Whether a big-budget game or an independent game, the first step in developing a game is to find an original concept worth bringing to the screen. With time, patience, and knowledge, anyone can create their own video game: thanks to today’s technologies and the training tutorials available everywhere on the Internet, it’s becoming a trend!
Like any project, developing a video game is a multi-step process that requires: organization, imagination, research, and attention to detail.
Whether you are a professional designer employed at a large game studio or using your free time to learn how to create your first game, all game creators follow the significant development steps we will discuss in this article. Following this order is essential so your game development goes smoothly.
1. Find a game concept
Start by listing a few game concepts to determine the type of game you want to create.
Start with a modest project if this is your first time creating a game. Explore different genres (shooter, role-playing, combat, survival, management, etc.), then see what is currently popular in the media (or is no longer popular). Write down any video game ideas that come to mind.
Once the initial brainstorming is complete, think about the world and mechanics of each game on your list. Narrow the list until you find the concept you feel has the most potential.
2. Create a game design document
Creating games always involves extensive research. Find out what type of game you want to develop and write your Game Design Document.
Take advantage of this step, even if it’s a simple game. The Game Design Document is like the skeleton of your project: it describes all the crucial details of your game: the scenario, the genre, the universe, the target audience, the objectives, the mechanics, and the marketing strategy.
This document should answer all the questions the target audience will have about the game, from its general concept to the visual and sound design choices.
As the game designer, you should also include the programming language you will use, the size of your development team, and the resources you will need.
You can, of course, set up additional steps according to your needs. For example, experienced programmers from https://wowassignment.com/ can help you with any coding tasks and projects on your way.
3. Start developing the video game
Now that you’ve done your research, you can start developing your game.
You will need to choose the correct programming language and game engine for your concept, of which the following are the most popular:
- Unity: 3D Engine, easy to use
- Unreal Engine: used by many well-known games
- Project Spark: 3D Engine for intermediate users
- Godot Engine: open-source Engine capable of 2D and 3D
- Source: regularly updated. This Engine is widely used
- GameMaker Studio: one of the most popular 2D engines on the market
- RPG Maker Series: Engine designed for RPGs
4. Create a prototype
Prototypes can help you find inconsistencies and many other problems early in the design process. It’s essential to address these issues as they arise, as they can harm the user experience and reputation of the game. Make sure your prototype has all facets of the game (setting, quests, level design, characters, sound effects, etc.)
If you are creating a role-playing game (RPG), make sure you can follow the plot and that the characters’ motivation makes sense. If you are creating a platformer or adventure game, make sure your world is immersive and explorable.
5. Create the video game tutorial
For a long time, a video game’s first-time user experience (FTUE) was to follow the tutorial teaching the player how to use the game and its purpose…
As games are becoming longer and longer and integrating more complex mechanisms, it has become impossible to teach everything from the beginning of the game. This is how multiple tutorial sessions appeared, presented all along the course of a game. Tutorials have been separated from the FTUE, and their positioning is now closely linked to the rest of the game.
While allowing these moments to be skipped is a minimum requirement in today’s games, missing the tutorial out of frustration can lead to a poor experience in the rest of the game. So it’s vital to create good tutorials for the user.
So let’s look at some best practices that encourage players to watch these tutorial passages without dampening their desire to continue playing the game.
Integrating the tutorial into the game
Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad tutorials out there, which means that today, most players will almost always skip them. Players often describe the tutorial as “the part of the game that comes before the fun.”
So we must stop thinking of the tutorial as an isolated part of the user experience. The goal is to make the learning of the game so well embedded in it that players can’t tell where the tutorial ends, and the game begins – or even if there is a tutorial at all.
Some of the learning may occur at the very beginning of the game, some may occur within the game or even throughout it, and some may be just the result of past experiences.
It is better for the player to do than to read something
Text is rich in information and easy to create; however, doing things is more fun and memorable. There is a trade-off between the two to convey information.
Game developers call the actions you take in the game the “mechanics” of the game. It is possible to combine the learning objectives with the game mechanics. This is how you create an engaging and educational experience.
So the basis of this rule is simple: guide the player through an action, motivating them to perform that action for the first time, for example, with flashing lights and an animated arrow.
Use fewer words and discreetly
This is called “Miller’s Law” in psychology: The magic number of seven, plus or minus two. Clear, concise text that can be read at a glance avoids the impression that the game is slowing down.
So there should be at most eight words on the screen at any time. Of course, this rule only applies to instructional texts; narrative text can be longer.
Designing short texts has two main advantages: besides the fact that simple rules are easier to remember, the longer the text, the less likely the players are to read it.
Having more short instructional tips is better than giving too many explanations at once.
Care should be taken with displaying these messages, and they should be designed, so they do not interrupt the game. There is a subtle difference between a hint banner and a dialog box. A dialog box generally interrupts the game’s flow and requires the player to respond to it, focusing on a specific aspect of the game. In addition to avoiding interruption, “passive” communication can remain on the screen until the player performs the desired action.
Use visuals
The stronger your visuals, the less you will have to teach the players. It should be enough to look at the objects in the game to determine their function.
Leverage what people already know
Players bring all their previous gaming experiences into the game. For example, it is common knowledge that zombies are stupid and must die, so you don’t have to remind players of this.
By determining where a tutorial will fit in a series of experiences, the expected emotional state of the player, and the cognitive load they will face, all tutorial decisions can shape the core of your players’ user experience and game.
6. Test the video game
Whether you do the testing yourself or have testers do it, every game should be thoroughly tested before release.
The testers test the gameplay from a technical point of view. The team examines the title several times, writes detailed bug reports, and notes any “crashes.”
While this is a lengthy process, it is necessary: players are less likely to play a title that is riddled with bugs or errors, even if the game is free.
7. Marketing the finished product
As we come to the end of the game development process, you need to release it on as many relevant platforms as possible.
Create a website for your game and use social media to promote it. You can embed a playable demo on the site to get players interested in the game.
When the game is ready to be released, offer discounted copies or a free version to get it into the hands of as many people as possible.
8. Grow the game
Once you have studied the results of your game, you will have to develop it. You will have to develop it so that it generates more users. In particular, you will have to improve the interface to attract more new users. You can also use plugins that will allow you to increase the number of players.
9. Update the game
Once you have completed the evolution of your game, you will have to update it on the online video game platform to match the level of development reached by the game.
10. Continue to evolve the game
Once you have finished updating the game, you will have to evolve your game. You will have to continue growing the game to attract new users.
Conclusion
While there is no set formula for creating the perfect video game, there are some best practices that all video game designers should rely on. By following the steps listed above, there is no doubt that you will be able to develop a quality video game and achieve the success you desire.
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