Creating a fantastic game can be a daunting task, especially if you’re working with limited resources. But with the proper guidance, even a small game development company can create a mind-blowing game. This blog post will walk you through seven steps to help you take your game to the next level. From planning and designing to testing and launching, these steps will give you the tools you need to create a fantastic game.
This article will teach you how to develop mind-blowing games.
Seven Steps Of Game Development
Here are the seven unique steps of game development.
1. Planning Of Game
Planning is the first step of any roots that every game will grow. Like before the writer begins to write, the designer begins to design, like a game developer begins developing a game idea.
You must answer Some fundamental questions before you begin developing your game.
- What genre will your game be?
- Will it be 2D or 3D?
- What art style will you use?
- What gameplay mechanics do you want to include?
- Who’s the hero, and who’s the villain?
- Which game engine will you use?
- Who is our target audience?
- Which platform are we building this on?
The idea will change and be chopped in the planning step, and the concept of your game coming up today may be recognisable tomorrow.
Proof Of Concept
After you’ve answered the big questions, you’ll need to create a proof of concept. This is the final step of planning that determines what resources you’ll need to bring your game to life and catch the attention of a publisher.
Must answer the following questions in your proof of concept:
- How much will the production of this game cost?
- How will you get the money you need?
- How long will this game take to make?
- Do you have all the skills to make the game, or will you need to hire a team?
- How many people do you need if you do need to hire a team? What will the size of the team be, and what roles will you need to fill?
- How will you monetise your game?
- Which platforms will you publish it too?
2. Pre-Production
Pre-production is the next step of game development. You will scope out the project, create storyboards and prototypes, and decide which ideas will be implemented and which will be scrapped.
It is where writers, artists, designers, developers, engineers, project managers, and other vital departments Collaborate on the game’s scope and the placement of each puzzle piece. Here are some examples of how this collaboration could take place:
- Artists must ensure that the art style and colour palette are appropriate for the game’s theme and genre. If your game is dark and scary, you want your artists to use something other than bright, summery colours.
- Developers must finalise the game’s mechanics and physics and how it will handle models and objects. Some of these decisions will require the involvement of artists, writers, and engineers, depending on how they affect the script or gameplay.
- Engineers must inform the team of their limitations. The writing team may desire a sizeable cinematic finale that the game engine cannot render. Developers may desire a mechanic that may cause performance problems. Now is the time to establish ground rules.
- Project managers play the role of the piggy in the middle, balancing the demands of each team, making final decisions, removing roadblocks, and keeping everyone on the same page.
- Writers must decide on the script, the characters, and the world they live in. The script will impact the art, mechanics, and environments that must create.
3. Production
This step is the longest and most important for game development. It is one of the most challenging steps of a Game Development Company.
When a game is in development:
- The world of your game is created by developers and designers who craft and code dynamic environments that complement the story, art direction, and gameplay mechanics.
- Character and NPC models are designed, rendered, and animated.
- To find the right tone, voice actors record scripts and lines of dialogue.
- Sound designers create soundtracks and in-game effects ranging from menu navigation bleeps and bloop to the creaky floorboards beneath your characters’ feet.
- Writers clean up scripts and handle minor copywriting tasks, such as naming NPCs and writing item descriptions.
4. Testing
At this point, you must test every aspect of your game for bugs, glitches, exploits, or soft locks that may have crept in.
There are some problems, including for testing:
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Solid Environment:
Can you walk, break, or phase through parts of a solid environment? Spyro the Dragon: For example, in Dragonfly, an unresolved bug allows you to access the final boss fight whenever you want by head-bashing a specific corner of the boss gate.
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Issues With Rendering And Performance:
Do all of your objects and environments appear precisely as you intended? Do they come in gradually or abruptly? Is the framerate affected when there is too much on the screen?
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Exploits:
Can a player use a game mechanic unintentionally to gain unfair advantages? The ‘Select Trick’ of Mega Man is a well-known exploit that allows the player to slay the beastly Yellow Devil by firing one Thunder Beam and mashing the Select button to cause continuous damage.
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Soft locks:
Can a player become stuck through no fault of their own? Suppose you try to release the only Pokémon on your team that knows Surf or Dive in third-generation Pokémon games. In that case, it immediately returns to you, so you don’t accidentally trap yourself on an island.
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Difficulty:
Do you need to improve your game? Nintendo was determined to release Kid Icarus by the deadline of December 19, 1986, leaving creator Toru Osawa no time to balance the game’s difficulty. Unsurprisingly, it’s notorious for being controller-snappingly tricky these days.
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Scripting And Acting Errors:
Is everything spelt correctly, and are you using the best takes from your voice actors? I can hear the voice actor for the character Tandilwe asking for a second take during one of her dialogue options in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
5. Pre-Launch
This step is very stressful step for gaming studios. It is one of the most exciting and nerve-racking steps of the game development process – you’re finally ready to show off all your hard work, but you have no idea how it’ll receive.
Publishers almost always anticipate a hype video that combines cinematics and sample gameplay to gain attention. They may also plan a presence at major gaming conventions, such as E3 or PAX, to provide an exclusive preview of the game.
6. Launch
It’s finally time. Your game’s release date is rapidly approaching. Now is the time to apply the final coat of polish to your game.
The launch step is your chance to:
- Remove any remaining bugs. Studios typically prioritise all known bugs, beginning with game-breakers that affect stability and performance and progressing to minor cosmetic issues.
- Make simple changes to your quality of life.
- Finish models and environments with artistic touches.
7. Post-Launch
For any ludo Game Development Company, the post-launch period is among the most exciting. Years of effort have finally paid off, and game sales are brisk.
However, there is still some work to be done in the post-launch phase:
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Bug Fixes
If you didn’t have time to fix every minor bug before launch, or if your players found a few new ones, patch them up and tie up any loose ends.
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Downloadable Content
Are you looking to revive some of the content you had to cut to meet deadlines? Downloadable content not only allows you to do so, but it also allows you to keep your game fresh with new content.
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Free Content Updates
The one thing that players prefer over paid Downloadable content is entirely free.
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Game-Balancing Patches
Remember that winter in Modern Warfare 2 when we were all decimated by Model 1887 akimbo shotguns? Remember how happy we were when Infinity Ward nerfed them in a post-launch patch?
Conclusion
Creating a mind-blowing game is no easy feat. From finding your target audience to developing and marketing the game, there are many steps and details to consider. But with the proper focus and determination, you can create a fantastic game that stands out in the crowd. Don’t be afraid to experiment and take risks as you work towards creating a unique game. Ultimately, if you put in the effort, you can create a fantastic game that players will love.