This devlog highlights a few game ideas that may be suitable to prototype in a short amount of time that coincides  with the theme of "Connected".

Game Idea 1

The first game idea I have is a 3D Pipe Puzzle game.  The aim of the game would be to connect the pipes together correctly so that the player can travel through the pipes and onto the next level and eventually, escape.  The game would be set in a clinical type testing facility (think Portal).  

(Portal 2; image from :https://www.looper.com/839256/playing-portal-2-provides-some-interesting-benefit...)

For the gameplay, it would differ slightly from a conventional pipe/flow puzzle where all you do is draw lines to connect the  pipes. 

(Flow Free Puzzle Game; image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_Free)

In this version there would be a pipe dispenser, and each piece that comes out of it may be a specific colour (can only connect to other pipes of the same colour) and a certain shape (the pieces cant be rotated to change orientation of the pipe) , and there would be a limited number of pipes, which I believe would add another degree of difficulty.  

The target audience for this game would be those people whom enjoy solving puzzles  of increasing difficulty. 

I believe this game would be successful as it puts a new spin on  a classic game.  The original 'Flow Free' game has over  100 million downloads on the Google Play store and an average user rating of greater than 4.5 stars out of 5 on both the Apple app store and Google Play so I believe that there is a market for people who would be interested to try this game.

The goal of the prototype would be to show off the gameplay and puzzle aspect of the game. A story could be written in to give an overall testing facility feel of the game but that wouldn't be what we would try to show in this prototype.  

Game Idea 2

My next idea for a game is where you  work as a satellite communications contractor and your job is to install satellite dishes upon the high-rises in a busy metropolitan city to ensure that the city can remain connected to the rest of the world. 

(An example of the city landscape; image from:  https://dailyillini.com/buzz-columns/buzz-illini-recommends/2021/11/08/mirrors-e...)

 It would be a 3rd or first person Parkour game where you run along skyscrapers and construction cranes to get  from  one job location to another, all with the aim of completing  the jobs most efficiently as possible. It would be a fast paced non-stop game that would be  aimed at testing you reflexes and judgment in deciding which path to take to the next job. (Think something like Temple run but amongst the cities skyscrapers and with more freedom)

(Temple Run; image from: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imangi.templerun&hl=en_US&gl=U...)  

The target audience would be those people who are looking for a game to test their reflexes but also like a little bit of strategy. 

I believe this game would be successful as there are many people who are competitive and enjoy the challenge of getting further and faster in a game with each consecutive play. And as the game would be designed so that you can pick it up and play a little bit at a time without needing to set aside a chunk of time, it would also appeal to those people who are looking for a little distraction in their downtime and those whom play games casually.

The goal of the prototype would be to show off the gameplay aspect as well as the fun but short level designs.