Creating a mobile game may seem difficult, but if you follow some basic steps, anyone can get started easily. This guide will show you how to create a mobile game in 7 easy steps that even beginners can understand.
Step 1: Learn the basics of how to create a mobile game
In order to create a smartphone game, it is important to first understand the basics. Here, we will explain the basic concepts and what you need to prepare.
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Learn what a smartphone game is
First, it's important to know what a smartphone game is. A smartphone game is a game that can be played using a smartphone. There are many different types of smartphone games, including action games, puzzle games, and RPGs (role-playing games).
The basic features of the mobile game are as follows:
Easy to play: You can play anytime, anywhere as long as you have a smartphone.
Touch Controls: Operate by touching the smartphone screen.
Enjoy in a short time:There are many games that can be enjoyed in short bursts of time, such as during your commute or break.
You can play for free: The game is free, but you can purchase additional items and features.
By knowing these characteristics, you can see what kind of game you want to make and what elements are necessary. The world of smartphone games is vast, and the possibilities are endless depending on your ideas. First, start by playing your favorite game and getting a feel for its appeal.
Prepare the tools you need to create a game
In order to create a mobile game, you need to prepare some tools. These tools are necessary to make the game development go smoothly. Below are the tools recommended for beginners and how to use them.
Game Engine: This is the basic software for creating games. Beginners may find "Unity" or "Unreal Engine" easy to use. These tools allow you to easily create games with drag-and-drop operations.
Graphics software: Software for drawing game characters and backgrounds. We recommend free software such as "GIMP" or "Inkscape." Use these programs to create original characters and backgrounds.
Sound editing software: Software for adding music and sound effects to games. You can easily edit music and sound effects using free software such as "Audacity."
By mastering the above tools, smartphone game development will proceed smoothly. By choosing tools that are easy to use even for beginners, the hurdle of game creation will be significantly lowered. First, download these tools and learn the basics of how to use them. Then, you will be ready to create a smartphone game.
Step 2: Think of ideas for how to create a mobile game
To make a game, you first need an idea. Have a concrete image of what kind of game you want to make.
Decide on the theme and genre of your game
It is very important to decide what kind of theme you want to create and what genre it is. By clarifying the theme and genre, you can clarify the direction of the game. Through this process, you can concretely imagine what you want to create.
First, there are some points to consider when deciding on a theme.
Target Players: Consider who will enjoy it, such as children or adults.
Story Setting: Decide what kind of story you want to develop. For example, there are themes such as "The hero defeats the demon king" or "Adventure in a mysterious world."
SettingThe location you choose for your game is also important. There are many options, from fantasy worlds to modern cities.
Next, let's talk about choosing a genre. The way you play and enjoy the game varies depending on the genre. The following genres are possible:
Action games: A game in which characters move around, fight enemies, and collect items.
Puzzle games: This is a game that focuses on solving problems using your brain. You combine blocks and line up numbers.
RPG (Role Playing Game): A game where you progress through the story while developing your character. You can enjoy adventures and battles.
It's important to consider these elements and decide specifically what kind of game you want to make. Once you've decided on the theme and genre, you'll be ready to move on to the next step: setting up the story and characters.
Thinking about the game's story and characters
Story and characters are important elements that enhance the appeal of a game. By setting these properly, players can immerse themselves more deeply in the game world. The story and character settings greatly affect the overall impression of the game.
First, let's look at the points to consider when thinking about a story.
The protagonist's goal: Make it clear what the protagonist wants to achieve in the game, for example, "rescue a friend" or "find lost treasure."
Difficulty and enemy settings: Set up the obstacles or enemies the protagonist will face. For example, some ideas are "An evil witch attacks the village" or "A mysterious monster blocks the path."
Story flowThink about how the story will progress. The main character will begin a journey, meet friends, fight enemies, etc.
Next, let's talk about setting up the characters. Having attractive characters makes the story more interesting. Here are some points to keep in mind:
The protagonist's personality: Think about what kind of personality your main character has. It's good to give them some personality, such as being brave, kind, or a bit clumsy.
Ally and enemy characters: Characters other than the main character are also important. Think about what abilities your allies have and what strategies your enemies will use.
Visual image: It's also important to think about the character's appearance. By considering the colors, clothing, and characteristics, you can get a more concrete image.
By carefully considering these elements, you can make the game's story and characters more appealing. If you create a setting that players can empathize with, you will be able to make your game more enjoyable for more people.
Step 3: Plan how to create a mobile game
Once you have decided on the idea for your game, make a concrete plan. Planning how you will proceed is the key to success.
Create a blueprint for the game
A blueprint is an important part of the overall structure and flow of a game. By creating a blueprint, you can clearly see what happens on each screen. Having a blueprint not only makes game development smoother, but also improves the experience for players.
First, let's consider the key points to consider when creating a blueprint.
Decide on the type of screen: A game requires various screens, such as the title screen, menu screen, play screen, result screen, etc. Think about what you want to display on each screen.
Make each screen more specificFor example, consider specific content such as displaying the game logo and start button on the title screen, and settings and leaderboard on the menu screen.
Consider the flow between screens: Think about how the player will move between screens. For example, pressing the start button on the title screen will take you to the menu screen, and then pressing the play button from the menu will start the game.
Next, I'll talk about the steps involved in creating a blueprint.
Draw the overall compositionFirst, draw a rough outline of the overall flow on paper. To make it easier to understand, draw boxes around each screen and connect them with arrows.
Write details: After that, write down the specific content and functions of each screen, including the button layout and the information displayed.
Get feedback: Once you have completed your design, it's a good idea to show it to your friends and family and ask for their opinions. You might get some new ideas.
Creating a blueprint like this allows you to grasp the overall picture of the game, which makes development go more smoothly. Blueprints are an important foundation for game development, so it's important to think carefully about them.
Create a work schedule
Making a work schedule is very important for efficient game development. By creating a schedule, you can estimate how much time each task will take and proceed in a planned manner. This will make work progress smoothly and make it easier to achieve your goals.
First, let's consider some points to consider when creating a schedule.
List your tasksFirst, write down all the steps required to create a game, such as coming up with the idea, creating a blueprint, programming, testing, etc.
Estimate how long each task will takeNext, figure out how long each task will take, such as 2 days to draft the plan and a week to program it.
Prioritize: Think about which tasks should be done first and prioritize them. It is a good idea to do important tasks or tasks that will affect other tasks first.
Now, here's how to create the actual schedule.
Use the calendar: Write down the dates for each task in your calendar or planner. It is important to leave yourself some leeway when doing so.
Review regularly: Your schedule is not set in stone, so review it as you progress and adjust it as necessary.
Feel a sense of accomplishment: When you finish a task, checking it off gives you a sense of accomplishment, which helps you stay motivated.
In this way, by creating a work schedule, you can proceed with game development in a planned manner. It is important to make a solid schedule in order to proceed efficiently.
Step 4: Start developing the mobile game creation method
Once the plan is complete, we can finally begin development. Here we will explain the specific development steps.
Learn to Program
Programming knowledge is essential for game development. By learning programming, you can put your ideas into shape and enjoy the fun of making games. We will introduce programming languages and learning methods that are easy for beginners to get started with.
First, let's consider programming languages for beginners.
Scratch: A visual programming language that allows you to create programs by combining blocks. It is easy to understand even for elementary school students, and is suitable for learning the basics of game creation.
Python: It is a language with simple grammar and is easy to read. It is used in a variety of applications, not just games. There are plenty of learning materials available for beginners.
JavaScript: You can create programs that run on a web browser. It is a useful language for creating simple games and interactive works.
Online learning siteThere are many free and paid sites that use videos and quizzes to help you learn while having fun.
Use books: It is also a good idea to look for books with plenty of explanations aimed at beginners and study thoroughly. The appeal is that you can proceed at your own pace.
Attend a programming class: By attending classes, you can learn directly from a teacher. Learning with your peers will also increase your motivation.
In this way, learning programming will give you the ability to realize your ideas. Please give it a try by using programming languages and learning methods for beginners.
Prototype a game
A prototype is a prototype of a game. It is very important to make the basic parts of the game simply and check whether it actually works. By finding problems and thinking about improvements at this stage, you can take the first step to improving the game.
First, think about why you want to prototype.
Validating the idea: Prototyping helps you see if your initial ideas are actually interesting. It helps you play around with them and determine if they're fun or not.
Identifying the problem: By checking the game's operation, we can find any problems or bugs in the game early on, which will make it easier to fix them later.
Receiving feedback: Asking friends and family to try something out and giving you their feedback can give you new ideas. Other people's opinions are invaluable.
Next, I'll talk about the steps to take when creating a prototype.
Decide on the basic functionsFirst, think about what functions you need in your game and make a list of them, for example character movement, enemy spawning, etc.
Make a simple version: Create a simple version based on the features you have listed. At this stage, it is important that it works, not that it is perfect.
Do the test: Play around with it yourself and get others to try it out to see how it works. It's a good idea to make a note of any problems or areas that need improvement.
In this way, creating a game prototype is the first step towards turning your idea into reality. Seeing it in action is a valuable experience that will help you develop a better game.
Step 5: Test and improve your mobile game creation method
As development progresses, testing is carried out to identify and improve problems.
Test play the game
Playtesting your game is an important step in development. Playtesting your game helps you find bugs and issues. This is a vital step to ensure your game is polished. It's also a good idea to ask your friends and family to play your game and give you their feedback.
First, let's think about why you want to playtest.
Discovering a Bug: We find bugs and errors in the program by playing it, so we can fix them and make the game run smoothly.
Checking game balance: You can play the game to determine whether the difficulty level is appropriate. If it is too easy or too hard, you need to adjust it.
Understanding the user experience: Having other people play the game allows you to hear their feedback directly from the players. This helps you understand which parts are fun and which parts need improvement.
Next, I'll talk about the steps to take when conducting a test play.
Play by yourself: First, play the game yourself and check the controls and any bugs. It's a good idea to take notes on what you notice.
Get someone else to play: Next, ask your friends and family to play the game - their reactions and opinions can give you a new perspective.
Collect feedback: After playing the game, we collect feedback and decide which problems to prioritize and fix. If necessary, it is also important to conduct test plays again.
In this way, test play of the game allows you to find and solve problems. Test play is an important process to make the game better.
Improve based on feedback
It is very important to improve the game based on the feedback obtained from test play. Opinions and comments from players are valuable information for making the game better. By making full use of this information, we can improve the quality of the game and create a game that more people can enjoy.
First, think about why you want to improve based on feedback.
Get the user's perspective: Other players will tell you about problems that you may not have noticed on your own. By incorporating their opinions, the game will become more enjoyable for more people.
Game Balancing: By observing the player's reaction and adjusting the difficulty level and pace, it is possible to create a game that can be enjoyed without stress.
Small adjustments determine success: By carefully correcting even the smallest details, we can improve the quality of the game and increase player satisfaction.
Next, I will talk about the specific steps to make improvements.
Organize feedback: After the test play, organize the opinions gathered and clarify which parts have problems. Prioritize improvements on the areas that are most frequently pointed out.
Decide on specific modifications: We decide specifically which elements to modify and how. For example, if someone says "this part is difficult," we might adjust the strength of the enemies or the timing of their appearance.
Implement improvements: The decided corrections are reflected in the game. At this point, it is important to re-test the game after making the changes and check the effect.
In this way, we can improve the quality of our game by making improvements based on feedback. Let's aim for a great game that meets the expectations of our players.
Step 6: Design the mobile game creation method
Once the game content is finalized, we then finalize the design. Appearance and music are also important elements.
Adding graphics and sound
Graphics and sound are extremely important to enhance the appeal of a game. They enrich the player's experience and draw them into the game world, so it is important to have good quality materials.
First, when it comes to graphics, it's a good idea to consider the following points:
Use of free stock sitesMany websites offer illustrations and images that you can use for free, such as Pixabay and Unsplash.
Game Engine Asset Store: Game engines like Unity and Godot have a wide range of easy-to-use materials that can help you save time.
Create your own designIf you can draw, creating your own characters and backgrounds is a great way to do it, and can make for a particularly meaningful piece of work.
Next, sound is equally important: good music and sound effects can really change the atmosphere of the game.
Use of free music sitesThere are many sites that provide music and sound effects, and many of them are free to use. For example, there are free music sites and the YouTube audio library.
Make your own sounds: You can also create your own music using instruments, which allows you to have a unique sound that is different from other games.
Editing sounds: It can also be helpful to use some simple sound editing software to edit the sound, so that it fits the game better.
As you can see, good graphics and sound make a game more appealing, so it's important to spend enough time on these elements to provide an experience that players can enjoy.
Organizing the game's user interface
The user interface of a game is the part that the player comes into contact with most directly when operating the game. By properly preparing this part, players can enjoy the game comfortably. Specifically, it is important to consider the following points:
Easy-to-understand button layout: It is important to place buttons in a location that allows players to operate them intuitively. Don't place them in the corners of the screen, but somewhere that is easy to see.
Easy-to-read menu designMenus should be simple and easy to understand, with fewer options and a way to make it easier to find the information you need.
Add visual cues: Use arrows and color-coded hints to help players know what to do, so they can progress through the game without getting lost.
By improving these elements, players can immerse themselves in the game without stress. In particular, even when the game becomes difficult, players can expect the game to become more enjoyable if they feel that the controls are easy to understand. Improving the player's experience through the user interface will lead to a positive evaluation of the game as a whole.
Step 7: Release and promote your mobile game
Now that your game is complete, it's time to prepare it for release. Here we'll cover the steps you need to take to get your game out there and get players excited about it.
Publish your game to the app stores
Once your game is ready to be released, it's time to publish it to the app stores. This process can be a little tedious, but with proper preparation, it can go smoothly. First, it's important to take the necessary steps. Here are some points to consider:
Check the guidelines: Apple and Google have rules for publishing on their respective app stores. It's important to carefully read and follow these guidelines, especially the content and privacy regulations.
Prepare a description of your app: Write an easy-to-understand description to convey the features and appeal of the game. You will be required to specifically describe what kind of experience players will have.
Prepare attractive imagesYour app icon and screenshots are key elements to catch players' attention. Use beautiful images and effective designs to communicate the appeal of your game.
By making these preparations, your game will be released smoothly on the app store. You can also provide attractive information to players, which can help increase the number of downloads. Thorough preparation is essential to ensure that many people can enjoy your game.
Conduct promotional activities
Promotion is very important to make your game known to many people. By using the right methods, you can attract players' interest. Here are some points to consider:
Use social mediaIt is effective to use social media such as :X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to introduce your game. By posting regular updates and deepening interactions with your followers, you can increase interest.
Write a blogIt's also a good idea to create a blog about your game, sharing the development story and gameplay details, which will help readers understand and become more interested in your game.
Spread the word to your friendsAnother effective way is to ask your close friends and acquaintances to play the game and share their impressions. Their word of mouth will spread, increasing your chances of reaching even more people.
Another good way is to create gameplay videos and share them on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Through gameplay videos, you can visually convey the fun of the game, which will lead to viewers becoming interested. Combining these promotional activities will help you reach more people with your game.
summary
Looking back at what we've covered so far, we can see that even beginners can clearly see the seven steps to creating a smartphone game. By following these steps carefully, you can complete an appealing game. Let's review the following points.
Thinking up ideas: First, think about the theme and content of the game. It is important to find features that will make players enjoy the game.
Make a plan: Turn ideas into concrete plans. By organizing the development schedule and necessary materials, you can work more efficiently.
Advance development: This is where we start the actual production of the game. At this stage, we do programming and design, and aim to complete the basic operations.
Test and improveOnce complete, we test it to find any bugs or issues. It's important to use your feedback to make improvements.
Release and promote: Once the game is complete, it will be published on the app store and promoted through social media and blogs. It is important to find ways to let as many people as possible know about it.
By having fun going through these steps, you will gain game development skills. The process of giving shape to your ideas will surely be a new experience and lead to further growth. Please give it a try with confidence.
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