I think... i want to start a new project.
I want to do something with pixel art again, something with a bit more "action" than Riptide Manor. Something top-down-shooter-y.
Currently watching a video on Minishoot' Adventures, which looks like an incredibly well-made twin-stick shooter/zelda-like mashup, but something about it is just a bit... formulaic for me personally. It's not Weird™ enough.
Though of course that's just my own preferences, i'd definitely recommend it given what i've seen so far! It looks great. Heck i might still pick it up myself.
The other inspiration currently looping around in my head is Star of Providence, which goes the roguelike route instead and does a very good job at it, along with some very good pixel art and retro styling to boot. I remember picking it up on a whim and having a great time with it, though the later areas did get tough enough that i haven't seen all the game has to offer.
Just didn't have the finesse for it, alas!
But those are the sort of things that make me want to try my hand at it.
To make something that really hones in on my own preferences, for mechanics and story themes.
I have... maybe a habit of overcomplicating systems in my projects, trying to make everything as general-use as i can given the core design, which i will admit is very fun but sometimes i get decision paralysis about what to even do with all these neat little systems.
Perhaps it's also a bit of trying too hard to be unique. Not exactly a bad thing in itself, people like new twists on gameplay, but it might be easier for me personally to lean on more established and iterated genres more often.
There will always be later opportunities to come back to my more ambitious projects.