I’m not a game developer but if I were to make a game, the only ideas that come to mind seem to be “I’m gonna remake my favorite game but change these things I didn’t like about it!” but I heard that’s a bad idea usually.
I’m wondering how much change, and to which aspects (gameplay, mechanics, theme, etc), do you think is needed to make a game inspired by something instead of a rip-off?
If you’re copying everything, you’re NOT copying critically. You’re putting no thought into WHY that mechanic was added in the exact way that it was.
Is that mechanic even needed?
Could it be done a different/better way to add complexity or simplify it, it alter the experience in a substantial way?
I’m trying to put thought but everything is just so tightly designed I feel like removing ANYTHING would ruin the appeal.
At the end of the day you have to have a reason to make your game. If you want to be heavily influenced that’s fine, but your effort needs to come from a place of feeling like you have a vision for how it can be improved. That you have something to add. If you think the original game as it already exists is the perfect implementation of the concept, why make a new version?