How to develop a video game?

Whether it's big-budget titles or indie games, the first step in developing a game is finding an original concept worth bringing to the screen. With a bit of time, patience and know-how, anyone can create their own video game: thanks to current technologies and the training tutorials available all over the Internet, it's becoming a trend!

Like any project, video game development is a multi-step process that requires:

Whether you're 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 major development stages we'll discuss in this article.

1. Find a video game concept

Start by listing a few game concepts to determine the type of game you want to create.

If it's your first time creating a game, start with a modest project.

Explore different genres (shooter, role-playing, fighting, survival, management, etc.), then see what's currently popular in the media (or what no longer is). Note all the video game ideas that come to mind.

Once the brainstorming initial version is finished, think about the universe and the mechanics of each game on your list. Narrow the list down until you find the concept that seems to have the greatest potential.

2. Create a game design document

Game creation always involves thorough research. Learn about the type of game you want to make and write your Game Design Document.

the Game Design Document for the first PC game, Diablo

Don't neglect this step, even if the game seems simple at first glance.

The Game Design Document is like the skeleton of your project: it describes all the important details of your game:

This document should answer all the questions the target audience will have about the game, from its overall concept to choices in visual and sound design.

As the game's designer, you will also need to specify the programming language you will use, the size of your development team, and the various resources you will need.

3. Start video game development

Now that you have done your research, you can begin developing your game.

You will need to choose the right programming language and the right game engine for your concept, the most popular of which are:

4. Create a prototype

The prototypes can help you find inconsistencies and a myriad of other problems early in the design. It is important to resolve these issues as they arise, because they can negatively affect the user experience and the game's reputation.

Make sure your prototype includes all facets of the game (the framework, quests, level design, characters, sound effects…)

If you are creating a role-playing game (RPG), make sure you can follow the plot and that the characters' motivations make 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) consisted of following a tutorial that taught the player how to control the game and its purpose…

As games have become longer and have incorporated increasingly complex mechanics, it has become impossible to teach everything at the start. This is how multiple tutorial sessions appearing throughout a game's progression emerged. Tutorials have therefore been separated from the FTUE, their placement now being closely linked to the rest of the game.

While allowing players to skip these moments is a basic requirement in today's games, skipping the tutorial out of frustration can lead to a poor experience in the rest of the game. It is therefore important to create good tutorials that do not alienate the user.

So let's look at some good practices that will encourage players to watch these instructional segments without diminishing their desire to continue playing.

Integrate the tutorial into the game

Unfortunately there are a large number of bad tutorials, 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 you must stop treating the tutorial as an isolated part of the user experience. The goal is to make learning the game so integrated that players can't tell where the tutorial ends and the game begins — or even whether a tutorial exists at all.

Part of the learning can take place right at the start of the game, another part inside the game, even throughout it, while another part may simply come from past experience.

It's better for the player to do than to read

Text is information-rich and easy to produce; however, doing things is more fun and memorable. There's a trade-off between the two when conveying information.

Game developers call the actions you take in the game the game's "mechanics." It's possible to combine learning objectives with game mechanics. That's how you create an engaging and educational experience.

The basis of this rule is simple: guide the player through an action by motivating them to perform it for the first time, for example using flashing lights and an animated arrow.

Use fewer words, discreetly

In psychology this is called "Miller's law": the magic number seven, plus or minus two. Having clear, concise text that can be read at a glance prevents the impression that the game is slowing down.

There should therefore be no more than eight words on the screen at the same time. Of course this rule applies only to instructional text; narrative text can obviously 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 players are to read it.

It's better to provide many short instructional tips rather than give too many explanations all at once.

Be careful with how these messages are displayed and design them so they don't interrupt the game. There's a subtle difference between an informational banner and a dialog box. Generally, a dialog box interrupts gameplay and requires the player to respond, focusing attention on a specific aspect of the game. In addition to avoiding interruption, using a "passive" form of communication can remain on screen until the player performs the desired action.

Use visuals

The stronger your visuals, the less you will have to teach players. It should be enough to look at game objects to determine their function.

Leverage what people already know

Players bring all their previous gaming experiences into a game. For example, it's common knowledge that zombies are dumb and should die, so you don't have to remind players of that.

By deciding what role a tutorial will play in a series of experiences, the player's expected emotional state, and the cognitive load they'll face, all tutorial-related decisions can shape the core of your players' and game's user experience.

6. Test the video game

Whether you test the games yourself or entrust them to testers, every game must be thoroughly tested before release.

Testers evaluate the gameplay from a technical point of view. The team examines the title several times, writes bug reports detailed and notes every "crash".

If it is a long process, it is necessary: players are less likely to play a title riddled with bugs or errors, even if the game is free.

7. Market the finished product

As we reach the end of the game development process, you should begin distributing 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 generate players' interest in the full game.

When the game is ready to launch, offer discounted copies or a free version to get it into as many hands as possible.

Conclusion

Although there is no pre-established formula for creating the perfect video game, there are some best practices that all game designers should rely on.

By following the steps listed above, there is no doubt you can develop a quality video game and achieve the success you want. If you lack development skills to create the video game of your dreams, remember that you can quickly find a freelance developer on Codeur.com by posting a free ad.

Do you prefer create a mobile game or a HTML games site ? Follow our advice in these dedicated articles!