For anyone looking at these themes and worried about coming up with a game--first off, I recommend joining a group (like the LD discord) of people who might brainstorm publicly. If you draw a blank, they'll have some different idea combos to spark something.
Second, I usually take the final round of voting and draft an idea for each option to bounce off of as soon as I'm done despairing at whichever one wins.
My ideas are limited to things that don't really involve mechanics because uh I don't have those skills; each jam, I've been slowly building visual novel frameworks to the point of functioning at all.
So my first ideas are more likely to be melodramatic before I can carve it down to comedy. But obviously you could consider more movements and user interactions depending on the kind of game you're attempting.
For example, this took me a couple hours on and off (hopefully a few make it to the last to save me time on Friday :sweat_smile: ), but if these were the final round it would be a less time-pressed mental warmup than suddenly thinking about the theme when it's announced:
Delivery storks? pizza? tone of voice: conflict resolution through dialogue choice? viewpoint of a singing telegram associate who's decided to build or burn bridges for their clients without technically breaking contract
One time use plastic wrap? "don't wear out my name:" balancing the advice to use someone's name an unnatural amount to make them like you? fixing (an analogue of) the tragic AI ending? interactive fiction equivalent of a side scroller; no loops or retries?
Momentum extending spaceship arms to slow rotation, or similar, like performing a large scale slingshot maneuver to avoid destruction? frick politeness guide to getting out of social pressure situations? fighting executive dysfunction (post-apocalypse / in space / other fantastic setting for reasons not to fall back on other people and make it less boring--could combine with first thought)
Rain rein reign -- foiling a mad monarch's plans with your weather machine? finding the leak in your roof/pipes? "when it rains it pours:" a terrible horrible no good very bad day?
Something is missing a foodie vampire in search of an alternative to garlic (while their acquaintances keep noticing they aren't visible in mirrors, photos, sunny garden parties, etc)?
Split in two magician's assistant is secretly slime girl? (split screen showing different perspectives?)
Fragile burgeoning horror villain discovers he needs to consider the rationality of his responses to perceived slights? sheltering luggage from various hazards in travel (eventually revealed to be either kittens or symbolic baggage that the protag has to carry without the cover after it cracks)?
Leave something behind the above baggage idea might fit? or similarly "deep:" attempts from a parental figure hero/criminal to ditch a sidekick on their way to a dangerous job, before explaining that the sidekick's safety is more important than their legacy? or a polaroid horror story thing that keeps coming up as an idea for different almost-themes the last few jams, but requires either more programming or more unusual logic.
Expansion house of leaves rip off? nervous, self-conscious person slowly opening up and getting more options for who to talk to (as we also see further) as they relax (in time to delegate crisis response when something unexpected happens? or just in time to give a presentation they were dreading)? dressing an incongruous character from several expansion packs who then has to act like everything's normal in game?
Out of bounds escapee sportsball? the thoughts that pass through a character's mind as they fall eternally (existential crisis resulting in a rogue mc once they get reloaded)?
Instructions unclear "take care of them, if you catch my drift:" a fixer does exactly what he thinks his job description entails? trying to jack your assassin's time machine whose controls are exclusively marked with icons, symbols, and sound cues?
Shoot for the moon setting up the photoshoot for the first lunar colony's promotional material?
Playing both sides you're the gadget person assigned to give a known double agent tools that can't be used against you? drama mask allusion: trying to build a cover story for something embarrassing that isn't too funny or too dramatic so it doesn't spread far enough to reach people who know better?
Clockwork yeah I sure hope it does (things happen on schedule, but maybe the clock on screen is broken?)
You are what you eat the one eyed one horned flying purple people eater questions the specificity and morality of her diet (she started this on advice from a magazine in order to fit into her itty bitty teeny weeny yellow polkadot bikini--and it's worked, but she's hungry, and she needs to come out of the water)?
Lost signal ugly duckling a la Lilo and Stitch (literally calls for help by saying "I'm lost")? looking for your drone based on the content of the last transmissions? sending up flares from in front of like...the sun--figuring out a way to signal for help that won't be overwhelmed by an extreme environment?
Note I don't necessarily have more or better ideas on the ones I voted for; though occasionally the brainstorming convinces me to bump a negative vote up to neutral when I think of more paths everyone can take with it.
(Edit: you'd never guess I was planning a jam novel from how many words I throw at a screen for fun, would you?)
