Prompt AI for a Game Idea Without Getting Generic Tropes

“Give me a cool game idea” often yields an atmosphere, a lore paragraph, and no player action. I want a mechanic I can test. After you generate game concepts, Use AI for Brainstorming, Then Narrow With Real Criteria helps narrow them with criteria and a small real-world test.

Here is the prompt I would try: Propose three mechanics for a cooperative game where two players see different pieces of a map. Each mechanic must create a decision both players affect, work with paper cards and a timer, and be testable in 15 minutes. For each, describe the player action, what information each player has, one failure state, and a first playtest question. Avoid lore until the mechanic passes a test. This gives me something to build tonight. An idea that needs a rendered world, voice acting, or a long backstory fails the stated prototype constraint.

If players merely press buttons in sequence, the mechanic may be cooperative in name only. I ask: what choice does each player make, and what can go wrong if they disagree? A strong concept creates a testable tension, not just a theme.

After a paper test, I record what players actually did. Then I prompt AI to summarize observed friction separately from my guesses about why it happened. The next design change should respond to evidence, not just more generated ideas. Try it: Run the prompt with a mechanic you could make from ten cards. Pick one idea, make a 15-minute paper test, and observe a player who has not heard your explanation. Write down what they did before asking AI for a revision. Keep learning: Use AI for Brainstorming, Then Narrow With Real Criteria, Ask for Alternatives, Then Choose With a Rubric, and Use Constraints Without Boxing the Model Into Nonsense.