So what is Insert Coin? Or more to the point what will Insert Coin be? Insert Coin is an attempt by me to make my ideal game. It won't be the perfect game and to most people it will probably be far from their idea of an ideal game but for me this is the sort of game I would like to see more often.

So what is my ideal game? It's a combination of my favourite game style with my favourite genre, those being a Shenmue style open world mystery game in the "Kids on Bikes" genre.

"Kids on Bikes" may not be a genre you're familiar with and you probably think I've just made it up but this is a term that I came across a couple of years ago and it perfectly encapsulates those films, tv shows and books that I love the most. So what is it? To put it simply they are about a group of kids of varying ages going on a coming of age journey together, usually while riding around on bikes. This journey always involves some kind of adventure, often with a supernatural or scifi twist though not always. Examples of this would be Stranger Things, The Goonies, Paper Girls, Super 8, IT etc.

This article gives a great breakdown on it - https://www.samuelprattwhite.com/blog/kids-on-bikes-the-undiscovered-genre

Although many people would count these "Kids on Bikes" movies, tv shows and books in their personal favourites I can't think of any good examples in the world of video games and that is where I think Insert Coin fits in and I believe that mixing that with a Shenmue style open world is the perfect combination.

The idea behind Insert Coin is that there would be a classic "Kids on Bikes" story involving a group of kids on an adventure together against a shadowy government organisation that will involve them travelling around their small town on their bikes, interacting with the various people that live there, visiting places such as the local Arcade, Diner, Video Rental Store etc. trying to piece together the mystery and ultimately save their town.

This is the game that I most want to play and as far as I know it is not a game that currently exists so that is why I have set out to make it.