Sometimes, when I have trouble falling asleep, I think about videogames that I want someone to make. This is a series of those thoughts.
Last night I thought of a game concept I had when I was like 15. Back then I was kinda deep into QBasic. The concept was that you'd have a game where everything can be picked up. It wasn't very developed.
Well, here's an update to the idea. Make it a sidescrolling platformer, a bit like the old Chip n Dale game, but with more mechanical progression. Initially you can pick up loose objects in the landscape and toss them at threats and hazards. Eventually you can find and equip a few tools from a broader set, that let you pick up other things (grippy clamp for heavy stones, blowtorch for metal beams) or change your throw dynamics (longer range, higher or lower arc, more knockback). But you have to choose carefully and evaluate the tradeoffs.
Maybe this is the next big game in the Shovel Knight franchise?