Brainstorming is a creative process where you let your imagination run wild and come up with as many ideas as you can.
In the context of creating an arcade game, these ideas could be about the game's theme, characters, levels, challenges, rewards, and so on.
Remember, at this stage, there's no such thing as a 'bad' idea. The goal is to generate a pool of ideas, which you can later refine and develop into your game concept.
Gather into groups with your friends or classmates for a group discussion. Share your ideas about what kind of game you want to create. Consider the characters, the setting, the challenges, and the goals of your game.
Remember, you will only have about an hour to create your game, so make sure your ideas are achievable within this timeframe. Discuss and refine your ideas as a group, and make sure everyone's voice is heard.
Have one person in the group write down the main ideas that you come up with.
Now it's time for each person to bring their game idea to life! Grab a pencil and paper and start sketching. Draw the main characters, the game world, and any important objects that will be part of your game.
Don't worry about making it perfect, this is just a rough sketch to help you visualise your game.
Also, write a short description of how the game will be played. This will help you when you start coding your game in MakeCode Arcade.
Finally and time allowing, it's time to dive into a bit of experimentation with MakeCode Arcade. This step isn't about creating the final version of your game; think of it as a playground where you can test out the main parts of your game idea.
You don't need to have everything figured out. Just pick one or two key elements you sketched, maybe it's a jumping character or shooting rocket ship, and try coding them in MakeCode Arcade. This is your chance to see how your ideas play out in a real game environment and tweak them as needed.
Remember, this is just to test if your idea will work and if something doesn't work as expected, no worries! You can always adjust your plans. This step is optional but it's a fun way to get a sense of how your game might look and feel, and you'll learn a lot by simply trying things out.