So I decided on a game idea.

The game statement is: You are an entity that is trying to survive and escape a sidescrolling 2D  level.
Not much story yet, I know, but I am not focusing on this part yet.

The “twist” is that you need food to survive,

• you collect food,
• loose food if damaged
• and use food in different parts of the level.

So there is also a resource management aspect to the gameplay. I am still flusing out the core so I might change some bits, but I am finally happy that I have an idea.

Here is a mockup to describe a mid-game section and available gameplay.

The “minimalism” side should be in the graphics, interaction and the core mechanics. So reduce the input and mechanics so that they strictly serve the purpose. For example I won’t have a jump action, instead I will have ladders or elevators in places that a jump is needed.