How to stop overthinking and stop spooking yourself?

Hi - I wanted to try to make a few games before I commit to a super long term project, but I'm having a lot of trouble with overthinking things.

Basically I'm having this issue of using an idea or gimmick, or even character, and then never being allowed to re-use them again. So I do have a few general ideas that I can use to make short-story esque games. So I'm too afraid of approaching any of them or starting to flesh them out. Only game I did manage to get out, was a One-Map challenge, but I tell myself I'm ready for something a bit longer and in depth, but I'm too afraid to approach.

So I want to know if any of you are in the same boat I'm in. Or if you've ever been on the same boat. And how you can break out of it and just get more comfortable to developing short stories (in game form).

all games (movies, books, whatever) can be boiled down to "get character to point".
that's it... that's the game: get the player character to the end.
but BEFORE the end, you have to complete *theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese* missions (pulls out fan of side quests)

that's the idea.
it is straightforward, but it isn't.... it's a one-off, but it isn't.
it's a one-off, mined with one-off's in the way.

watch an episodic TV series instead of a long plot-based one, that'll give you an idea for recurring characters, persistent universes and merging plot lines.

How about trying to extend your OneMap game a little first?

If you're saying you feel discomfort over using a concept or character in a game because you're afraid you'll not use it to it's full potential and you'll end up wasting the idea, then yeah. I can understand that feeling. I have some of that too. I have a few ideas in my head I've been to afraid to use for years, and I still am. I just don't feel I can do them justice - yet.

The usual answer to this is often "you'll come up with better ideas down the line so don't worry", but that's not necessarily true. It's perfectly possible that you'll come up with some of your best ideas ever early on in your life. You never know. On the other hand you might come up with better ideas, that's possible too. Still, if you never use those ideas you really like then they're also wasted. Maybe even more wasted then if you made a crappy game with them?.

So on one hand use them. On another, it's okay to take your time and develop your darlings before you do so.

I see myself not really a creative person. So I recycled a lot. Whether if it's resources like musics, or even characters. Few of the music I used in my game was actually for main theme for my a big dream project that was never happen. While I did afraid if "I'm not allowed to use that resource later for that game", on the second thought I'd actually going to regret if the music was never unheard. So I went derail and export the resources for my side and smaller project. (I think I posted the music on my status update days ago).

As for character, it's the same. I used to make a random character for a sake of having character for my game. I thought it was just random throwaway characters. Turned out I liked the character I randomly made, and I wanted for them to appear more into my game and my other works. Then again, I recycled it. Personally, I also like if a creator has their iconic character. It's different if you talk to people who have a lot of 'random' characters, and the one who only have few characters but they're enthusiasm about it..

As for actually dev the game, I never spooked myself. Even if the project ended up failure, or never finished, getting the mechanic working and getting an experience of how to design it on paper, make an implementation of it, then tried to make a balance around it was valuable experience on itself. And I didn't regret it a bit. In fact, I went through a lot of it. Even I think today, my game balance was kinda utter mess that I wanted to remake it once again (which is why I made my thread few days ago).

Why can’t you reuse characters and stuff? I do that in lots of things, I just make up new stories around the same characters .

Eg, blue lab, a stealth game
Then jungle rescue, a prequel game
And one I’ve been toying with
Green lab- a Halloween zombie plant alien game.

All with the same characters , same basic mechanics, but different plots. If it’s your games, you can reuse whatever you want!

You may also have other fears confounding the issue, but if it's a matter of feeling like you'd be expending your "one shot" at a good idea before you're ready, then consider this: it's not actually one shot, especially if your game isn't commercial. Not only can you create a series or spinoff if you want to, but you can re-make the game itself later on if you feel like the idea was good but your first build left some of its potential unrealized. I've done this with one game and I'm planning to do it with a second next year once I finish the remake of the first.

I had the same fear you had, and I realize now that not only was it unhealthy, but it was literally incorrect in its assumptions.

Additionally, consider that game-making can be a really long journey, and that you'll come into your own as you start building the idea into a full game. You'll learn things you didn't know that you didn't know. You'll grow into it, and even if you're not prepared when you start, that's OK. You'll always have more good ideas than you can reasonably turn into games, so even if a game were somehow a "one shot at perfection" - which it's not - you'll still have more good ideas you could try with.