The Mobile Game Development Process

Games are always fun and engaging, whether they are physical games or mobile games. 

Since smartphone users have increased drastically, 62 percent of smartphone users install games on their phones within the first week of buying a smartphone. 

The advancements in technology have taken the mobile gaming swing to new heights. And because of this, there have been a lot of opportunities for mobile gaming enterprises and mobile gaming app development industries. 

However, mobile game development is different from mobile application development. In game development, you can be more creative. And you will not be confined by the stereotypical UI/UX limitations that are domineered by application distribution platforms and iOS and Android requirements. The mobile game development procedure offers a way to manifest yourself and makes you realize that your products can bring joy to some people. 

Developing a game can be intense but is interesting as well. Thus, all other negative aspects are outweighed by the accomplishment of delight and the product itself. To bring your gaming app into a reality, you must know the game development process. Only then can you build amazing products. The game’s development requires planning, designing, implementation, and distribution of the games in the play store.

In today’s blog, we will be discussing the entire game development process. So, read the article till the end.

Mobile Game Development: Statistics

The mobile gaming market is highly lucrative, diverse, and huge. Mobile gaming has emerged in the last tenner. According to the Statista report, 3.24 billion people play mobile games all around the globe. This number will definitely increase in the upcoming years. 

As per game analytics, the number of mobile gamers soared by 46 percent during the first quarter of the year.

According to another report by Newzoo, the mobile gaming industry will flourish at a compound growth rate of 11 percent and is estimated to touch the revenue of USD 116.4 billion by the end of the year 2024.

The above statistical details are proof that the business of mobile games is highly profitable and it is a money-making market. So, if you also want to generate revenue through your business, you must invest in mobile game apps. 

Tell us about your favorite mobile game that you are addicted to.

Phase for Mobile Game Development

Let’s talk about the mobile game development procedure. After all, this is why you are still reading. Here, we will mention 10 important phases of mobile game development for creating a fantastic mobile game.

1. Shape your idea

2. Plot your story

3. Create a buzz

4. Equip your game with tools and platform

5. Design a prototype of your mobile game

6. Spend plenty of time designing

7. Choose your monetization plan

8. Pick your target technology platform 

9. Choose your team of developers

10. Test your game before launch

#1 Shape Your Idea

The leading way to commence the mobile game development process is to first grind on the idea. This is one crucial part that actually decides the success of your project. Be a dreamer and view your project in a large picture.

There are plenty of witty ideas in this mobile game development industry. It will be a challenge to pop up with new, groundbreaking, and revolutionary ideas. You have to consider your audience and the main purpose of developing the game. You can take inspiration from real-life examples and can refine them into your original fascinating idea. 

#2 Plot Your Story

Once you have come up with your mobile game idea, you can set up a majestic story. A game without a story can harpoon the suspense, fun, and purpose of the game. After all, as a player, you will want to take pleasure in progressing and finishing the game. This shapes the game more engaging and exciting. On the basis of mobile game story flow, you have to assign lead characters. Envision the hero, villains, domains, twists, and ending of the story. 

#3. Create a Buzz

While creating mobile games, you have to make a game idea buzz. Because a little game habit can smooth the way for a successful mobile game. You must introduce game elements that ignite the addiction to gaming. You should come up with a hierarchy that has increasing difficulty and intensity. Moreover, you have to be heedful in setting up the game length, obligations, and updates. 

#4. Equip Your Game with Tools and Platforms.  

The mobile game development procedure will require tools and platforms. Thus, your next step will be to assemble your mobile game development tools and software. You have to customize them depending on their OS and have to choose from the available software. 

Select the tools for game making, UI/UX design, and audio. You must create a mobile game. There are some free tools, while some will ask you to buy packages. 

#5. Design a Prototype of Your Mobile Game.

After scheming the game ideas, designs, characters, and tools, the next step in the mobile game development process is prototype testing. I have seen the inexperienced ones skip this test, but you shouldn’t overlook this stage.

If you skip this phase, you will be making excuses to check your failure and success percentage. Besides this, by following this phase, you can foresee your flaws and can work on them to make improvements. 

#6. Spend Time in Designing

This is the middle stage that links multiple factors. You should create a game design that can beat your antagonists and allow you to explore more designs. Explore all of the possibilities to make a mind-blown, alluring design.

#7. Select Your Monetization Plan

If you are not designing mobile games for fun, then you should also realize that they have the potential for profit in the market. Therefore, before starting anything, you have to make a decision whether your mobile gaming app will make assets as an in-app purchase, with ads within the app, or offer premium versions. 

Mobile game development is not like making rice, it takes plenty of time and a hefty sum. Thus, you should first decide how you will recover the money you have invested in making the game.

#8. Choose Your Technology Platform

When you are done with the designing and strategy parts, the tech platform will make an entrance. It can act as a game builder. Mobile game development encompasses some main development tools that you will need to make your game a hit. 

For example, native mobile game development will cater to native languages. Like Swift is for iOS, Java is for Android.  HTML5 applies across different platforms with some limitations. However, a hybrid combines both native and HTML5, so it can work on any platform. 

#9. Choose Your Team of Developers

Developing a game is not a cakewalk. You will need experts in different segments, be it developing, designing, or marketing. You will have to make a team that can work together with an agile methodology. This way, you can only succeed in mobile game development. You can also hire a developer or a team of developers.

#10. Test Your Game Before Launch

This will be the last step in developing a mobile game. You have to and should test the game before launching it. 

This is done to avoid all the glitches and bruises. So test your mobile game from both the team’s perspective and the people’s opinion. 

All these ten steps are integral steps in the planning and launching process of mobile game development.

The Top Mobile Game Engines

A mobile game is only created with an engine. Here are the top 3 engines for creating mobile games. These are the top 3 mobile game engines are:

1. Unity

2. Unreal

3. Solar2D

Unity

It is the most popular gaming engine. It is an integrated development domain with multiplatform gaming tools. It encompasses a large number of features, including preinstalled models, textures, and documentation. The programmers use this engine to design anything and everything- from easy to AAA-class titles.

The Unity environment is constantly evolving and it goes through continuous updates. These updates have introduced some great additions to the Unity engine, making it number one. 

Unreal

The Unreal Engine is a conclusive game development engine for AAA titles. The Unreal Engine uses two amazing tools to develop a mobile game: traditional C++ and visual blueprints. They will help you quickly understand the game logic.

To choose one among multiple options, a comparison is a must. Confused between Unity and Unreal?

Read the Unity vs. Unreal article.

Solar2D

Solar 2D is another gaming engine that allows mobile Android game developers to develop 2D mobile apps. It is a cross-platform 2D game engine with suitable frameworks for designing both games and applications for the iPhone and iPad, Android, macOS, Windows, and more.

Final Opinion

Being a game lover, having a game idea, and converting that game into reality is challenging. You have to invest a lot of your time and effort into dealing with the plethora of challenges and divergences along the mobile game development path. 

However,  to use advanced-level game development with a rich UX, you can hire a professional mobile game development company that knows their work very well and can help you grow your business.

Feel free to discuss your partnership with us. Contact us today!