The Flash

A few months ago, I bought Macromedia's Studio MX 2004, and I've been slowly teaching myself how to create Flash animations ever since. It's been a struggle to learn the interface and all the quirky rules for manipulating art and objects, but I finally feel like I'm coming into my own with the software. I'm still not quite ready to share any of my amateurish creations just yet, but I'm definitely amazed with the versatility of the program. Next I think I'm going to try to make a simple game.

I'm looking to Ferry Hailm's Orisinal page as my inspiration as to what a simple Flash game should be. Most of his stuff is obviously for little kids, but still there are a lot of great examples there. My favorite is Among the Clouds, but I also like Bottom of the Sea, Windy Days, and The Perilous Voyage. I really like the fact the each game has a unique concept/interface and I love the way music is used to set the mood. Obviously I have too much free time on my hands but this is all research for me - seriously!

Ultimately I'd like to use Flash to tell interactive stories, or something much more epic, but I've got a lot more to learn first. If anyone out there has any insights into the creative design process, or would just like to share their ideas feel free to leave some input. What is it that makes a good game (or another interactive creation) work?