As a noob game dev, there are a million things to learn and thousand ways to grow. 

In May, I did a game jam (more about that later), but I also had some great discussions with other developers about designing game concepts. These conversations focused on creating games that have logical and cohesive internal structure and helped give me both the vocabulary for what I'm doing and a rough, early framework which I'm using to stay focused as I continue my quest to build several more mini-games this year.

Vocabulary

• Hook : What gets the player into the game
• Core mechanic : The basis of the game, the main purpose or function
• Game loop : The series of stages the player goes through in the game to reach the goal

My rough framework

• Guideline #1: A hook can be anything.
  Art, style, genre, mechanic - it doesn't matter. It just needs to be fun and compelling. But being clear about what it is helps it shine.

• Guideline #2: The mechanics we create need to relate back to the central game concept. 
  For example, the in-game rules for player abilities like movement or combat skills should connect to the game concept. (This is why Duck Hunter simply must shoot feathers. What else would a duck do?). Same goes for the design of the challenges and rewards the player faces, as well as how they interact with the in-game space in their journey.
• Guideline #3: When building the game, it's a good idea to implement mechanics in the same order they happen in the game loop.
  For example, if the first interaction the player has in-game is with obstacles in the environment, build those obstacles (and detection) before the player's weapon. This is a structured way to build up your concept.

Of course, none of this is rocket science, but it was helpful to me. I used these guidelines a lot as I made Seagull v. Fry (again, more about that later) in a 10-day jam, and I think this post offers an honest snapshot of where I am right now, with all my challenges and strengths, as I continue to grow as a solo indie dev.