Complete Guide on Mobile Game App Development Process

By Vikash Soni App Development 0 Comments 26 Views

Developing a gaming app has become the latest trend in the mobile app development sector. Reports by CTN show that the gaming industry has experienced significant growth during the Covid scenario when people experienced quarantine for the first time.

Gaming app stats represent the importance of developing a game app.

25% of the iOS app and 21% of Android app downloads on devices belong to the gaming industry.
43% of the total mobile device usage comes from gaming apps.
It has been estimated that 62% of mobile users install a game app within a week of purchasing it.
More than 70% of the gamers are Android users.
Active mobile game users are estimated to be more than 2.2 billion
Women are more expected to invest in mobile game app content rather than men.
57.9% of the games played on mobile devices are puzzle games.

These stats and overall user inclination towards mobile games show a rise in Android game app development. If you are an entrepreneur, we are sure that this rise hasn’t gone unnoticed by you. However, these growing stats also show an unprecedented rise in the gaming industry competition.

In this blog, we will resolve all the complexities related to creating a game app. The app development process starts with identifying the best type of game app based on user preferences.

Different Types of Gaming Apps

Gaming apps have seen major growth in recent years, in terms of the number of active apps, the number of game app downloads, time spent by consumers, and the revenue generated. Different types of gaming apps are significantly contributing to the growth of gaming mobile applications.

Betting Apps

Betting apps have become a trending game worldwide. It is estimated that 39% of bettors are under the age of 35, and 69% are male. Most people place bets on sports like soccer and cricket, leading to an increase in active users when matches are live. Although these applications are illegal in various countries, sports betting is legal in the US, driving an increased demand for game app developers in the country.

Recommended Read: Best Sports Betting Apps to Know in 2025

Adventure Apps

Adventure games are highly used by people who enjoy solving complex challenges. They include fast-action and war themes, requiring players to test their reflexes and puzzle-solving skills. These skills are essential for following a character or becoming one. Some popular examples of adventure apps are The Room, Old Sins, and Pokemon Go.

Arcade Gaming Apps

Such games majorly focus on the gameplay, not the content and character story. The majority of such games give players short levels to cross, which become challenging as they progress. Some of the common examples of arcade games are Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, and Subway Surfers.

Role-Playing Games Apps

These games are highly played by users who love long gameplay. They take hours to complete and consist of different journeys, lengthy storylines, and multiple characters. Some popular examples of such games are Dragons, Ragnarok, and Dungeons.

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Apps

One of the most popular examples of a multiplayer game app is PUBG. Such games are played in teams where every player on the team maintains a character. Win in these games is defined when one player crashes the other team’s base through computer-controlled units. Other examples of MOBA applications are Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor.

Listed above are the five different types of game apps from which entrepreneurs choose one. However, competition in the gaming industry is high and to meet this competition, you would have to know how to successfully make a game app for Android. However, at this stage, an expert Android app development company can help you build an intuitive game app as per your interest and targeted area.

Let’s move on to the next part of the blog.

How to Develop a Mobile Game App: A Detailed Process

The process of developing a game app plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of the game app and it also benefits in hiring a dedicated development team.

Develop an Idea

The estimated report states that the Google Play store has around 477,877 gaming apps and the App Store has around 316,802 active game apps. If you have an idea of the game app you want to build, thoroughly identify and brainstorm essential factors. While brainstorming, keep in mind certain points like what is trending in the gaming industry, what people like about your competitors’ apps, to what stage maximum players are going, and whether they are responding to the marketing efforts.

This stage will help you identify the interests and preferences of your targeted audience.

Build a Story

Ever thought about why games like PUBG and Clash of Clans come with major downloads? Let me tell you, these game apps provide an interactive story to the players. This step plays a critical role in the success of the gaming application as users love playing games that make them feel a part of it.

Now you must be thinking about how to make a mobile app game with a strong character and gameplay story. This step is important to keep the players engaged and hooked to the game.

Keep it Intuitive

While designing a game app ensure to keep the interface simple and interactive, so users can easily navigate the features. Control and learnability shouldn’t be difficult for players to understand and find their way around.

Another important factor that must be taken into consideration is the seamless integration of the application on different screen sizes and platform-specific virtual buttons. Imagine if a player exits a game mid-way due to a mistake, ensure that the game starts with the same screen when players open an app.

Make it Addictive

The success of the application depends on multiple factors like storytelling features and the type of challenges it provides. Success can also be defined with the addition of the players. While addiction can be enhanced with multiple factors given below:

Reward points and powers
Levels of the game get difficult as they progress
An interesting storyline with character stories

Have an Immaculate Design

The interactive design of the application in terms of UI/UX is an interactive factor that ensures the users stay hooked to your app. So, one of the important answers to how to develop a game app lies in the right design of the application.

To develop an attractive design most businesses are adopting the latest AR/VR gaming structure. This trending technology allows developers to integrate interactive elements and situation-specific sound effects to provide a real feel to the players. Whichever type of game you select, the logic of the game goes with the graphics of the game.

Different Monetization Strategy

With every growing year, the contribution of the gaming industry to the mobile application development industry is increasing. However, if you are looking to enter this industry, consider learning about these important stats.

Here are some app monetization strategies that you must consider being a developer that might help you to answer how to make a game app for Android or iOS.

This monetization strategy can be used in the case of free gaming apps. This strategy allows businesses to earn from the mobile ads that show up in a game. Formats of these Google ads range from playable ads, native banner ads, interstitial advertisements, or rewarded ads.

In-App Purchase

In-app purchase is one of the most famous monetization strategies. In gaming apps, players pay to cross a level, buy a character, purchase an add-on facility, or buy a premium feature to enjoy an ad-free gaming experience. Here, purchasing can be in the form of coins and power-ups or a combination of power-ups or characters.

Build an MVP first

Finally, if you want to attract investors to your game app and test your application, consider developing an MVP. It is not necessary to have all levels, power-ups, and assets in your MVP. It has to be a simplified version of your application that can help you improve your application on the go.

These are the seven important factors to answer your questions about how to develop a gaming app.

Key Considerations Before Starting the Mobile Application Development Process

As the mobile game app development process has become clear to you, you might be thinking about starting your own mobile initiative.

However, before starting the mobile game development process, be sure to consider the following factors given below:

Importance of Developing a Mobile App

Before embarking on the game app development journey, take some time to think about what your gaming business really needs for a mobile application. Is it worth the cost involved in developing a mobile game application? You must also identify the IT projects that need to be completed first.

Creating a mobile application isn’t a simple or cheap task. So, even if you come across opportunities to build a high-quality application with a limited budget, truly consider if your business surely needs these services right now. Consider developing a mobile game app if it’s a top priority.

Implications of Developing Enterprise vs. Consumer-Facing Apps

Though most of the features of enterprise and consumer apps are similar, they differ based on the end-users.

For example, if you are planning to develop a game application for consumers, you must consider offering something unique to them due to its commercial purpose.

On the other hand, if your employees are your end-users, you will have to think about fulfilling their preferences and opinions. Here, you wouldn’t want to develop something that your company doesn’t need.

This is how the development process differs based on the end-users and your target audience.

In-house Development vs Outsourcing

Finally, you have to decide whether you want to develop your game app in-house or outsource it to a development partner. This decision largely depends on the expertise of your in-house development team. Ask yourself: Is your IT team capable of handling a complete mobile app project?

Moreover, if you do not have a sufficient development team or they are busy with other assignments. In this case, you must consider hiring an outsourced development team to build a truly unique application for your business.

How Much Does it Cost to Make a Mobile Game?

There is no fixed cost of developing a mobile game app. But an average cost of development can be estimated by considering the following factors:

The complexity of the Game App
Type of Game App you have decided
On which platform you want to develop an app
Location of the Development Team
Design and Features of the Game Apps

If you want to know accurate factors that might affect the cost development of a mobile app include:

Development Team: The cost of hiring a development team depends on their year of experience if they are highly experienced they are going to charge higher.
Platform: Development cost is also affected by different platforms like iOS, Android, or both.
Game Engines: A significant amount of cost is involved to get a game engine like Unreal Engine, GameMaker Studio, or Unity. These engines are used to simplify the development process but may have fees.
Graphics and Sound Design: Money is also used in making sound and visual things like animations, music, sound effects, and character designs.
Mobile Game Marketing and Distribution: Cost is also involved in marketing a game app or launching it on app stores. Its cost depends on your target audience and the popularity of your game app.

Finally, we can say that the average cost of developing a game app varies between thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. You should connect with a game app development company to know about the accurate cost of developing your preferred game app.

Final Words

Being a leading mobile app development company, we have covered all the important points that are required to make an app game. If you ask what are the factors that have contributed to the success of the application. We have covered all these elements:

Great storytelling and character histories
Interesting challenges and updates
Amazing Graphics
Easy-to-follow tutorials
App response time
Time-tested monetization strategies
Well-strategized rewards points

It is difficult to achieve all these factors with an in-house development team. Consider taking help from a development team that has expertise in game development, and has the right skill set to deliver a unique perspective to the players. A team of Game developers at DianApps will be the right choice to build a long-term successful application. Consider discussing your unique game app idea with us!

Complete Guide on Mobile Game App Development Process

Complete Guide on Mobile Game App Development Process