My goal as a game designer is to make games that are different. By that I mean that I want to try things that have never been done, look at games in a different way, intentionally ignore cliche and tradition and make games that are truly unique. Now, that’s not to say I plan on reinventing the wheel; just thinking about it in a new way.
 

 
Video games have a distinct difference from any other type of media: They’re interactive. For that reason, games should focus first and foremost around the player’s interaction with the game world. The vast majority of games, however, will end exactly the same way no matter what you do over the course of the game. They are simply telling a story, and the player is just along for the ride. This, to me, is not utilizing the interactive media to it’s fullest extent.

Now I’m also not saying story driven games are a bad thing. A good story is compelling no matter what medium it’s presented in, and I’ve definitely enjoyed many linear games in my day. I just want to do it differently.
 

 
Experiment. I have a lot of ideas for directions I can take. Some plausible, some less so, and I’m not really sure what will or won’t work. So, for a while I’ll just have to experiment with ideas, make simple prototypes and see what works, what’s fun and what’s not. I’m fairly competent with coding and I’ll see what kinds of prototyping I can do on my own, but at some point in the future I’ll need to find a skilled programmer or two that can help me bring my ideas to life.