Description

Noun Verber is an idea generator for game developers - an inspirational tool to help overcome mental block when you're under pressure to discover the Next Big Thing in the gaming industry. Specifically, it randomly generates potential game titles according to a given naming convention. The resulting titles range in quality from "absolutely brilliant" to "astoundingly ridiculous". In either case it is often quite amusing to envision the game that would result from such a title.

Although there may be legitimate inspiration to be found here, please keep in mind that this is for amusement purposes only. Any actual usefulness of the software is completely accidental.

Applet

Noun Verber

How To Use It

Generate several titles until one strikes you as particularly brilliant, then flesh out the game idea with a few mock-ups and license it to a major publisher for tremendous profit. Here's a sample from my upcoming blockbuster:

"Wife Evader" is typical of the "maze chase" game genre. The player takes on the role of the hapless husband who wants nothing more than to watch some football on tv. However, he has neglected to mow the lawn, take out the garbage, clean up the garage, empty the dishwasher, and other sundry household chores. In order to find time to watch the game he must avoid his wife and her "honey-do" list for the entire afternoon. Collect beer and chips from the kitchen without being caught to earn extra points. Difficulty increases in later stages when your mother-in-law arrives for dinner unannounced while the game goes into overtime.

Algorithm

The name "Noun Verber" is illustrative of the pattern used to generate titles. Specifically, a four-letter noun is followed by a four-letter verb thas has been transformed into a six-letter noun by appending "er". Thus "verber" as in "one who verbs", for example "jumper" being "one who jumps".

Also included are three-letter verbs with a doubled final consonant (f.e. "popper") and five-letter verbs that end in "e" (f.e. "chaser"). Exluded are verbs that require an "or" suffix (f.e. "editor" or "sailor") because ridiculous English spelling rules make me furious.

The nouns are a bit more restrictive. Excluded are three-letter nouns than can be made into four-letter nouns with a plural "s". Thus "goat" is allowed, but "dogs" is not. This helps preserve proper grammar. For example, "Goat Chaser" sounds proper while "Dogs Chaser" does not.

Also specifically excluded are four-letter words that are known to be offensive.

A Few Examples Of The Many Wondrous Possibilities

Further Examples From The Real World

Apart from my own games Lava Leaper and Star Chaser there have been a number of commercial games released with titles that follow this pattern. Here is a sampling of them...

Tomb Raider Rave Master Tube Slider

Ball Blazer Grid Runner Side Winder Trap Gunner

Deer Hunter Star Jacker Taxi Driver Lode Runner

City Skater Drum Master Race Driver Soul Reaver

Moon Walker Road Runner Stun Runner Tail Gunner

All (TM)'s and (R)'s property of their respective owners. I am not affiliated with any of these commercial products.