How to Start Designing A Successful Game App for iOS & Android?

The gaming market grows bigger and bigger with each passing year. From small games like Super Mario and PackMan, to monumental titles like Elden Ring and most recently Diablo Immortal, the gaming industry has been on the rise ever since its inception.

The global gaming market was reportedly worth $198.4 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $339.95 billion by 2027.

There’s an even more interesting fact though: over 50% of gaming revenue comes from mobile games – a whopping $165.9 billion!

It’s not Little wonder, then, that so many entrepreneurs are jumping on the bandwagon and getting into gaming (or, rather, game development). However, considering the fierce competition and costs of developing a game app for iOS and Android, you better make sure your game is absolutely amazing if you want to succeed.

In any case, the figures are sure to be seductive. But how do you go about designing a mobile game? What are some of the ins and outs of the industry? What should you pay attention to?

Well, look no further; In this article, we’ll cover how to create a game app, the myriad facets of mobile game app development, the intricacies of game design, and more.

Let’s dive in.

How big are mobile games?

Before planning to design apps with the limitations and features of mobile devices in mind, it makes sense to review some statistics.

  • The number of mobile app downloads worldwide in 2021 was 230 billion. (Source)
  • In 2021, Apple’s app store accounted for a 64% share of global consumer spending on app stores, while app users downloaded 21.3 billion of applications from Google Play. (Source)
  • TikTok is Apple’s top revenue generator at $37.66 million. Apple’s third is Honor of Kings, a mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game. (Source)
  • In the US, time spent on mobile devices has reached 4 hours and 29 minutes a day. The projected mobile social media time by 2023 is 55 minutes. (Source)
  • The average age of a mobile gamer is 36.3 (in 2014, the age was 27.7). A third of all gamers are between the ages of 36 and 50, and the gender split is 51% women, 49% men. (Source)

The numbers show the changing demographics and reach of mobile gaming apps.

The first step in creating a gaming app that is simple yet addictive is to study the market, study your peers and lay the foundation of your game.

Let’s see how we can do that!

Top Grossing Mobile Gaming Apps

Image 1. Top Grossing iPhone Mobile Gaming Apps (in the US as of January 2020)

Best Gaming App in the US

Image source

Image 2. Top mobile game app titles in the Google Play Store (globally as of January 2019)

 Top gaming apps worldwide

Image source

So how did apps like Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle or Clash of Clans get to the top? What’s the secret to becoming the top grossing games?

Here’s a sneak peek at some of its success factors.

Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle Managed to rise to the top of the top-grossing games with intense core gameplay, strong monetization, and a desire to push through leveraging IP, capable messaging with players, and meta-changing content design. Niantic CEO John Hanke says that social gaming is the “heart of the game.”

With Clash of Clans (CoC), the things that worked best were a unique cast of troops, the emphasis on the characters, and game enthusiasts develop a deep attachment to those characters. It is no surprise then that even though the developers released the app in 2012, CoC has maintained its position as a leader in the gaming industry.

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CoC is a free app, but in-app rewards and events keep players interested and they end up paying a premium.

Now, those are some interesting facts . And the things that made these games so successful? Exceptional game design.

Why is design so important?

When it comes to mobile game applications, the right design is the look most important in your game. . To quote famed UX design guru Chris Do: “I’d rather have something [design] that isn’t technically perfect but has soul.”

Let’s start with some basics, like how to design an Android game app?

Take a moment and think; What drew you to a game in the first place? The design of course! Most likely, you will look at the screenshots of the game to see its design, the general plot of the game, the characters, and then the story of the game. These elements are critical, as users who don’t like the model can choose not to install the app.

So if you have an idea for a game, you’ll want to plot or write the game as is. emerges, and this is the layout. The final product that users download will typically be part of the design.

What are the benefits of a great game UX design?

Pros:

  • Can keep game enthusiasts entertained for hours.
  • Design inspires gamers to look forward to more extensions.
  • The better the design, the higher the pay. Therefore, the design gets a lot of credit for the revenue generated by the game app.

Working on game design

It’s pretty obvious that as you develop your app, you’ll need to spend a lot of time bringing your gaming UI to life. Good design will improve your monetization, retention, user experience, and engagement.

Creating a good UX can be challenging, so keep your game design checklist up to date to create a meaningful experience for your customers. users.

As Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen says, “The best way to make money in mobile games is to stop thinking about making money. Better think about the fun.”

Now, let’s start with the development of game applications.

How to start the design and development of a game application?

Let’s start by creating an application from scratch.

1. Understanding Yourself

The first step is to understand yourself (your organization). Why are you venturing into the gaming industry? What are you passionate about in games? What are your key strengths and what keeps you motivated?

Here you can do a SWOT analysis. The inputs will help you not only look inside your organization to understand your USPs, but also look at the market and understand your competitors.

2. Market research

Market information makes it easier to better understand your target audience.

Check out the top trending game apps or visit the app store and see The different categories and genres of games will provide you with key information about what is popular with players and what generates the most revenue.

Read also: The Best Strategies for Conducting Market Research for Your Mobile App Idea

3. Developing an idea

A good idea is at the heart of a game app. Ideation is the most critical step for a successful gaming app. You can brainstorm with your team and come up with a great idea that will keep your users interested and engaged for hours on end.

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The good part: A well-planned app can be an instant hit and can improve the application with a touch of the latest technologies like AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality).

The equation is quite simple: first work to create a great idea and then work to deliver the perfect gameplay to game enthusiasts.

4. Create a story

A successful game needs a brilliant story. If you create a story for your game with a whole world of characters, victory parameters, surprises, fun elements, and rewards, players will praise the game experience.

Once your players are involved in the story , it will only take them to new levels, keep them inspired and attract new users.

5. Winning Game Design

Creating a winning game design can be tricky. The design team would have to pay attention to detail and bring the game’s characters, art, and overall look to life.

Combining a good user experience with the game’s graphics and logic is essential. It’s better to take the time to work around the design, as poor app design could spell disaster for your business.

On the other hand, an exceptionally great design that has a simple style could be a great differentiating factor for your game.

6. Identify the key platforms

When planning something on mobile, you need to think about the platform. The first choice is usually between Android and iOS.

You can also go for a hybrid model. However, you will need to consider the additional costs involved in developing a game for multiple platforms.

7. Create a monetization story

A game is a big investment.You are investing money not only in your development team, but also in various other talents (such as voice artists and actors), as well as hosting. Naturally, you want your game to be successful and get a good return on investment.

Monetizing your game is always a tough choice. On one hand, he’s concerned about ROI, but on the other hand, he doesn’t want to go all Diablo Immoral on his players. You can consider choosing the premium way or the free model to earn money from the app. Some popular ways to achieve this are:

Ads

You can incorporate a pay-per-click revenue model to monetize your game. Using a PPC model is quite popular today as it generates incredible ROI. According to Google, for every dollar spent on a PPC ad, a business can expect to get two dollars back!

You should be careful about ad placement, as they could be annoying and backfire. . You can also allow the user to opt out of an ad-free version.

In-App Purchases

An effective way to earn revenue from players is to opt out of a freemium model. Purchases could be around 2% on Android and a little more on iOS; still, it is quite useful for mobile game monetization.

Premium versions

You can offer a free trial or demo, before asking the players who opt for premium versions.

You can opt for a one-time payment model, but that could affect the number of downloads for your game, as people are much more reluctant to pay full price for the mobile games.

Typically, only high-quality games with long costs and production times from large developers opt for this model.

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Pay per download

With high-investment games, you would find this strategy adopted.

8. Deciding on Technology

Once you have the game idea in place and the platform identified, you need to plan out the design tools and set up the development processes. Native development is a popular option if performance is what you’re after.

Native mobile game development typically involves using a device platform’s native languages ​​for coding. So you can go for Java for Android or Swift for iOS. You will also find that game development uses web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5.

Another useful tool for creating games is Unity 3D, and there are many other tools like Xamarin, Marmalade, or Cocos 2D. Choosing the right technology can directly affect the performance and usability of your game in the future.

9. Find a Trusted Development Partner

Choosing an experienced and trusted game app development team like Imaginovation can transform your idea into a digital reality in a real sense. The more complex your game idea is, the more experienced developers you need to support your initiatives. Finding the right developers for your application, designers, and other experts could be the key to your success.

10. Testing is the key

Game testing is an integral part of mobile gaming. You can choose to hire a QA and beta testers and test your app for bug fixes and bug fixes.

Testing at every stage, whether as a prototype or final product, will ensure a smooth gaming experience.

11. Support and Maintenance

Once you launch the mobile game, you can plan support and maintenance for a better experience. Keep updating your game as this will keep players inspired for new features, new rewards, and new surprises.

Planning through each stage of app development can ensure that your final version becomes a reality . Therefore, follow a systematic approach to development, as this will help deliver a quality application that game enthusiasts can enjoy

What kind of games can you create?

Playing Different Games

With billions of game apps for Android and iOS, you can get started with creating a game app with your audience of choice. Here are some categories of game apps:

Puzzles and Word Games

Sudoku has a high participation rate. A study highlights that about 38 million monthly users play puzzles, and these games have a maximum lifespan. That is interesting!

Simple or math puzzles are also very popular, as well as extremely simple to do, and it’s something you can always go for among the myriad of game options, and be sure to make a profit.

Strategic Games

Games like Clash of Clans (CoC) are very addictive and prove their popularity. Strategizing can be challenging and fun – the application created can be attractive and also generate good income.

Arcade Games

Arcade Games They attract a lot of attention and are popular among game enthusiasts.You will need a good story and difficulty levels that give you a sense of competitiveness.

So, start developing your dream game, come up with a great idea, develop a strategy and turn your idea into a success.

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Create a successful mobile game app with Imaginovation

Your game app idea should be backed by a systematic approach to development. At Imaginovation we have helped many start-ups and entrepreneurial companies create successful mobile gaming apps.

If you have an idea for a gaming app and want to turn it into a digital reality, contact us

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