I think the hottest genre is still “survival/craft”, but there are so many similar looking games, you gotta stand out somehow. Two of the best ways to stand out are combining genres, and having an interesting artsyle.
I would start with the basics of Stardew Valley, people love farming, resources management, upgrading tools and buildings, wooing villagers. But what is lacking in Stardew? I think the battle system and world exploration.
Instead of stardew’s generic 2d Zelda-style battles, I would suggest a card battle system like Slay the Spire. At night players can delve into the card battling cave, looking for new cards, new seeds, farm equipment, etc, always trying to delve deeper for better loot. During the day they work the farm, earning money, crafting new cards and foods that can buff their card battles.
For world exploration, it would depend on your style choices and budget. If you stick with 2d pixel graphics I could see a Zelda style map filled with puzzles and unlocks. If you go bigger with a 3d engine I could see a sprawling Bethesda style map.
As for artsyle, you definitely want to avoid being a Stardew clone. Go a bit darker, both in color and theme, while still creating a game that is suitable for children.
I think the hottest genre is still “survival/craft”, but there are so many similar looking games, you gotta stand out somehow. Two of the best ways to stand out are combining genres, and having an interesting artsyle.
I would start with the basics of Stardew Valley, people love farming, resources management, upgrading tools and buildings, wooing villagers. But what is lacking in Stardew? I think the battle system and world exploration.
Instead of stardew’s generic 2d Zelda-style battles, I would suggest a card battle system like Slay the Spire. At night players can delve into the card battling cave, looking for new cards, new seeds, farm equipment, etc, always trying to delve deeper for better loot. During the day they work the farm, earning money, crafting new cards and foods that can buff their card battles.
For world exploration, it would depend on your style choices and budget. If you stick with 2d pixel graphics I could see a Zelda style map filled with puzzles and unlocks. If you go bigger with a 3d engine I could see a sprawling Bethesda style map.
As for artsyle, you definitely want to avoid being a Stardew clone. Go a bit darker, both in color and theme, while still creating a game that is suitable for children.