I am currently designing a custom game with Game Maker8. Yes, you heard it right, and it's gonna be amazing!
So, the game itself. It's gonna be a fairly complicated concept, drawing elements from Naruto, Tales, 2d fighters, Legend of Zelda, Visual Novels, Nujabes and probably more, haha.

There's this contest for best game in Holland '11, and I want to win it. I've already got people helping me, actually. I've got a lot of things running right now and I'm planning on making the game 100% custom, save for sound effects (because let's be honest, it's impossible to create custom sound effects or find someone who wants to do it for free).

I have a slightly outdated version of the gameplay thus far below:
(outdated)Gameplay:
In terms of exploring, everything will be overhead a la LoZ1. As soon as you come close to an enemy, you are taken to the a 2d fighting game and you are pitted against the enemy. Your health bar is permanent, and is only restored by food (and possibly "art techniques" (the name for spells)) The RPG part will be large and include a big customization system. At the start of the game, the player will be given a multiple answer question, being asked to rank the 2 words that describe him best from best to second best, the answer will be used to determine the main and secondary element of your character. The options are earth, wind, water, fire and thunder. Your main element is what will be most important, it's what your character is stuck with for most of the game and it will determine most Art Techniques, the secondary element will be included later on. Earth focuses on increasing defenses and limiting your opponents movement, Wind is low startup high cooldown, Water has large hitboxes, Fire has lasting hitboxes (for as far as it's balanced in a 2dfighter) and Thunder is low startup high cooldown. After a certain amount of levels you unlock your secondary element, allowing you to combine your elements and create new ones. Water/earth is wood, fire/water is rainbow/geyser et cetera, every seperate element having it's own traits (rainbow to have healing powers on hit et cetera)
To use these specials abilities, you need YY, also known as Ying/Yang, this is your source of mana/PP/TP/whatever. This form of mana forces more depth in the game, you have to consider your mana at all times. See this game as a combination between Zelda, Naruto, Tales, Smash and your generic 2D fighter. ---
The story will be told in VN style. The storyline is completed already, and only the script needs to be written before it's 100% finished. I obviously have more details on the game, you just need to ask.

Thus far we have 7 people, I'm hoping to slightly expand by adding someone to do fighting game sprites and of course anyone who offers help!
People/roles:
Xonar:
-Managing
-Program RPG/Adventure/VN elements
-Sound effects
-Sound track
(-Writing)
(-Scripting)
etc.

CrashIC:
-Program 2D fighting elements

Nyr:
-Write the (pretty original ) storyline
-Design characters

Blowtoes:
-Draw character portraits
-Draw cutscenes/stills

AdamSakuru:
-Draw Backgrounds

Lokii:
-Draw title screen

Mist:
-Sprite the sprites