--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I just have an idea in my head…" description: "\"I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to design one that's much smaller than Grim Fanda..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/tim-schafer-18855_adventure_i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-a_308640.jpg" --- # I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an… ![“I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to design one that's much smaller than Grim Fandango or Full Throttle. There's just a certain amount of scope needed to create a complex puzzle space and to develop a real story. At least with my…” quote by Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/tim-schafer-18855_adventure_i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-a_308640.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/tim-schafer-18855_adventure_i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-a_308640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dd/tim-schafer-18855_adventure_i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-a_308640.jpg) > “I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to design one that's much smaller than Grim Fandango or Full Throttle. There's just a certain amount of scope needed to create a complex puzzle space and to develop a real story. At least with my brain, there is.” [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designing large adventure games feels constrained by the need for extensive puzzles and deep narrative, making smaller projects feel insufficient. **In simple terms:** Big games need big scope for puzzles and story. Key Takeaway Accept that scope matches ambition. Themes game design scope storytelling Mood reflective determined Type advice insightful When to use this quote - indie game development - budget planning - team size - feature prioritization Key Concepts puzzle complexity narrative depth Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify core gameplay that stands alone? - What narrative elements can be trimmed without loss? A Different Perspective Smaller games can succeed with focused mechanics and concise stories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Playing games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-games/) [Puzzles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puzzles/) [Scope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scope/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) ## Related quotes > [Missing pieces do more than complete the puzzle, they fill in an empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/missing-pieces-do-more-than-complete-the-puzzle-they-fill-in-an-empty/) [Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/) > [My definition of an adventure game is an interactive story set with puzzles and obstacles to solve and worlds to explore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-williams/my-definition-of-an-adventure-game-is-an-interactive-story-set-with/) [Roberta Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-williams/) > [I believe the adventure game genre will never die any more than any type of storytelling would ever die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-williams/i-believe-the-adventure-game-genre-will-never-die-any-more-than-any/) [Roberta Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-williams/) > [I'd really love to work with virtual reality at some point. You could make a killer adventure game with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jensen/i-d-really-love-to-work-with-virtual-reality-at-some-point-you-could/) [Jane Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jensen/) > [An adventure game is nothing more than a good story set with engaging puzzles that fit seamlessly in with the story and the characters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-williams/an-adventure-game-is-nothing-more-than-a-good-story-set-with-engaging/) [Roberta Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-williams/) > [You can't get too caught up in trying to pitch a complete game, because that's hard to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scherzer/you-can-t-get-too-caught-up-in-trying-to-pitch-a-complete-game/) [Max Scherzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scherzer/) > [Whether I start or come off the bench makes no difference to me. My game has always been go as hard as I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-havlicek/whether-i-start-or-come-off-the-bench-makes-no-difference-to-me-my/) [John Havlicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-havlicek/) > [You love the game, but it's hard to do the things you do when you're feeling like you're a leg down all the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/you-love-the-game-but-it-s-hard-to-do-the-things-you-do-when-you-re/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) > [Im coming at the game hard and Im not going to let ya down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-gunz/im-coming-at-the-game-hard-and-im-not-going-to-let-ya-down/) [Cory Gunz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-gunz/) > [Your competitive juice, your love of the game, it's in you. It's hard to get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dell-curry/your-competitive-juice-your-love-of-the-game-it-s-in-you-it-s-hard-to/) [Dell Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dell-curry/) > [How heroic to be able to suppress one's vanity to the extent of confessing that the game is too hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/how-heroic-to-be-able-to-suppress-one-s-vanity-to-the-extent-of/) [Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/) > [Hard work doesn't start during the game. Hard work starts the night before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-griffey-jr/hard-work-doesn-t-start-during-the-game-hard-work-starts-the-night/) [Ken Griffey Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-griffey-jr/) > [The title game is too hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dereck-chisora/the-title-game-is-too-hard/) [Dereck Chisora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dereck-chisora/) > [Traders lose because the game is hard, or out of ignorance, or lack of discipline or because of both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-elder/traders-lose-because-the-game-is-hard-or-out-of-ignorance-or-lack-of/) [Alexander Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-elder/) > [If you want to get players to your game, it's hard to get them there at noon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urban-meyer/if-you-want-to-get-players-to-your-game-it-s-hard-to-get-them-there/) [Urban Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urban-meyer/) ## More by Tim Schafer > [I've now met, I would say, almost every single one of my rock idols. I feel like I should just drive off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-now-met-i-would-say-almost-every-single-one-of-my-rock-idols-i/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [In the future, we will play games while floating naked in a tank of warm, sensory-depriving gelatin. Games will be distributed chemically, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/in-the-future-we-will-play-games-while-floating-naked-in-a-tank-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Adventure games are all about details - if you happen to take this one object and use it with this other object, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/adventure-games-are-all-about-details-if-you-happen-to-take-this-one/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I enjoy everything. I actually do listen to everything. In high school, I listened to a lot of metal and punk rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-enjoy-everything-i-actually-do-listen-to-everything-in-high-school/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [The Internet has allowed a lot of access - people feel entitled to change the ending of games, for example. So there are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/the-internet-has-allowed-a-lot-of-access-people-feel-entitled-to/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I've always hated superheroes. I cannot stand them. I love Norse mythology, but I hate superheroes. They ruined movies, then comics, and now games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-always-hated-superheroes-i-cannot-stand-them-i-love-norse/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [When you have a programmer-founded company it often gets really techy, if you have a producer or a business-person, it all really sets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/when-you-have-a-programmer-founded-company-it-often-gets-really-techy/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If I had done a sequel to 'Day of the Tentacle,' there probably wouldn't have been a 'Full Throttle.' If I did a 'Full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-i-had-done-a-sequel-to-day-of-the-tentacle-there-probably-wouldn-t/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. So, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they-lean-towards-licenses-and/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Kinect is such a great new entry into the field because it takes away one of the big barriers to little kids to playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/kinect-is-such-a-great-new-entry-into-the-field-because-it-takes-away/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If you're not loyal to your team, you can get by for a while, but eventually you will need to rely on their loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-you-re-not-loyal-to-your-team-you-can-get-by-for-a-while-but/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I think when you play 'Psychonauts,' you are kind of playing inside of my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-when-you-play-psychonauts-you-are-kind-of-playing-inside-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [After 'Psychonauts,' we could have laid off half our team so that we'd have more money and time to sign 'Brutal Legend.' But doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/after-psychonauts-we-could-have-laid-off-half-our-team-so-that-we-d/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [There was a 'magic rock' my mom would lift up, and under the rock was a bunch of bugs. Roly-poly bugs and worms. Somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/there-was-a-magic-rock-my-mom-would-lift-up-and-under-the-rock-was-a/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I would like to reach non-gamers. It's always great when guys come up to me who are gamers and represent my usual audience, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-would-like-to-reach-non-gamers-it-s-always-great-when-guys-come-up/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) [Explore all 34 Tim Schafer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## More Adventure quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/) Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcleod/love-can-give-you-such-happiness-then-can-break-the-very-heart-it/) Kevin McLeod > [“It always gave Wolf a peculiar thrill thus to tighten his grip upon his stick, thus to wrap himself more closely in his faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/it-always-gave-wolf-a-peculiar-thrill-thus-to-tighten-his-grip-upon/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [I am not an adventurous person but I am gutsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-am-not-an-adventurous-person-but-i-am-gutsy/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) [Browse all 7,690 Adventure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to design one that's much smaller than Grim Fandango or Full Throttle. 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