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What are some under-utilized settings or themes for games?

Cosmic Voyager

Cosmic Voyager

Banned
Oct 24, 2019
6,560
Some settings/themes get lots of usage in the gaming world, like nuclear post-apocalypse, Tolkien-esque fantasy, Greek mythology, WWII, pirates, feudal Japan, cyberpunk cities, Lovecraftian horror, etc.

What are some of the settings/thematic backdrops that you would like to see used more frequently?

Some things from my personal wishlist:
-Dinosaurs
-Any mythology other than Greek, Norse, or Japanese
-Horror games set in historical settings (rather than modern day)
-Solarpunk
-Cattlepunk (futuristic Wild West like Westworld, East of West, etc.)
-Aquatic fantasy (give me a Final Fantasy set in sci-fi/fantasy kingdoms under the sea, Aquaman, whatever)
-Afrofuturism (like Black Panther)
 
Afrocious

Afrocious

Member
Oct 27, 2017
655
I've waited my whole life for an Afrofuturism game or any game that was black as hell really.

I'm running a D&D campaign with dinosaurs in the backdrop. I, too, wish to see more dinos in games.
 
Budi

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,883
Finland
Afrocious said:
I've waited my whole life for an Afrofuturism game or any game that was black as hell really.

I'm running a D&D campaign with dinosaurs in the backdrop. I, too, wish to see more dinos in games.
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There's an upcoming game that came to mind.
store.steampowered.com

We Are The Caretakers on Steam

We Are The Caretakers is a 3D grand strategy RPG set in a post-apocalyptic afrofuturist world. Recruit, upgrade & manage a secret faction of 100 high-tech protectors to defend the endangered creatures you rely on. Confront a mysterious alien ship as the massive energy barrier protecting Shadra falls
store.steampowered.com store.steampowered.com
 
Exist 2 Inspire

Exist 2 Inspire

Member
Apr 19, 2018
3,968
Germany
Roman Empire. It gets used in strategy games a bunch but i would love some Adventure/RPG games in that Era. Ryse is really the only one i can think of and that was pretty average.
 
platocplx

platocplx

2020 Member Elect
Member
Oct 30, 2017
36,072
en.wikipedia.org

Children of Blood and Bone - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org


a game based off this. Would be amazing.
Adeyemi drew inspiration from novels like Harry Potter and An Ember in the Ashes as well as West African mythology and the Yoruba culture and language. The hopelessness she felt at police shootings of black Americans also motivated her to develop the story of Children of Blood and Bone. The book received one of the biggest young adult publishing deals ever, including preemptive sale of film rights to Fox 2000. Debuting at number one on The New York Times best-seller list for young adult books, the novel received mostly positive reviews. Critics wrote about its examination of oppression, racism, and slavery, with the kosidán and maji serving as stand-ins for real-world groups. It is also a coming-of-age story as the characters discover their abilities to help shape the world through their actions.
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Rotobit

Rotobit

Editor at Nintendo Wire
Verified
Oct 27, 2017
10,196
Trains

Plenty of games HAVE trains. There are also plenty of train SIMULATORS.

But very few games revolve around trains as a setting. Imagine an RPG where the different dungeons are stops on your journey while you get to know the party in their cabins (like Mass Effect meets that one Paper Mario TTYD chapter), or an immersive sim where you have to figure out the best way to navigate around such a narrow space.

Not to mention the obvious narrative adventure, point & click, and murder mystery potential.
 
Kinthey

Kinthey

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
22,312
Rotobit said:
Trains

Plenty of games HAVE trains. There are also plenty of train SIMULATORS.

But very few games revolve around trains as a setting. Imagine an RPG where the different dungeons are stops on your journey while you get to know the party in their cabins (like Mass Effect meets that one Paper Mario TTYD chapter), or an immersive sim where you have to figure out the best way to navigate around such a narrow space.

Not to mention the obvious narrative adventure, point & click, and murder mystery potential.
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A frostpunk style survival game that instead focuses on a snowpierecer like train would be pretty cool
 
Pyro

Pyro

God help us the mods are making weekend threads
Member
Jul 30, 2018
14,505
United States
If they made an afrofuturist FF I'd be there day one. Also just more sci-fi elements in high fantasy cuz that's how you get people like me (sci-fi > fantasy) into it, playing FFVI for the first time and I love the magitek

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Cosmic Voyager said:
Cattlepunk
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tumblr_inline_o58r6dmSfe1suaed2_500.gif
 
Belthazar90

Belthazar90

Banned
Jun 3, 2019
4,316
Rotobit said:
Trains

Plenty of games HAVE trains. There are also plenty of train SIMULATORS.

But very few games revolve around trains as a setting. Imagine an RPG where the different dungeons are stops on your journey while you get to know the party in their cabins (like Mass Effect meets that one Paper Mario TTYD chapter), or an immersive sim where you have to figure out the best way to navigate around such a narrow space.

Not to mention the obvious narrative adventure, point & click, and murder mystery potential.
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Well, there's Zelda Spirit Tracks but it's not exactly what you want.
 
Drain You

Drain You

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,986
Connecticut
Rotobit said:
Trains

Plenty of games HAVE trains. There are also plenty of train SIMULATORS.

But very few games revolve around trains as a setting. Imagine an RPG where the different dungeons are stops on your journey while you get to know the party in their cabins (like Mass Effect meets that one Paper Mario TTYD chapter), or an immersive sim where you have to figure out the best way to navigate around such a narrow space.

Not to mention the obvious narrative adventure, point & click, and murder mystery potential.
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This is a neat idea. Reminds me of the bar in Catherine in between levels.
 
zaxil456

zaxil456

Member
Aug 4, 2020
1,563
Zehzin said:
Raypunk?
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Outer Worlds is probably the closest to capturing this aesthetic. Part of the reason why I love that game so much.

I'd love to see more "New Weird" inspired games (Think Annihilation). Control adapted that genre very well. I feel like the typical Lovecraftian images are getting old.
 
PeskyToaster

PeskyToaster

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,314
Gimme some good historical RPGs like Kingdom Come except, you know, without the views of that developer twisting it away from being historical. Set them in every period in every location.

Honestly, playing Crusader Kings 3 is basically that except you're manipulating menus rather than an actual character model. I wonder what it would be like if you took the mechanics of Crusader Kings into a western RPG. Your player character is the head of the dynasty and you make similar decisions which have similar effects. When you die, your heir because the new player character.
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,358
I know it's a cliche general setting, but I really want a zombie game that is a turn-based JRPG.
 
gblues

gblues

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,482
Tigard, OR
anisotropic filtering is definitely an underused setting, at least on consoles.

on-topic, for me it's a classic case of "unknown unknowns" but I have to assume there's a lot and it's definitely needed. Like India, or pre-colonial everywhere.
 

Deleted member 20852

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
864
Rotobit said:
Trains
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Yes! The second Professor Layton game took place (partially? it's been some time since I played it) on a train and I agree it's a great setting for an adventure game.

m.youtube.com

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box HD for Mobile Trailer (U.S.)

There are tales of a box that brings death upon any who dare open it. Tell me, do you think those rumors could be true?” Embark on the Molentary Express and ...
m.youtube.com m.youtube.com

The neat thing about a train is it's a setting by itself, but also enables travel across different settings simultaneously. I think there's something cool to be built around that idea of being in a single place but moving at the same time.
 
sweetmini

sweetmini

Member
Jun 12, 2019
3,921
I don't think i ever played a paleobabylonian game outside of strategy games...
I wish there was something that had you travel from the swamps of iraq to larsa all the way to Mari and experience the culture, the trades.
 
Elementje

Elementje

Member
Dec 26, 2017
179
There are actually very few 'realistic' Medieval games without any fantasy elements. Most are RTS games. Would be cool to see more big RPG's like Kingdom Come.
 
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Akronis

Akronis

Prophet of Regret - Lizard Daddy
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,451
Dark/Occult Western

give me more games with Hunt Showdown's setting
 
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