Idea Surfr

alright so this is a bit of a weird idea I had but just imagine...

you play as a detective, solving murders, finding clues, saving the day...

but the whole "solving the mystery" is quite literal because the "mystery" takes on the form of a literal monster that must be killed via using evidence as weapons.

at the start of the battle, the monster has an obscured, shadowy appearence. the more evidence you use, the more shadows you chip away to reveal the REAL monster inside.

in the lore of the game, every time a crime remains unsolved, a monster spawns. these monsters are the physical manifestation of the concept of "mysteries". they exist in the "logic world" where, the longer they exist, the more human logic gets destroyed, making humans dumber and more lacking in common sense.

the player is a detective with the special ability to travel into this logic world. they solve crimes in the real world which translates to them slaying monsters in the logic world.

think of it as a persona-style game where the player plays between two worlds.

this is certainly a strange way to tackle the "mystery" genre but hey, being unique is what drives innovation.

Not a dev, just someone who loves game design - wanted to share an idea that’s been on my mind for a while.

I’ve been thinking about a game that captures that early 2010s rebellious teenager energy — a realistic open-world experience where you’re not saving the world, just living in it. Think Watch Dogs or Mirror’s Edge, but you’re a kid exploring the city, painting graffiti, sneaking into abandoned places, and running from cops. There wouldn't be any main story, no objective marker - just the freedom to explore and get lost in the atmosphere.

Core ideas:

Exploration and chill spots: Rooftops, alleyways, under bridges, abandoned hospitals, malls, factories, and warehouses. Hidden corners to just hang out, explore, or watch the city.

Parkour: Realistic movement inspired by Mirror’s Edge — climbing, vaulting, wall-running, sliding under barriers.

Metro system: Fully explorable tunnels. Walking the rails is risky - trains can come at any moment, adding tension.

Graffiti and social media: Tag walls, trains, and billboards. Optionally post them to an in-game social feed to gain followers and attention.

Abandoned spaces: Eerie, adrenaline-filled atmosphere — not full horror, but the quiet and shadows keep you on edge.

Wired headphones & music integration: Your character can wear wired headphones, listening to music while exploring. You can sync the game to your own playlists via Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, etc., so your personal soundtrack plays in the city. Music can enhance immersion, influence pacing, or just make parkour and graffiti feel more alive.

Police & security: Patrols and chases add dynamic tension. Hide, outrun, or outsmart them using your parkour skills. Adds a stealth aspect to the game as well.

Mood & tone: Realistic, nostalgic early 2010s aesthetic — cracked phones, cheap cameras, streetwear, late-night city lights, and lo-fi rain-soaked streets.

It’s a mix of Watch Dogs realism, Mirror’s Edge’s movement, and subway surfers kinda - but grounded, cinematic, and story-light. (I would consider adding something like skating mechanics as it suits this category however that could be a lot of effort).

Would anyone play something like this? Any extra ideas to make the city, exploration, or atmosphere even more immersive would help a lot.
I'm no expert in game developing - very much an amateur, however if someone wanted to reach out that would help me bring this idea to life that would be amazing.

My idea is a game where you start with a zoomed out perspective of the body with all organs, and get notifications from each organ when under attack, where you would use different immune system cells in different formations to beat pathogen types, collect XP, and upgrade your immune system army. Different areas might have different pathogens, fighting a pathogen type once gives an autofill option for formations (Immune memory) and you could use in app purchases to buy vaccines or antibodies, which would act as boosts to give new formation autofills and wipe out hoards of bacteria. Pathogens would come in different categories (Virus, bacteria, fungi, parasite) and have specific formations and intensity levels based on real life diseases. To fight, you would click on an organ under attack and drag different immune cell types (B-Cell, T-Cell, etc.) to fight the pathogens in the area. Winning a battle results in the infection notification disappearing and the pathogens leaving, while losing results in a crisis where you must either pay for medicinal boosts or hope to defeat the pathogens once they invade another organ. Some special seasonal events, like a winter flu season or a spring allergy season would also exist.