My first game...'Alchemic Crystal' (temp title)

[Vanya]

Yup, I'm working on an action/puzzle game that I plan to sell for some extra cash and for the benefit of my portfolio.

There isn't much to it as I just started programming the thing. I'll release details about it as I progress. It'll be part of a loosely connected series of Gothic Fantasy games co-exist in the same game world. Anyway...

Here's the current title screen:
(Keep in mind that this isn't even in the alpha stage yet.)

[Archael]

the name needs work

as do those fonts and colors! Alchemic Crystal is nearly unreadable

Nightmare Crisis: Alchemic Crystal sounds like it is trying so hard to sound mysterious and unique that it ends up sounding generic and gimmicky at the same time, not to mention boring

if you want to start off a series of games you should develop a solid base title first, and not have the first one be Dark Shadows of Timeless Omegas: The Revenant's Chaos Revenge, if you think that sounds silly, it's because it does, as does the name of this game

the name of a product goes a long way in establishing interest and long term involvement in the marketing process (this is what I study) I suggest you revise it

and in this case- the simpler, probably the better

[Vanya]

Any suggestions then?

Originally it was going to be Crystal Crisis, but there is already a puzzle game called that.
Almost every variant I thought of has already been used or sounds stupid.
The title needs to convey 2 things:
1) that it involves crystals
2) that it involves alchemy/magic.

[Archael]

hmm let's see...

Synonyms for Crystals:


I couldn't find any! only synonyms for crystal as an adjective -_- but I found these:

     beaming, brilliant, clear, crystal, effulgent, fulgent, illuminated, incandescent, lambent, lighted, lit, lucent, lucid, luminescent, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, resplendent, shining, translucent, transparent, vivid  



Synonyms for alchemy / magic:

Synonyms:      black arts, black magic, hermetics, magic, pseudo science, sorcery, thaumaturgy, witchcraft, wizardry
     alchemy, allurement, astrology, augury, bewitchment, black art, conjuring, conjury, devilry, diabolism, divination, enchantment, exorcism, fascination, foreboding, fortune-telling, hocuspocus, horoscopy, illusion, incantation, legerdemain, magnetism, necromancy, occultism, of impossible feats by tricks abracadabra, power, prediction, presage, prestidigitation, prophecy, rune, sleight of hand, soothsaying, sorcery, sortilege, spell, superstition, taboo, thaumaturgy, trickery, voodoo, voodooism, witchcraft, wizardry

[Vanya]

Yeah... No matter what combination I use is going to sound gimmicky unless I start making up words... You see my dilemma.

[Archael]

Yeah... No matter what combination I use is going to sound gimmicky unless I start making up words... You see my dilemma.

no

because the gimmick comes from this format:

Name Name: The name of the name name

and not from the choice of words



whereas if you just picked a combination of 2 words from the above list (for example; Radiant Sorcery), you cut down the level of suck by alot

hell you could just have it be one word

I would automatically show interest in a game called "Incantation"

but I would not play Crystal Chronicles: The Fallen Thaumaturgist II

[Asmo X]

Tell us more about the game first

[Vanya]

It's an action oriented puzzle game.
It'll have a basic story about an alchemy student who, through his curiosity, unleashes a mildly dangerous and very annoying entity called the 'Nightmare Crystal'. The main character, Thadeus, is instructed by his mentor to take a machine specially made to destroy the NC and clean up the mess he caused.

Each stage has a number NC spawns that have to be destroyed by focusing Thadeus' magic through the machine to crate orbs capable of destroying the crystals and the blocks they create in defense.  Basically, each stage centers around clearing out all the different colored blocks in order to place orbs directly around the NC Spawns. There are several colors of crystals & blocks that require like colored orbs to destroy as well as other kinds of bonus blocks & obstacles. I'm still working out the game play mechanics for gaining MP and crating orbs. The stages will have a variety of dark fantasy environs like forests, medieval towns, dungeons, caves, etc. There will be permanent and destructible obstacles.

That's about all I have right now.

As for the title I still want to convey that it is part of an ongoing setting.  What would be the best way to do that?

[Asmo X]

it sounds too lighthearted to be called "the nightmare crystal". More mischievous than nightmarish.

[Vanya]

I'm thinking of something along the lines of "Alchemic Crystal Gear" to emphasize the machine used to focus the player's magic.
Or I could go with something more cryptic sounding like "Crystalline Alchemic".
Opinions?

[Asmo X]

It would kind of help to see it in action too. Just give it a tentative name for now

[Vanya]

ok

[DarthPaul]

I like "Alchemic Crystal Gear", but as Asmo said get the game into the demo phase then start finalization.

[Vanya]

OK. I updated the first post with a new temp title screen. I switched to a more readable version of the previous font. Better...?