Id Software has a way with words. Single words.
Doom. Quake. Rage. Wolfenstein.
Okay, that last one is a bit of a cop-out, as the Wolfenstein games have had longer titles, but even so there’s a definite pattern here. Id loves its single-word titles, and we have a feeling that any new games the developer comes up with will continue the single-word title tradition.
Of course, it’s pretty likely that the next Id game after Rage will probably be a sequel. After all, Rage is the first new franchise the developer has created in over a decade. Still, at some point after Doom 4, Rage 2 or Quake 5, the developer will likely want to try something different.
Since we’re caring, giving people here at GameZone, we’re happy to present Id with our list of single-word titles they can use for future game ideas. And since we’re feeling charitable, we even threw in some game descriptions at no extra cost! You just can’t beat that deal! Anyway, on with the list!
Crush – Fight your enemies by using the power of gravity to drop stuff on their heads. Increase the gravitational pull of the planet to turn small objects into deadly weapons!
Wave – You’re an amnesiac protagonist who wakes up one day to discover that you can generate water from your hands. Take out bad guys with high-pressure streams, or crush whole armies at once with a deadly wave.
Death – Why be shy about it? It’s a game where you kill a bunch of stuff, just like every other shooter. It’ll sell millions!
Idol – Step into an arena and battle other competitors to the death. But just surviving isn’t enough to make sure you go on to the next round. Your fate is decided by a panel of judges who decide who’s good enough to become the Idol of Killing.
Crack – Reshape the ground itself and use it against your enemies. Sure, it’s a lot like Fracture, but fortunately no one remembers that game.
Punch – Just punchin’ dudes. Right in the face.
Break – A complete departure from what you expect from Id, Break isn’t about smashing stuff. It’s about taking 15 minutes out of your day to have a snack, grab some coffee, or talk to co-workers.
Pug – Play a heavily armored Pug dog who takes out hundreds of enemies with the weapons strapped to his back. He’s adorable and deadly!
Id – Step into the role of an Id Software employee and work on then next award-winning single-word titled Id Software game! How very meta!
There you have it, Id. Feel free to use any of those ideas for your next single-word titled game. We don’t expect anything in return. Except cash, of course. Hey, there’s another idea of for a game – Cash: sell your ideas for money, while waves of enemies try to keep you from meeting up with the hungry investors ready to give you loot! Whaddaya think?
Jeremy M. Zoss is a veteran of the gaming industry. He’s written for Game Informer, OXM, G4 and many more. He’s also worked in games PR, but don’t hold that against him.
