Creating a Mobile Game: Where to Start

If you’re planning to create a mobile game, you should examine game development thoroughly. After that, establish a marketing strategy for launching a game. In this article, you’ll find out the first steps of creating.  These are the following:

1. Create a plan
2. Prepare everything you need – from hardware, software to writing a test case
3. Explore different forms of game engines
4. Take your time in designing

Create a Plan

Proper planning, or the lack thereof, could make or break your first mobile game. Therefore, it is important to understand the type of mobile game you want to produce and how you envision it. After our tips, you need to create your formula for successful game development. 

Here are some guide questions to get you started on your plan:

1. What genre would you like? The most popular ones right now include action, arcade, battle royale, MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), Puzzle, Role Playing, and the Digital Card.
2. What would be your preferred game interface? Is it 2D or 3D?
3. Do you have a unique concept and/or story in mind? With lots of mobile game developers today, it is important to have something unique to offer to the market – and one way is through catchy lore.

Prepare Everything You Need

Before actually working on your mobile game, there are four essential things you need to prepare: a computer, a set of various smartphone models, an app developer account for iOS and Android, and finally, your preferred animation and graphic design tools.

A set of various smartphone models

If you’re planning to release it to a bigger audience, it’s important to have more than one smartphone – both with iOS and Android operating systems, to secure that it works on a multitude of smartphone models and operating systems.

An app developer account for iOS and Android

Both Google Play and the Apple App Store require all developers to secure developer accounts before their apps can be reviewed and approved. Whether you’re planning to have your mobile game exclusively distributed in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or both, note that the former requires an annual charge of $99 while the latter offers a lifetime valid account for just $25.

Your preferred animation and graphic design tools

Among the most basic and well-known graphic design tools is Adobe Photoshop, but it’s also ideal to explore more options to produce your most competitive graphic design assets such as background animations, characters, buttons, and the like. Having the right animation and graphic design tools will help you to effectively execute and sell your mobile game’s storyline, which is a big factor in measuring its success.

Related reads: Free Music and Sound Effects & Free CC0 Licensed Game Assets

Explore Different Forms of Game Engines

There are four basic types of game engines you need to choose from, and according to their complexity, are ranked as follows: game templates, drag and drop game engines, visual scripting-based game engines, and coding-based game engines. If you’re a beginner and want to work with something straightforward, game templates and drag and drop game engines are your best options. Their existing templates may come at an advantage, but know that these can also limit the creativity and functionality of your game.

For those with a background in coding or willing to learn, you can opt for visual scripting-based and coding-based game engines. These game engines will allow you to create more complex mobile games like PubG but also require you to code your mobile game from scratch. This means that you’ll have to either create a diagram or code every logical progression and action within the mobile game.

Take Your Time in Designing

Aside from having an edge against competitors and satisfying your market, having a well-designed mobile game can encourage them to pay actual money to support it, or willingly watch in-app ads. This can be to your advantage when the time for your monetization plan arrives.

Related: The Psychology behind Addictive Mobile Games [Infographic]

Ready, Set, Play

For many people, mobile gaming has evolved from a mere pastime to a way of life. Why keep yourself as a consumer when you can create one yourself? With technology allowing physical and virtual reality to merge at immeasurable lengths, mobile gaming is one way of exploring the best of both worlds.

You might also like: Open Source HTML5 games

Cover Image by 政徳 吉田 from Pixabay