I am constructing a web-based textual content RPG as a solo aspect undertaking (Kotlin/Ktor/Postgres, no recreation engine). The sport is about in a Zone left behind after an unexplained extraterrestrial occasion — closely impressed by the Strugatskys’ Roadside Picnic and the environment of the unique Fallout video games.
Core gameplay loop: Gamers ship a scavenger into the Zone for a player-defined length. Longer expeditions yield higher loot however carry increased danger. Returned objects may be offered, dismantled into uncooked supplies, or used to improve tools. Development is action-driven: XP from expeditions, crafting, and upgrades. Stats scale with degree.
The sport has been in a closed friends-only take a look at since 2023 and I am getting ready to open it to a wider viewers. The issue: my working title has mental property conflicts and may’t go public.
I’ve narrowed it right down to 4 candidates and I am making an attempt to consider choice standards past private style:
- Residuum — Latin for "what stays." Evokes post-catastrophe residue. Summary, barely tutorial.
- Sektor 7 — Japanese European spelling of "Sector." Reads as categorised/restricted. The quantity implies lore depth (what occurred to 1–6?).
- Scavengr — The core verb, modernized with a dropped vowel. Instantly communicates the gameplay loop.
- Picnic Grounds — Direct reference to the supply novel’s central metaphor. Sounds harmless; the irony is intentional.
What I am weighing:
- Discoverability — Which title is most searchable / least prone to collide with present video games or IPs?
- Tone match — The sport’s aesthetic is lo-fi, bleak, and deliberate. Not action-heavy, not horror. Which title units the suitable expectation?
- Longevity — If the sport grows past the present scope (multiplayer parts, expanded lore), which title scales with out feeling constraining?
- Area/deal with availability — Sensible, however actual. Single-word and brief names have apparent benefits right here.
Has anybody right here gone via an analogous naming train for a recreation undertaking? I would respect any framework or standards I is perhaps overlooking.
