How to Make Your Own Gaming App
Isn’t it a great idea to design your own game app? Looking at the technological inventions and creative gamification platforms, every one of us is intrigued by what might come next!
From fighting and action to strategy and puzzles, the gaming industry has revolutionized a lot and has indeed gone unnoticed to you as well.
Today there are close to 5 billion online games with 2.2 billion active gamers worldwide. To add more, the current smartphone usage is 43% specific to gaming apps with 25% coming from iOS and 21% are from Android.
Between these statistics, the rise of game app development is seen as evidently high. So, would not it be amazing if you created a game that brings outstanding traction and gives an extravagant experience to users?
But as the game app industry is wide it becomes harder to raise investments in mobile game, therefore certain aspects are needed to fuel the game app development process smoothly:
- Will the app be a single or multiplayer game?
- Which game app graphic will you use, do you want it in 2D or 3D?
- What game engine will suit your project?
- What level of design do you want your game app to be implemented?
While these are a few questions to be addressed, depending on the online game app development strategies, type and design, the development of the game should take place with the help of a mobile game app development company like DianApps.
Also read: The top 10 mobile game development companies.
In the realm of making your own gaming app successful, we have gathered all the details that are required to build a highly responsive, custom-friendly app for your enterprise.
Are you ready to explore it all? So, are we!
Let’s roll down to this comprehensive guide!
What are the most popular mobile game genres?
According to sources, the top gaming genres that are popular in the present market are:
- Sports
- Shooter
- Strategy
- Role-playing
- MOBA
- Horror
- Puzzle
1) Sports Games
Why are sports games popular? Looking at the competitive nature of sports and the level of accessibility and convenience this game type offers, it becomes quite obvious that online sports games such as NBA Live Mobile Basketball, FIFA Online, EA Sports FC, Madden NFL Mobile, etc are highly played sports games online.
2) Shooter
We all have if not played but heard of popular shooter games– Call of Duty or PUBG. Does that not give you an adrenal rush or make you feel like playing on a real battlefield? Shooter games are another type that has generated a huge audience engagement in recent years not just because of the levels it allows players to participate in but also the stunning game infrastructure that delves users to install the game and play with friends.
3) Strategy Games
Do you also wonder why do people like strategy board games? Well, for starters, online strategy games involve immersing yourself in critical-thinking scenarios and helping players foster social connections and teamwork. A few of the popular strategy games are Dawn of War, Warcraft, StarCraft, etc.
4) Role-playing
Do you know what is the most popular RPG game right now? It’s Dota 2 with a 24-hour peak of 624,244. Isn’t that great? Role-playing games are multifaceted stories that come with different journeys, lengthy storylines, multiple characters, and several hours of gameplay. GTA is also a great example of RRG games.
Did you hear about Palworld? The Most Successful Action-Adventure Game in the Steam History? If not, then go and read now!
5) MOBA
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena AKA MOBA are highly in-demand type of game app in the present market. MOBA is an all-in-one gameplay that also gives users quite a learning edge. Games like Mobile Legends and Wild Rift are the most popular MOBA examples once you master them, the experience becomes quite rewarding.
6) Horror
What is the #1 scariest game you have ever played? For us, it’s Resident Evil 7, giving the best UX in the game development ecosystem. The horror game not only gives chills but also takes out a great thrilling approach to players. Other best examples are Alien: Isolation, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Outlast, etc.
7) Puzzle
Last but not least everyone’s favorite, is the puzzle game. From Sudoku to Royal Match and Candy Crush Saga, Puzzle games are the popular type that helps in doing brain exercises and encourages challenge acceptance.
These are the best Google-supported mobile game types that are currently available and ruling the market. We are sure that by this time you must have the basic idea of which category you are going to initiate your entrepreneurship journey in. While the competition seems high and cut-throat, if streamlined and implemented accurately, you can create a successful mobile game app for your business.
Let’s find the detailed steps to build your game application.
Steps to Build Your Own Successful Game App
Step 1: Create the game’s main mechanism
Every excellent video game begins with a fantastic concept to make a game app stage. The fundamental design component is sometimes referred to as the core mechanism in the game industry. It serves as the basic foundation for how players interact with the game. For instance, the objective of Tetris is to fill in as many rows at the bottom of the puzzle as possible by sliding and rotating a falling block form.
This fundamental idea is what sets the game apart and creates an enjoyable and distinctive user experience. A strong core mechanism draws players in and makes your game stand out from the competition.
After determining your main mechanic, decide on the game’s genre and the platform or platforms it will be played on. These choices are heavily influenced by graphics. Make use of 2D visuals in side-scrolling and platformer games. Use 3D visuals if you want a more realistic experience, similar to those seen in first-person shooting games. (Note: this will make your project more complicated overall.
The game’s design and underlying technological choices will be influenced by your choice of 2D or 3D visuals. You should also choose whether you’re creating a computer game that can be played on PCs, laptops, or tablets, a mobile game that runs on Apple or Android devices, a video game that can be played on consoles like the Xbox or Playstation, or perhaps a cross-platform concept that allows users to play on a range of these devices.
Step 2: Investigate and test the game concept with possible players.
It’s time to confirm the idea now that you have a clear understanding of the type of game you want to create, along with your main idea and game mechanism. You may accomplish this in a few ways:
- Investigate the gaming business and find comparable games available on the market, ranging from massive, well-known titles with well-known companies to independent games.
- Play some of the genre’s already-existing games.
- To determine what you like and dislike about a game, look for others with comparable mechanics. What are the essential components of a quality game? On the other hand, what factors make playing a video game unpleasant?
- Examine the competitors to determine the size of the market for your initial game.
Getting early input on your concept from interested parties and gaming pals is another strategy. Give them a brief overview of your idea for a game and see how interested they are. Find out what interests them about the concept or what would entice them to play your video game. This will provide you with crucial input to improve your concept. (In step nine, we will delve deeper into the feedback process.)
Step 3: Create a Game Design Document
Although it could be tempting to omit this step, sketching down your design is an essential step. It compels you to consider every essential component of creating a game the way you have in mind.
The game design document provides useful context for further refinement and documents the research and validation you conducted that led to this decision. Incorporate key game design aspects and a succinct project summary into your design document.
Remember to describe your intended audience. How old are they, and while creating, do you need to take into account any rating or content restrictions? Do they play any other video games? On what device or devices do they play them? Would they rather play alone or would they like a method to communicate with other players?
Step 4: Let’s Start CODING!
From technology stack to development, we’ll provide a basic guide and example code to get you started with a simple game app, like a basic “Catch the Falling Object” game using Unity and C#. This setup includes prerequisites, code snippets, and step-by-step instructions.
Prerequisites
- Install Unity: Download and install Unity Hub and the latest Unity Editor. Unity is a popular game engine suitable for both 2D and 3D games.
- Install Visual Studio (or any code editor): Visual Studio is recommended as it integrates well with Unity for editing C# scripts.
- Set up a Unity project:
- Open Unity Hub, create a new 2D project (for simplicity).
- Name your project (e.g., Catch The Falling Object).
Game Overview
In this “Catch the Falling Object” game:
- Objects fall from the top of the screen.
- The player moves a character left and right at the bottom to catch the falling objects.
- Points are scored for each object caught.
Set Up the Scene
1.Add a Background:
- In Unity, create a background by adding a 2D image or color to the camera.
2.Create Player Object:
- Right-click in the Hierarchy panel > Create Empty > name it Player.
- Add a Sprite Renderer to the Player and choose a sprite for the character (e.g., a square or custom character).
- Add a Box Collider 2D to define its boundaries and a Rigidbody 2D component (set the Rigidbody’s Gravity Scale to 0 so it doesn’t fall).
3.Create Falling Object:
- Right-click in the Hierarchy > Create Empty > name it FallingObject.
- Add a Sprite Renderer and choose a sprite (e.g., a circle or star).
- Add a Box Collider 2D and a Rigidbody 2D (leave Gravity Scale as 1 for falling).
Write the Player Movement Script
- Create a new C# script, PlayerController.cs:
- In the Scripts folder, right-click > Create > C# Script > name it PlayerController.
- Attach PlayerController to the Player object by dragging it from the Assets panel to the Player.
Write the Player Movement Script
- Create a new C# script, PlayerController.cs:
- In the Scripts folder, right-click > Create > C# Script > name it PlayerController.
- Attach PlayerController to the Player object by dragging it from the Assets panel to the Player.
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using UnityEngine; public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour { public float speed = 10f; // Adjust movement speed void Update() { float horizontal = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal"); Vector3 movement = new Vector3(horizontal, 0, 0) * speed * Time.deltaTime; transform.Translate(movement); // Limit player position within screen bounds float screenLimit = Camera.main.aspect * Camera.main.orthographicSize - 0.5f; transform.position = new Vector3( Mathf.Clamp(transform.position.x, -screenLimit, screenLimit), transform.position.y, transform.position.z ); } } |
Create the Falling Object Script
- Create a new C# script, FallingObject.cs:
- Right-click > Create > C# Script > name it FallingObject.
- Attach FallingObject to the FallingObject prefab.
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using UnityEngine; public class FallingObject : MonoBehaviour { public float fallSpeed = 5f; void Update() { transform.Translate(Vector3.down * fallSpeed * Time.deltaTime); if (transform.position.y < -5.5f) // If the object goes off the screen { Destroy(gameObject); // Destroy the object } } private void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D other) { if (other.CompareTag("Player")) { // Add score, play sound, etc. Debug.Log("Object caught!"); Destroy(gameObject); } } } |
Add Object Spawner
- Create an empty GameObject in the Hierarchy and name it Spawner.
- Create a new C# script, ObjectSpawner.cs, and attach it to Spawner.
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using UnityEngine; public class ObjectSpawner : MonoBehaviour { public GameObject fallingObjectPrefab; // Assign the falling object prefab public float spawnInterval = 1f; private float timer; void Update() { timer += Time.deltaTime; if (timer >= spawnInterval) { SpawnObject(); timer = 0f; } } void SpawnObject() { float randomX = Random.Range(-7f, 7f); // Adjust according to screen width Vector3 spawnPosition = new Vector3(randomX, 5.5f, 0); // Spawn just above the screen Instantiate(fallingObjectPrefab, spawnPosition, Quaternion.identity); } } |
Scoring System
- Create a UI Text element:
- Go to GameObject > UI > Text.
- Rename it ScoreText and position it at the top of the screen.
2.Create a new C# script, ScoreManager.cs.
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using UnityEngine.UI; public class ScoreManager : MonoBehaviour { public static int score; public Text scoreText; void Start() { score = 0; } public void AddScore(int value) { score += value; scoreText.text = "Score: " + score; } } |
- Modify FallingObject.cs to add to the score:
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// Inside FallingObject.cs private void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D other) { if (other.CompareTag("Player")) { ScoreManager.Instance.AddScore(1); // Increase score by 1 Destroy(gameObject); } } |
You now have a simple Unity game with basic player movement, falling objects, a scoring system, and object spawning. For further development:
- Add sound effects and animations.
- Include a game-over screen and restart option.
- Implement object variety or power-ups.
This will give you a fully functional mini-game app that you can expand into more complex game ideas. Let me know if you’d like more specific additions or features!
Step 5: Test Your Game App
By testing the game, you can observe how it functions in real life and adjust it in response to user input.
- To identify any relevant issues, test the game across a range of devices, screen sizes, processor speeds, and resolutions.
- Check the game’s stability under a range of settings, such as when there are several background programs open.
- Check the user experience. Is the game being played correctly by the players? Are the guidelines too ambiguous? Is there anything you can do to enhance the experience of the players?
- Check the performance of the game. Because mobile games may use a lot of resources, assess the game’s performance by looking at things like loading time, frame rate, and memory utilization.
Step 6: Plan a Monetizing Strategy
There is a very good reason why many app developers create apps in order to gain money. Four well-liked models are used to increase revenue.
- The most prevalent are advertisements, which give users little incentives in return for viewing videos. However, they should only be utilized infrequently to prevent annoying gamers.
- Though their effectiveness varies by genre, in-app payments (IAPs) are common in larger games that provide expensive things like skins or battle passes. In really casual games, this strategy has a lower chance of success.
- Games with lengthy player lifetimes—typically seen in instructional titles—are the ideal candidates for subscriptions. The high rates of user attrition provide this model’s greatest obstacle. For additional income, it is frequently utilized in conjunction with IAPS.
- Because of intense rivalry and player attrition, paid downloads are the least popular.
Also read: How much does mobile game development cost!
Step 7: Hit the Launch Button Of Your Game App
The game is now ready for publication after much effort! Like every other stage, we advise you to do a great deal of planning and study before releasing the game on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon App Store, etc.
- Before submitting your game, read the rules, regulations, and specifications of the platform.
- Make sure that all of the advertising materials and game assets are ready.
- To draw in your intended audience, use the appropriate game-related keywords in the appropriate category.
- Update functionality, address issues, and maintain user engagement with frequent updates.
Step 8: Start Marketing On Relevant Platforms
To reach your target audience, marketing is essential. Make a trailer and share it on the platforms you want to reach. Having a playable demo before it’s offered for sale or download is beneficial. Before posting the game on social media and submitting it to the app store, make sure the app is optimized. Here’s a summary of app store optimization for games if you’re searching for some pointers on how to differentiate your game in the highly competitive video game market.
Learning ASO (app store optimization) for mobile games entails conducting keyword research, executing conversion rate optimization (CRO) and A/B testing, and monitoring that data so you can make additional adjustments if necessary. This is what you’ll discover from the above step-by-step guide.
That’s A Wrap
After reviewing the topics we discussed and drawing on our own experiences as a mobile app development company, we would argue that a combination of these factors contributes to a game app’s success.
- Outstanding visuals
- Outstanding plot and character backstories
- Updates and challenges that are interesting
- The app’s reaction time
- Simple-to-follow instructions
- Well-planned reward points
- Proven monetization techniques
It might be challenging to do all of this with an internal development team. To produce what you envisage and what your players want, you would need individuals with the appropriate skill set and who think like gamers. That team is us.
Talk to our game developers right now if you want to discover how to create a game app and guarantee its long-term success! What makes DianApps a leading mobile game developer? Read to find out!
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