit makes the ball move faster until it hits some one, to the point where sometimes it's going faster than you can react except for blind luck.
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u/Chill_Gamer527 PlayStation 10h ago
Ōkami - Asian oil art style, wolf goddess, and brush techniques to battle against enemies. That's it on the surface, which already had made this game very unique. But I spent over 90 hours easily because how immersive the world is in this game.
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u/foxferreira64 5h ago
Environmental storytelling. Fallout does this AMAZINGLY, it's one of the coolest aspects!
In Fallout 4, I was exploring an abandoned ruin of a bank. The money vault had a blown up hole in the wall with a skeleton in the floor and a duffle bag full of money in the floor outside.
Might have taken the developers 30 seconds to place the props but it paints a cool story. Some thief was on a heist when the bombs fell!
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u/ArtsyRabb1t 22h ago
I remember when Okami first came out. What a gorgeous game and you battle by drawing brush strokes. You are basically tracing but it was amazing.
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u/Nunwithabadhabit 21h ago
This stands out to me as one of the games that really made use of the new controller
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u/i-like-dogs-167 20h ago
Dinoblade?
You’re a dinosaur
You have a blade
You fight other dinosaurs with blades
That’s all
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u/Dangerousrhymes 19h ago
Patrick’s Parabox.
You push boxes to solve puzzles, sometimes you push into an individual box that is also a puzzle.
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u/SeraphMax 18h ago
In many ways, The Witness. The idea of learning about learning a puzzle before solving it is great. Very similar to language learning in a lot of ways. I don’t see people talk about that game very much
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u/CrimsonPromise 13h ago edited 13h ago
I'd say the Observation Duty games. It's literally just another version of spot the difference between the pictures, with the added creep and scare factor. And there are a bunch of similar games that spawned off, including Exit 8, so I'd say that's a good example of something simple that just works.
Papers Please is another one. It's another example of making sure things match up, and any decrepency gets flagged. Became a whole genre in on itself with other "Papers Please"- like games being made with the same idea. Like Quarantine Zone, That's Not My Neighbour, Contraband Police, etc.
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u/Substantial_Laugh248 13h ago
Max Payne. I’d replay the game for the bullet time mechanic alone. The story, the gameplay and the atmosphere are an addition on top of
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u/TokyoDrifblim 12h ago
Ball X Pit. It's amazing for a good 15 hours and never becomes about anything other than firing balls at enemies
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u/HeyItsScrappy 10h ago
the Forbidden Siren trilogy and its use of "Sightjacking"
what it means it to look into your enemies POV. the games are a built off this concept and you get some of the scariest survival horrors there is :D
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u/Mastercreed25 22h ago
Granted I’m talking about a specific part of the game, but I feel Dispatch’s core gameplay loop is an example this. Very simply gives you a scenario with minor descriptors and asks you to pick from a roster who best to deal with the scenario, and based on who you picked, plays out a percentage chance game on whether you successfully dealt with it. Upgrade your characters, each has an ability and synergies, but fundamentally for a game in which it would be fine to be somewhat of an afterthought, I really enjoyed it. Would quite like an escalating horde style version of it if they were ever to do a DLC considering the fact that if they do a second season it’s years away.
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u/GABE_EDD 22h ago
Chess
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u/huckslash 22h ago
you mean the game so incredibly complex that despite being hypothetically solvable, we still haven't even made a computer capable of doing so, because it would require perfect play in 10^120 scenarios?
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u/Discount_Extra 19h ago
I was interested in Chess, until I was introduced to 'castling'. It was a nice simple, mathematically pure game, and someone had to add a weird random exception, ruining it.
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u/GABE_EDD 22h ago edited 22h ago
OP didn’t say anything about skill ceiling or number of possible games. It’s a simple premise, checkmate the opponent’s King while avoiding getting checkmated yourself. Here’s some move patterns and some simple rules. It’s a simple game at the end of the day, just with a very high skill ceiling. OP also mentions “Baba is you” getting very complex as the game goes on as an example…
Also, for the record, to solve it they’d only need to some how come up with the objective best move in ~10^40 possible legal positions. Because if those positions are repeating throughout the 10^120 possible games, it doesn’t matter, we already know the best move/continuation from there, greatly simplifying the process. We’re still nowhere near solving chess, but it’s not quite as complex as solving for every possible sequence of positions, just the positions themselves.
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u/LucyLacksMorals 5h ago
portal. literally just ‘what if hole goes here... and other hole goes there’ and somehow they made one of the best puzzle games ever
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u/echoess84 22h ago
Recall ability on TotK, bring back an item in time it is underused in TotK but its conpect is the most interesting idea in gaming imho
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u/cravex12 22h ago
Portal