Indie game developers and game designers
Brainstorming a new game concept during a game jam or pre-production phase
Use cases
About
The 'interesting gameplays' mind map template catalogs 84 nodes across 5 major branches — core mechanics, features, themes, characters, and control — offering a structured taxonomy for game design analysis. It covers 12+ gameplay genres including 'runner' (Temple Run), 'physic related' (Angry Bird, Cut the Rope), 'defense' (tower defense, hero defense), and 'puzzle' (Bejeweled), plus sub-mechanics like 'randomize' (gambling, slot machine) and 'endless' replayability. The template also maps 5 theme categories (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, historic, mystics) with specific examples such as 'zombie/ghoul', 'robot/killing machine', and 'elf/dwarf/orc/peon/undead/chimaera/griffon/dragon/queen'. Character traits are organized under 'characteristics' (intellectual, mad, brave) and 'class' (scientist, wizard/sorcerer). This Xmind template serves as a cheat sheet for game designers, students, and indie developers brainstorming or classifying game concepts.
Terms and ConditionsWhen to use this template
Game analysts and product managers
Analyzing existing games to understand their mechanics and features for a competitive analysis
Educators and students in game design courses
Teaching game design fundamentals in a classroom or workshop setting
How to use this template
Step 1
Open and Explore Core Branches
Launch the template in Xmind to navigate the five primary branches covering mechanics, features, themes, characters, and control systems.
Step 2
Analyze Subcategories and Gameplay Examples
Expand specific nodes like runner or puzzle genres to review detailed examples and sub-mechanics such as randomization and endless replayability.
Step 3
Customize and Share Your Design
Personalize the map by adding your own game concepts before exporting the final design as an image or PDF for your team.
Frequently asked questions
The template includes 84 nodes across 5 branches: core mechanics (runner, physic related, shooting, RPG, defense, puzzle, farm, street fighting, racing), features (rating/ranking, randomize, endless, currency, upgrade, collections, social), themes (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, historic, mystics), characters (characteristics, class), and control (click only, points click, drag drop).
Open the .xmind file in Xmind, then expand each branch to explore mechanics like 'tower defense' or themes like 'fantasy'. Replace example nodes with your own game ideas, add notes, and rearrange branches to fit your project.
Yes, the template is free to download and fully editable in Xmind (desktop, web, or mobile). You can add, remove, or modify nodes, change colors, and attach images or notes.
Use the 'core mechanics' branch to identify the primary gameplay loop, 'features' to list progression systems (e.g., 'currency' to unlock upgrades), and 'themes' to note visual/setting elements. Compare multiple games by duplicating the template.
Absolutely. Under the 'characters' branch, you can edit 'class' nodes like 'scientist' or 'wizard/sorcerer' to fit your game's roles, add new classes, or link them to specific mechanics.
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