Although not the most important part of game design, the title of the game can be a deciding factor in garnering a player-base. A game’s name can either intrigue potential players or dissuade them from looking at the game any further, therefore I feel it is important to have a reasoning behind the title I decide upon
These are the potential game names I have thought of and the reasoning behind them:
Chimera
Also has a similar definition to Arcadia – it refers to a thing which is hoped for but is illusory or impossible to achieve; a perfect place for a young child’s imagination to wonder off to in hopes of a better life. Furthermore, chimera also refers to an organism with the DNA of various different creatures, this could be a reference to the Knight’s potential to gain abilities upon death. These abilities could be the boy taking powers of other “characters” in his dreamworld and giving it to the Knight.
Arcadia
Arcadia in modern English is used to describe a place of simple, quiet pleasure and rustic innocence – a sort of idyllic wonderland the young boy escapes to to get away from his worries. It could also potentially be the name of the setting in which the game takes place.
Camelot
The name of the capital of King Arthur’s kingdom, as the game’s beginning area takes place in a Kingdom and could be the original inspiration the boy had in mind for this “dream world”. Additionally, it has another definition similar to that of Arcadia, referring to a time, place, or atmosphere that’s idyllically happy.
Catharsis
Catharsis is the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions – essentially the entire goal of the game is to provide the boy with the ability to heal from his situation and free him from the burdens of his mental state. This word also comes from the Greek meaning of “cleanse” or “purification”, which is what the Knight’s goal is, to free the Princess and rid the lands of the Demon King and his underlings.
I have decided to name the game Arcadia, as I feel it encapsulates all of the themes that the game touches upon.