A single-player fantasy game with no skill points/upgrades beyond equipment. I want the entirety of the progression to be the skills of the player. You end up losing fights to more than one goblin at a time, but then you learn to start dealing with groups. A long enough time pasts and you’re slaughtering hordes of enemy like clockwork. But if someone took control of your character they’d still lose to a goblin or two.
I want something where split second reaction times and skill determine how a fight goes. Both me and the enemy should be able to kill each other in 2-3 seconds given the right circumstances. I want extremely punishing mechanics for both enemies and the player. Something like a first-person Hotline Miami but with really good swordplay.
Social Anxiety Survival Horror. You’re a guy at a friend’s party trying to avoid conversations while putting in an appearance with your friend so they know you were here. You can deflect conversations with small talk you pick up by eavesdropping, but it won’t work on drunk people, so you also need to run and hide. Your ex-partner eventually shows up and is hunting you down to have a frank conversation about your relationship, which is instant game over.