N-Space began development on Geist after learning that Nintendo was interested in a first-person game with a unique twist. Originally, they had considered a game where the main character was invisible and could mess with and manipulate other people. This changed into having the main character be a ghost, with possession playing a key part of gameplay. While human and animal possession were both planned early on, Shigeru Miyamoto also suggested the idea of object possession six months into development.