About the Video Game Name Generator

Now with working "don't pick similar names" checkbox! Looking for the old Flash-based generator? Try here.

Originally developed to fill in data for a college database project (thanks Professor Hammer!) the VGNG has blossomed over the last 5 years (through a few different forms) into the lovable little program you see on this website today.

Current stats on the generator (as of September 8th, 2011):

519 1st words/phrases
349 2nd words/phrases
406 3rd words/phrases
Approx. 73 million distinct possible names
Longest name currently: The Harlem Globetrotters: of Might and Magic Crime Scene Investigation
Shortest name currently: 3D (or DJ) DJ (or 3D) X (or Z)

If you'd like to use the VGNG on your website, feel free! If you want to make your own version (or make a better one for me ;) ), the wordlist is called video_game_names.txt, and the syntax should be simple enough to figure out (three wordlists separated by dashes, with dupe protection listed after the "^" and separated by pipes "|".) I only ask that, if you copy the VGNG for your site, please don't use it for any profit-generating purpose (charging for it or selling ads), and include a link back to this site.

Thanks go out to many folks:

-- Matt Belcher:  your original program is the reason this thing exists, and the current HTML 5 version you made with tweetability is awesome :)

-- The SomethingAwful goons:  for your MSPaints, word/phrase suggestions, coding expertise, and the first actual VGNG game competition

-- SA goon svaha:  you helped so much with words and phrases that you deserve to be called a co-creator!

-- SA goons mantaworks and Reo:  for coding the previous Flash version

-- The FEFEA crew (especially TheRedEye):  for lots of awesome word/phrase suggestions

-- The TIG forums:  for your crazy game competition; there's too many to thank individually, but I definitely got a kick out of a lot of the games posted :)

-- André Silva:  for making the favicon, providing feedback and bug reports, telling me the longest/shortest names, and also inspiring me to get the current VGNG version made

-- And all the other people who have contributed to this over the years


Send feedback to solamen2 AT hotmail DOT com.

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