From my research, I had some ideas that I could use to make a game. Here is where I will be putting some of the ideas I have from Martial Arts and then will be later refining my options down to three to present later.
Animal Fighting Game
The base idea stems from the animal styles of Kung Fu where humans mimic and imitate animals for fighting, but for this game, I thought how about how animals mimicked humans for fighting and how will they do it. The game would have the basic fighting game elements of a character selection screen, having a 1 v 1 fight, stage selection, etc. The selectable characters would be animals but in the uniforms of the martial art, they are trying to imitate. Some of the characters I have thought of now are a Flamingo mimicking taekwondo, and a Gorilla mimicking sumo. Though playing this game the player will become familiar with some of the moves used in the respective martial arts as the player animations would be moves that are used in real life while having some goofiness as they are animals attempting these moves.
Essential Experience -
The player must defeat their opponent whether it is against another player or AI in a best-out-of-3-round system.
Gameplay loop -
The player would select an opponent, AI, or a person
They would choose their character and select a stage
They must react and respond to what their opponent does in order to win
Colour-shifting escape room
The idea for this game comes from the coloured belt grading system that's common in modern martial arts. The idea for the game is that player has to escape the room with the given ability to shift the colour of the room. When the player changes the colour of the room, the room changes drastically revealing an entirely different room. The rooms will interact with each other, activating one item in one room would change something in another room and the player would have to try and find what changed which would lead to the next puzzle or clue. The player would only start with 2 colours to change between but will unlock more as they progress.
Essential experience-
The player must escape using the clues and puzzles laid out before them, but with the ability to change his perception of the room.
Gameplay Loop
The player finds one piece that is either a clue or something that's part of the puzzle.
The player unlocks certain colours depending on what puzzle they solve
One puzzle or clue leads to another, with some being red herrings until the player escapes
Narrative exploration Game
This game idea comes from the link between Shaolin and Buddhism. In Buddhism, there is a belief that this universe is one of many in a flower garden that looks at each other. The game idea here is that you play as a traveller on a journey to face a trial given to you by a higher entity. This higher entity gives you a lotus leaf that allows you to travel between universes and the player must interact with people and learn as much as they can from them for their trial. The player however cannot go back to a universe they've visited as he has to rip a leaf off the lotus flower to travel to the next, leaving the previous one behind entirely.
Essential Experience -
The player interacts with NPC's on his journey, gathering as much knowledge and items for the unknown trial
Gameplay loop-
Explore and find things that will help you on the trial that’s been pushed onto you
Learn about different cultures and different forms of fighting ​
Learning more about the different beliefs and ways of fighting​
Breathing rhythm game
This idea stems from the importance of breathing in Martial Arts. In this game, the player will breathe through a tube and will have to match the on-screen prompt of inhale or exhale. There will also be a prompt to indicate what kind of breathing is required like a sharp inhale or exhale. The player will be watching a fight scene between 2 people and depending if the player does the correct breathing or not will affect how hard the player attacks or defends and their stamina.
Essential Experience -
The player will be watching a fight scene between 2 people with a focus on 1. The player will get different prompts for their breathing and if they match it well enough that the character that is focusing on will hit harder, defend better and ultimately win.
Gameplay loop-
The player watches a scenario
Their breathing affects what happens in real-time
React to prompts correctly enough to win