Knowing Your Game Is Half the Battle

But the other half? Understanding the genres. To simplify, here's a list: 1. MMORPGs2. Puzzle Games3. Hybrid Games4. Sports Games5. Shooter Games6. Fighting Games7. Platform Games8. Simulation Games9. Dance/Rhythm Games10. Survival Horror Games11. Action Adventure Games12. Role Playing Games (RPGs)13. Turn Based Strategy Games14. Real Time Strategy (RTS) GamesThis list is by no means exhaustive or strict. Each genre can overlap and bleed into another. The only limit is the imagination of the game developers.

Ali Farha June 10

Analysis

Iteration over Innovation? Case: Makeover Match

Making games is hard. As player expectations rise and market conditions become more challenging, creating a successful game and maintaining that success is becoming increasingly difficult. It looks like these are not enough to stop Tactile, the Danish studio behind smash hit Lily’s Garden, from working on a new title since they launched their latest game Makeover Match in March 2023. Although the Tactile team has several titles under their portfolio, the well-known swapping mechanic is not very common among their games. Especially with their two most recent titles Lily’s Garden and Penny & Flo, Tactile has been a stronghold for story-driven puzzle games with the collapse mechanic. Releasing a match-3 game with the swapping mechanic is certainly a demonstration of their eagerness to take on a new challenge. However, quite counterintuitively, the strongest aspect of Makeover Match is the […]

Ahmetcan Demirel June 10

Journal

Game Development Tools Landscape

I wish I had the tools available today when I joined gaming 12 years ago. Still, 3 sins can ruin your game production. (I must admit, I’ve committed all 3 sins)1. "Why buy this tool? A weekend and energy drinks, and I'll make a new one. It'll even make coffee!"Avoid this because:• 61% producers aim for 1–2-week releases.• that's a lot of energy drinks.• not enough weekends.2. “Our custom tool? It's so unique, only three people in the world understand it.Two of them just quit.”Avoid this because:• 53% longer to onboard with in-house tools• less focus in creating the game experience• the remaining one writes in hieroglyphs.3. "This third-party AI pathfinding? My pet could write better algorithms. Hold my keyboard."Avoid this because:• 66% of development timelines fall short.• solving solved issues wastes resources.• wheel reinvention proves its necessity."Okay, your idea, […]

Sergei Vasiuk June 10

Journal

Top 10 Tools Every Game Developer Must Know

Having the right tools can make all the difference. These tools collectively cover the essential aspects of: • Performance optimization• Project management• Game development• Design• Coding The must know tools are: 1. Game Engines: Unreal, Unity, Godot2. Scripting Tools: Visual Studio, Xcode, Eclipse3. Animation Software: Adobe Photoshop, Blender, Inkscape4. Asset Marketplaces: Adobe Audition, Audacity5. Audio Editing Software: Git, SVN6. Version Control Systems: JIRA, Trello7. Graphics Design Software: NVIDIA Nsight, Intel VTune8. Project Management Tools: Houdini FX, Spine9. Performance Analysis Tools: Lua, Blueprint10. Integrated Development Environments: Unity Asset Store, Unreal Engine MarketplaceDon't feel pressured to master all these tools immediately. Choose one, get familiar with it, and then gradually introduce others.

Ali Farha June 5

Journal

Survivor.io by Habby: Game Breakdown

🎮 Survivor.io by Habby: Game Breakdown 🎮 In Survivor.io, Habby led by Stefan Wang, Blu Chen (Xiaoqing Chen), Jiyeon Shin, Kris Jia, 赵书香, Xiaochen Wang, Jealous Zhang, Chang Ma, 郭丹萍, Cici Peng and many more have implemented a variety of in-app purchases (IAPs) and ad monetization strategies to enhance the player experience while generating revenue. 1) Name Changing: Players can change their name for free the first time. However, any subsequent changes cost 100 diamonds 💎, adding a strategic layer to personalization choices.2) Revival Options: Upon dying in the game, players have a choice to revive their character. They can either watch a rewarded ad 🎥 for a free revival or use a new life item found within the game ❤️, ensuring they can continue their progress without losing momentum.3) Game Play Costs: It costs 5 thunder ⚡ to play […]

Vamsi Penmetsa June 3

Journal

Live-Ops Product Management: Cycle Breakdown

Product management during the live-ops stage is very much like maneuvering ships in the open ocean. 🌊Here’s a breakdown of the cycle, complete with sailors' analogies to keep you anchored! ⚓️🌟 1. Vision (1-10 years)Objective: Define the long-term purpose of the productParticipants: Executives, Producer/Product Managers, StakeholdersAnalogy: Guiding Star 🌟🧭 2. Strategy (6-24 months)Objective: Outline key directions to achieve the visionParticipants: Product Manager, Executives, MarketingAnalogy: Compass 🧭🗺️ 3. Roadmap (3-12 months)Objective: High-level plan for major milestones and deliverablesParticipants: Producer, PM, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: Treasure Map 🗺️⚓ 4. Milestones & Releases (1-2 months)Objective: Detail the next release with features and contentParticipants: Producer, PM, QA, Team LeadsAnalogy: Anchor ⚓🚢 5. Sprint (1-3 weeks)Objective: Plan the work for the next sprintParticipants: PM, Team Leads, Heads of DepartmentsAnalogy: At Full Sail! 🚢🛠️ 6. Daily Operations (daily)Objective: Execute tasks and monitor progressParticipants: Development, Design & QA, […]

Anton Slashcev May 13

Journal

Don’t Make New Mobile Games

A piece of advice for new dev teams:Don't make new mobile games.Choose another platform for now (PC / UGC / Web).Here's why:From a business perspective, developing new mobile games has lost its appeal over the past four years because of:📊 Success Rate (For Experienced Teams):— Then: ~1 successful game out of 10-15 projects.— Now: <1 successful game out of 50 projects, even for top teams. 🔽💰 Development Costs:— Then: MVP development required 5-8 experienced specialists.— Now: 20-30 or more for casual games. 🔼💲 Potential Profit (Revenue - UA spends): remains unchanged at best.➡ As a result, the Expected Value of prototyping has decreased. 🔻Expected Value = (Potential Profit * Success Rate) - Dev CostsEven the biggest companies like Playrix and Supercell struggle to launch new games despite unlimited budgets.What does this mean for new teams?— The entry ticket for mobile game […]

Anton Slashcev May 9

Journal

How To Review Game Builds Like a Pro?

After reviewing more than 1,000 game builds I have prepared a framework for a Producer \ Creative Director \ Lead GD to review a build.Here are the aspects to evaluate and questions to ask yourself while playing:1. General Game Feel 😊 Fun: Is the game enjoyable? Why or why not? Engagement: Does the game make you want to play more? Paying Motivation: What would make you spend money in the game? Memorable Moments: What stands out about the game? Confusion: What aspects were confusing and how can they be improved? 2. Core Gameplay 🎮 Basic Actions: Are the mechanics like shooting satisfying? Complexity & Depth: How deep are the game mechanics? Clarity: Are the game goals and rules easy to understand? Variability: Does the game offer various playstyles? Evolution: Do the game mechanics evolve? 3. Art & UI 🎨 Visual […]

Anton Slashcev May 6

Journal

Mobile Games Live-Ops Cheat Sheet

The ultimate goal of any product changes in a game is to increase LTV. However, LTV is a rather general metric, and changes in it are hard to measure after each individual update.🎯 Therefore, it's better to focus on improving 4 fundamental metrics, each of which will ultimately enhance LTV - either directly or indirectly, over time. 4️⃣ Key Metrics: 1. Retention2. Playtime3. Conversion to paying user4. ARPU (Daily / Weekly)🔍 Once you determine which metric you want to influence, you should choose an appropriate aspect that can be improved in this regard.> For example, improve the game Meta to enhance long-term Retention.Some aspects of the game can influence several key metrics simultaneously:> For instance, exciting competitions with other players can both increase ARPDAU and Playtime 🏆And some changes might improve one metric at the expense of another:> By increasing […]

Anton Slashcev May 6

Journal

How to Generate Hit Game Ideas?

Here Are 20 Creative Ways:1. Combine Successful Games 🕹️Mix key aspects from different games for a fresh experience.2. Mix Gameplay Elements 🌀Blend elements from various games for a unique hybrid.3. Simplify for Broader Appeal 🌐Take a mid-core game and simplify it for a casual audience.4. Improve Existing Concepts ⚙️Polish and enhance popular, yet unpolished games.5. Adapt Across Platforms 🔄Transfer successful games from one platform to another.6. Embrace Absurdity 🤪Create memorable games by combining the unexpected.7. Iconic Moments 🎥Transform famous scenes from media into gameplay.8. Inspired by Fake Ads 📺Create games based on viral, fake game ads.9. Historical Themes 🏰Incorporate rich cultural and historical elements.10. Evoke Emotions ❤️Design each element to evoke specific emotions.11. Break the Fourth Wall 🧩Engage players with meta-narratives.12. New Technologies 🚀Leverage emerging tech for innovative experiences.13. Fulfill Childhood Fantasies 🌟Tap into common childhood dreams.14. Game Mods 🛠️Turn […]

Anton Slashcev May 2

Journal

R&D Framework for Game Prototyping

After developing over 100 game prototypes, I found that having a flexible yet clear workflow can significantly simplify the R&D process.Below is the framework I often use when starting work on new projects: I. Pre-Production (2-4 weeks) 1. Idea Generation:▶ Market analysis, gathering references;▶ Brainstorming to pick the most promising ideas2. Greybox Prototyping:▶ Focus on a single core feature;▶ Find the fun factor3. Conceptualization:▶ Preparing the GDD, user flow, and key shots;▶ Selecting the right tools and creating a roadmap II. Production (4-9 weeks) 4. Features Development:▶ Concentrate on key gameplay mechanics and speed in development;▶ Minimal meta or progression5. Content Creation:▶ Craft key art, and fun levels, and use ready-made assets;▶ Secondary art, vfx, sounds, etc. can be draft6. Minimum Viable Product:▶ Ensure the game offers 20-40 minutes of engaging gameplay with a distinctive style and polished game feel▶ […]

Anton Slashcev May 2

Journal

How to Make Players Pay in F2P games?

Make them feel like they DON'T need to pay. Be generous and patient.Make your game exciting and addictive, even without spending money.There will always be players who want more. Who want to advance faster. Monetize this desire for something "extra". Don't hide all the fun behind a paywall. Offer additional value for payment. Consider games like Monopoly Go or Royal Match.There players can enjoy the game for a long time without hitting a hard paywall or facing shortages. Free rewards are constantly showering down.Why pay for anything in these games, you might wonder?Yet, these games are among the highest earners in the world.They create great value for players upfront.And even non-paying players enjoy the game.So, be generous. Be patient.Ensure players don't feel forced to pay.Let it be their choice because the game is cool and they want more.You will be surprised […]

Anton Slashcev April 29

gamedevelopment

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