Whether you are a beginner or an expert, Want to build a video game from scratch? Here is an updated 2024 guide explaining, How to make a video game in 6 steps.
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“The act of Creating a Video game” is generally referred to as Gamedev. A video game is a computerized game that can be played on computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, etc… that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback with these devices.
Video game development is significantly the process of building and designing a game from the concept phase to the launch phase. So, this development process typically requires data input from a team of developers, artists, programmers, animators, testers project managers, etc…however, some video games have been created by one or two game developers.
These video games can range from straightforward text-based settings to complex visual realities, and they are incredibly rich in terms of both graphics and sound quality. Also, video games from AR/VR come with unique environments and seamless gameplay experiences for gamers, from the perspective of interaction with the AI-controlled video game personalities and opponent player’s avatars. These video games consist of single or multi-player functions in genres such as platformers, puzzles, role-playing, first-person shooters, action-adventure, sports, strategy, simulation, horror, survival, fighting, racing, rhythm/music, and battle royale.
Developing a video game is an extensive method including creativity, organization, research, and diligent attention to detail. With that, it requires many notable skills such as scriptwriting, programming skills, art design, character design, level design, audio design, 3D modeling, etc.
A good video game needs hard work, effort, and skillful ideas to discover, that’s why there are expert video game developers behind a successful video game. So, If you are a designer with a major game studio and want to create your first video game, you must consider your strengths! Probably the following instructions for development stages can assist you,
1. Planning Phase: Plan an Interesting Gaming Concept
2. Pre-production Phase: The Game Design Document (GDD)
3. Production Phase: Choose the Right Development Software
4. Game Development Phase
5. Enhance Your User-Interface
6. Post-production Phase: Testing Phase
Planning Phase
A unique gaming concept is just like the entire pillar story of the film. It carries the whole game to the successful path, leading the gamers to be engaged throughout the journey. The initial step is to come up with an attractive video game concept and title. The title should be catchy, unique, and relevant for targeting the niche. For example, if you are creating video games for kids, then the title should be related to the most popular kid’s movie or character. It will gain the views and responses earlier.
Firstly, The story or concept for your video game should be more engaging for script authors, designers, and developers to initiate their work. The genres of the game are important, as every genre covers a different set of players. Endless runs, racing, puzzles, arcade games, thrillers, role-playing games, graphic novels, and more are some of the genres that are setting up trends right now. In addition, considering your video game taglines or motto will be the secondary component for a popular and successful game. Apart from concept, story development and characters are the pathway to the successive stages.
Explore different game genres and subgenres, especially analyze social media trending topics and write down the video game ideas that come to your mind. So choosing a unique and clear concept is the key element that will grab the attention of every player out there in your game.
Pre-Production Phase
The Game Design Document is essentially a game’s north star, which constrains every detail about the game and is commonly known as the “blueprint” of a video game. These GDD documents will create an idea, of what the finalized game would be, and how your game will look like, also the GDD helps your game designing studio to be categorized and identify potential risks. This in turn ensures the development team knows, what they ought to do to accomplish their objectives for assembling the game and can organize their work completely.
In addition, the document always contains information about the game’s target audience which can used to alter the marketing strategies according to the trends. Developers can use this document for their marketing purposes as well. For example, One could use the GDD to elaborate the project to the investors, and stakeholders, to increase the chance of being approved, or for the usage of a crowdfunding project.
If you plan to develop a video game with your friends or colleagues, then this GDD will navigate the game-level process and make the learner better understand and get on board with it. Your Game Design Document should include,
1. Concept or idea of your game and characters that present in each level
2. Genre design, Level, and audio design
3. User interface (UI)
4. Core game mechanics
5. Gameplay
6. Technical design document
7. Scheduling, budget, and team selection
8. Theme/art and sketches
9. Monetization strategy
Production Phase
Once you are done with the Game Design Document, your game starts to take shape. Then the production phase gradually takes form and progresses toward the end. The whole game framework lies in the software. Yes, For that you need the appropriate gaming software that will level up your game. Another suggestable note is, to choose the top game engines (Unity, Unreal Engine, Phaser, CryEngine, etc…) for designing your game. This will result in high performance of complex tasks, such as animation, workflow, integration, work community, and quality game creation.
After choosing the right software, get started to move forward with the production phase. The production phase constraints,
Game design and game art - The game design is of various types like game mechanics design, level design, character design sound design, and UI/UX design.
Audio adjustments/sound effects - The sound engineer creates audio effects for characters, non-playing characters, environments, explosives, weapons, and UI elements and the voice actors intend to deliver emotion, timing, and tone to the dialogue.
Programming - After the outcome of game assets, the programmers' work starts as they ought to write the code in scripting languages like C++, C#, Javascript, and Nua.
Testing - Testing is done to check if the game has any bugs, errors, or technical glitches in the game. This game testing is categorized into two parts namely Alpha testing and Beta Testing. Alpha testing is done during the production phase and Beta testing is done post-production phase.
This is one of the most challenging stages of video game development. During this process,
- The gaming characters are designed according to the game's story and theme.
- Audio engine design assures realistic sound effects on every character’s movement.
- Level designers develop immersive worlds/environments for the various playstyles.
- The main players of the process - developers write thousands of lines of source code to bring game elements to life.
- Finally, project managers deliver milestones and schedules for accountability.
Once all the stages of video game development are completed, make sure the user interface has been optimized so that it functions effectively across a range of platforms and input methods. A UI that is easy to use improves player accessibility and fulfillment. For instance, In a mobile puzzle game, you may guarantee dynamic UI elements and easy-to-use touch controls for astonishing gameplay.
Post-Production
This is the most prominent step in every game development process ie, the testing phase. This testing can be done by internal and external testing. Before a game is released, it must undergo extensive testing. Quality Assurance (QA) testers test gameplay from a technical standpoint.
The QA team will play the game title multiple times, make notes on detailed bug reports, and write up the crashes because gamers are less likely to play an error-free, title-riddled glitches game entirely, even though it's a lengthy process.
If you are a newbie in the gaming world, or you don’t have any time to go through the entire stages of the video game development process, then we can show you the easiest way you can create and develop your own video game effortlessly. The solution is to hire a leading Video Game Development Company - Maticz.
We have a proficient team of experts who can easily understand your gaming concept, and assist you to attain your business to a top-notch level.
You're probably already thinking about the type of game you're going to create. Here is a detailed list of video game concepts.
One of the oldest game genres that highlights the importance of testing the player's reflexes, eye-hand coordination, and response times.
Examples of Action Games
(i) Call of Duty
(ii) Temple Run
(iii) Street Fighter
It is the first identifiable hybrid genre, having a strong emphasis on plot and battle through captivating narratives and precise gameplay techniques. As a result, many games, including the iconic Legend of Zelda, fit into this category.
Role Playing Game (RPG) permits the player to manage a fictional character on an adventure in an imaginary world.
Examples of Role Playing Games
(i) Star Wars
(ii) Dungeons and Dragons
(iii) Battletech
Another type of game genre is designed to mimic activities you would see in the realistic world.
Examples of Simulation Games
Minecraft and The Sims
Strategy Games primarily focus on strategic preparation to defeat enemies or achieve goals.
Examples of Strategy Games
(i) Total War Series
(ii) The Age of Empires Series
(iii) X-COM 2
(iv) Civilization V
(v) Cities: Skylines
It replicates various sports such as basketball, baseball, golf, football, and soccer. In these games, the enemies are occasionally controlled by computers, but they can also be real people. It includes Olympic sports such as Skiing, and more.,
Puzzle games put the players' minds to test their brains in terms of logic, pattern recognition, solving patterns, and word completion.
Examples of Puzzle Games
Candy Crush Saga
Making video games needs time, effort, and money. But anybody can create a successful video game with the right resources and tools. If you are creating an advanced video game, choose a game engine like Unity or Unreal. Then go for free assets like 3D models, textures, and sound effects from online platforms like OpenGameArt and Kenney.nl.
Maticz is an ideal Game development company for entrepreneurs looking to create a simple or advanced video game for their business. Our team of specialists can easily comprehend your gaming concepts and help you take your gaming business to new heights.
Related Article: How to Make Money on Video Games?
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