Thoughts or resources for picking a name for your game?

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1 comment, last by TechnoGoth 10 years, 2 months ago

I need to move my project from having a working title to having a real title. But the only ideas I have so far don't feel right; they're too long.

I'm wondering if anyone has something like a link to an article that gives some good advice for choosing a name for a game. Or perhaps some general advice.

This doesn't really seem like a topic that I've ever heard anyone talk about very much, but it is somewhat important, especially for a small indie title that no one has ever heard of before.

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Game titles tend to be extremely short - 1 or 2 words. It can be 3 if one is a word like "the" or "of" because those don't count. Which doesn't mean you can't have a game with a longer title, just that it's an uncommon choice for marketing reasons.

Personally when people ask me for title ideas, I ask them what the main gameplay is, what the setting is, who the playable character is, and any other interesting sales points they think the game has. From each of these questions I generate a list of synonymous words and phrases. Then I try to combine them into a portmanteau word or a unique phrase; these are the title possibilities.

I want to help design a "sandpark" MMO. Optional interactive story with quests and deeply characterized NPCs, plus sandbox elements like player-craftable housing and lots of other crafting. If you are starting a design of this type, please PM me. I also love pet-breeding games.

Ya, most games have short one or two word tiles. Generally the name should be exciting and active and related to the game in someway.

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