I keep coming back to the animal catcher. There's a whole town and a repeating week in this idea, but the part I want to play first is the shift at the shelter.
Later shelter concept art showing Charlie in a furnished kennel and the tools for arranging his space.
The bigger idea is a town facing catastrophe across a week that repeats. The character I keep picturing reports to the shelter at eight in the morning.
What happens if I start there? I can try finding and catching one animal before I have to work out what happens to the whole town.
I still like the possibilities of the repeating week. I want to give the shelter job room and see what it feels like to play.
One animal gives me somewhere to start. If that is interesting on its own, I will have something to build on.