At some point, I need to start finalizing names for some of the Insectiles I have been designing.

Let me clarify that I want to allow the player to name each species of Insectile that they discover. However, I need default names for those who don’t want to sit and name a few dozen Insects in the middle of their video game session.

I have been tossing around a lot of names for each creature in my mind, but I am not getting anywhere. So, I figured now would be a great time to try out this devlog!

I am basically between 3 styles of naming my creatures. Tell me which resonates with you!

Reality-Centric

These are the names I’ve been using so far. The yellow caterpillar fellow is based on a real Insect called a “Parsley Worm”, so why not just call him that? There is no confusion as to which Insectile someone is referring to. Plus, some of the real names are really cute!

There are two main problems with this style. 1) Not all Insectiles are one-to-one based on real bugs. So, I might need to make up a few names or pick a bug that’s close enough. 2) The Insectiles wouldn’t be very “Google-able”. It would be nice to type a unique Insectile name into Google and it instantly pop up a wiki page for Insectile, or a YouTube tutorial on how to catch it.

Example Names:

Parsley Worm

Grub

Black Swallowtail (The Blue Butterfly)

Honey Bee

Mushroom-Centric

Imagine you are a little mushroom person. You live in a little tree stump and do not get around much. You see a caterpillar for the very first time. You probably aren’t familiar with the word “caterpillar”, but it does look like some other things you are familiar with. You decide to call it a “Wiggling Grapevine” and go on about your day.

I think this style of naming has the potential to be cute, unique, and good for world building. It may lead to some pretty long or strange names, though. It is also pretty ambiguous as to which bug the name is referring to when you hear it the first time.

Example Names:

Wiggling Grapevine or Popping Pod

Parsnip Bud

Spirit Rose

Pollen Burr

Gameplay-Centric

I am a game designer at heart, so it occurred to me that this could be a good chance to interact with my players in more subtle ways. Imagine Insectile names being almost like star names in Super Mario 64. Each one has a subtle hint towards where the Insectile can be found in the world.

These names are less ambiguous than Mushroom-Centric names, but perhaps not quite as cute. However, it will be very satisfying to decode these names. The player has a caterpillar in their inventory named “Leaf Muncher”, so when they find out another Insectile is called a “Blossomed Leaf Muncher” they know to start looking for ways to transform the caterpillar.

Example Names:

Shy Leaf Muncher

Garden Wriggler

Blossomed Leaf Muncher

Flower Sipper

Be sure to let me know what you think! Feel free to point out individual names that you like or don’t like. Also, if you have an idea for another naming method, be sure to let me know!

Thank you guys!

(Psst! This devlog came from the Insectile Discord. I will still be reading all the feedback here on GameJolt, but I would absolutely love to see you join the other Insectile-enjoyers over on the server!)