What drives us to think outside the box? Where does a fresh idea originate? And how can one truly gauge originality? This talk delves into the core of the creative process, blending insights from psychology, neuroscience, and personal experiences. It aims to unpack the intricate dance of inspiration and dissect what gives birth to original thought through a grounded exploration of the mechanisms behind creativity and what needs to be done to arrive at originality.

“Demystifying Creativity” is a thought-provoking talk that delves into the elusive nature of creativity and originality in the realm of video game creation. This presentation explores the intricate balance between innovative ideas and the practical challenges of measuring creativity, shedding light on how these factors influence the development process in the gaming industry. Through a blend of psychological insights and real-world examples from game development, the talk aims to unravel the complexities behind what makes a game truly original and engaging. It addresses the tools and methods used to quantify creativity, the impact of these metrics on the creative process, and how developers can harness this understanding to push the boundaries of what is possible in video games. The session promises a deep dive into the heart of creativity, offering valuable perspectives for game developers, designers, and enthusiasts alike.

Ideas are cheap, and yet a great idea can elevate your game from being forgettable to being memorable. Coming up with ideas is deceptively simple, and yet ideas are strange and unpredictable creatures. Sometimes they just pop up, and sometimes they take a lot of effort to lure out.

In this talk, Thomas Ryder will talk about the challenging process of idea generation and share his creative journey from blank paper to a fully fleshed-out idea. It’s a talk about managing the creative process, about selling your idea, and about paying attention to the strange voices in your head.

Sometimes the idea comes easily, and the real challenge is what comes after. How do you keep iterating on a concept for several years? How do you refine your gut feeling through multiple iterations, all while staying motivated?

In this talk, Marlène will share some of the learnings from expanding on an 8-week student game with a strong core concept to a full release 7 years later with ‘As Long As You’re Here’.

Creative processes change from ideation to the point where you release your game, and each phase of game development requires different kinds of creative thinking, especially if you’re wearing many hats working in a small team. Some forms of creative thinking appear to be in opposition to each other, and it often feels like creativity is especially challenged in the field of game development, with its multitude of constraints.

How do you consolidate all those different ways of creativity, and is that even possible without compromising too much?

Nils Deneken will try to zoom in and out on different aspects of his personal creative process, illustrating how it changes along the way: from the first spark of an idea to building a world, involving a team, and actually making the thing without draining your creative energy.

Do you have anything you’d like to announce or inform about? Please send Helena an email at helena@gamesdenmark.dk

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