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How to name your game?

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jedite1000
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I am in the process of trying to come up with a name for my card game

How do you guys come up with your own game name, what are the process of doing so?

Any tips?

questccg
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In my case...

I usually have the NAME before any ideas about the design... It's like: "Oh wouldn't it be cool is there was a game called 'X'?" And then I go to "Board Game Geek" (BGG) and search their database to see if the name is used already.

If not, then I start to work on the design.

Whatever name you think up of, you can GOOGLE IT and BGG search it...

Google will give you hits OUTSIDE the "Board Game" domain, like say "Video Games" or "Book Titles", etc.

BGG will actually tell you if a board game with the name exists. Then it's up to you to sufficiently "distinguish" yourself from the other games...

That should help you get started!

Game Name idea: Maybe you like it, or maybe it sends you down another road, reading your description seems like it has to do with various "Factions".

So here comes what I thought of while reading that thread:

"Force of Faction"

It's kind of a "play on words" of "Force of Nature"... Meaning that nature is wild an unstoppable. So that kind of echoes in "Force of Faction", the might, the magic, the power, etc... Whatever a faction may have as tools to combat their opponent...

Cheers!

SuperTooned
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What is your game about?

I understand the question you are asking but to truly give you advice, people need to know what your game is about. Please inform us on it and I'm sure people will answer.

jedite1000
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Its in new game ideas under

Its in new game ideas under unnamed tcg game

BHFuturist
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Names are important

Due to the strong fantasy theme, the first thing that popped into my head for your game was "The Battle of Five Armies - The Card Game" but that won't do, as that would be The Lord of the Rings... and already taken. Also, your game has 4 factions...

You might try naming the fantasy world that the game is set in... and call it that.

You might look up words in other languages than mean things you might want to mix into such a name.

Example:

Kawrabnave - (Kaw-rab-nave) "To approach death..."

Hebrew transliteration for "to come near, approach" (Kaw-rab), mixed with the Latvian transliteration for death (nave)

I wish you all the best in coming up with a good name... keep in mind people will need to spell it to search on Google for your game...

@BHFuturist

jedite1000
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Yeah that is what someone

Yeah that is what someone said to be before, come up with the country or place the battle is set in.

Pretty hard coming up with fictional places

My last game Minimon Fusionz even though i had to come up with the place it wasn't too hard and i called it Miniunovus.

Adam Leamey
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Hmm for me as I was making a

Hmm for me as I was making a power rangers inspired game I wanted something to do with colors and I wanted it to sound cool. Eventually I decided the first part of the name which was Spectrum and finally settled on Force as the second part.

As for your game I guess try and think of your theme and what would fit the theme of your game and most importantly check if the title hasn't already been used.

As some random suggestions

Nations at war, Domination

That' all i have for now hope it helps.

jedite1000
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grawsome, i think i am able

grawsome, i think i am able to think of a name soon

ruy343
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On opposing viewpoints

QuestCCG and I take completely opposite approaches to game design, and that's OK. For me, the name of the game is only conceived of once I think about submitting it to someone else to review. Sometimes, the game's name comes naturally out of the theme that I've selected, and other times, it takes a two hour brainstorming session to come up with anything (don't worry - that's what genetics class is for...)

questccg
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Another example

ruy343 wrote:
QuestCCG and I take completely opposite approaches to game design, and that's OK. For me, the name of the game is only conceived of once I think about submitting it to someone else to review...

I'll give you another example: "Monster Keep".

Now while I thought it was AMAZING that the domain was "available", the name itself is a play on words too.

So first it's a "dungeon" with "monsters". But in the game, you try to "keep the monsters" by winning the most battles!

And then of course I Google and BGG the name to see if anyone has already picked up the name of the game... When I have a good name - it gets me excited about the design, knowing that I am "designing" game 'X'...


"Clash of the Factions" Another name idea for your card game...

FrankM
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Oh, come ON!

questccg wrote:
And then of course I Google and BGG the name to see if anyone has already picked up the name of the game

And this is the point where I decide that I never liked that name anyway...

radioactivemouse
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name

jedite1000 wrote:
I am in the process of trying to come up with a name for my card game

How do you guys come up with your own game name, what are the process of doing so?

Any tips?

I'd like my game names to have some meaning to the game, so it's either super obvious, or I'm hunting down a conce0pt or a theme and then going to a thesaurus to find unique, but easy to spell names that are similar to the theme of my game.

Like for example, my game "Conquest at Kismet". I chose the name "kismet" because it meant "fate". I set the game in the Raccroc Galaxy because Raccroc means "luck", which is a big mechanic in my game.

My advice would be to use a name that's easy to pronounce and spell. I'm all for unique words, but don't drown it in apostrophes and consonants.

Willem Verheij
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Call it the third best game

Call it the third best game ever.

Got to stay humble after all.

kilmor81
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What are your creatures called?

Just name the game after what your creatures are called. :)
"Minimons Assault"

Or name it after what the character/role you are playing is called.
"The summoner"

Or name it as a tournament or battleground or war
"Monster Combat/Battle/Conflict"

let-off studios
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Thesaurus

Think of words that describe your game, then enter them into:

http://www.thesaurus.com

...to find alternatives. You ought to be able to come up with several options, particularly when combined with your fantastical names and such.

Speaking of which, here's an online fantasy name generator:

https://www.fantasynamegen.com/

Use these to develop plenty of options for your consideration.

splanderson
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Thesaurus and Theme

I was actually going to say thesaurus as well, haha. I like to think of what my game conveys or what the main mechanic is and try and find alternative descriptive words for it.

I've also looked for lists of elements that are within the world/time period and work off of that (i.e. I looked up a list of words that were created by sci-fi authors and worked in some of those to create my company "Telekinetic Labs")

At the end, I agree with everyone saying go with a word that describes your theme. One of my favorite names for a game is Scythe - which gives you not only the image of a worker reaping wheat, but also the proletariat symbols of the U.S.S.R. after WWII.

X3M
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Name the game after....

An important character?
Perhaps including a key word of the quest?

A mechanic?
The goal of the game?
The problem that your characters face?

Plenty of options. Just try to ask yourself as much as questions possible. Then answer them. Perhaps you find new words that you didn't think of yet. And you can combine them.

Command & Conquer, is a prime example in this. Simple, catchy and describes the game.

jedite1000
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Wow this is old, didn't even

Wow this is old, didn't even know i was the one who started it, I already have my name but this is still good for people who needs some tips coming up with a name for their own game

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