Simple and interesting games take the leading positions in the ranking of applications for smartphones. How realistic is it to create a profitable app and will you get a return on your investment? Let’s talk about game market trends and ways to successfully launch a game project.
What are the benefits of a simple mobile game?
If we talk about the entertainment market, most of the users prioritize simple games. Why? They don’t force you to concentrate on multiple tasks or solve dozens of complex puzzles. So-called “timekillers”, aka time killers, help you relax after a hard day, pause between work tasks or just to pass the languid minutes of waiting.
The main advantages of a simple mobile game are the relative ease of project realization for the developers themselves, quick immersion and quick “popping out” for the users.
Mobile gaming: what does it consist of?
The three pillars on which a good smartphone app rests are:
- Gameplay. Game mechanics is the term closest in meaning to gameplay, the totality of game characteristics through the eyes of the user. Quality gameplay will be the key to the popularity of a simple mobile app.
- Structure. The backbone of the game is from the overall concept to the content. Plot, level progression energy, internal currency, advancement opportunities, competitive strategies, social meaning, fiches (distinctive features) – all of these and many other aspects must be carefully considered.
- Visual Progress. A key aspect of the game character’s interaction with the audience. The transformation of the hero’s passing of challenges or the influence of strategy on the player himself. The package of problems to be solved and the ways the developer proposes to eliminate them. In-game promotions, task and ability expansions.
You should also be sure to think about endgame content – what happens at the end of progression, when the hero reaches the end, and how to retain the user after the conditional end of the game.
A profitable mobile game: what is it?
A successful mobile game = a profitable mobile game. The presence of which features is able to recoup the investment made in the app?
- Tenacious design. Beautiful and colorful graphics are the first thing the audience pays attention to. Starting with something as simple as the look of the icon that determines the recognizability of your game among millions of others. The user then evaluates the aesthetic component of the overall design.
- Addictive gameplay and meaningful content. It’s hard to hook an audience, but it’s even harder to keep them. The mechanical component is also important. With the help of creative strategies and options, the game will become sought-after and reach the top. The cherry on the cake of successful gameplay development can be considered the long-term involvement of the consumer in the game with the help of special promotions, bonuses, closed levels. As a result, the audience is on the rod – they’ll want more and more. The COLORO team will develop a profitable mobile app with an original story and engaging gameplay.
- User-friendly interface. Ease of operation is key to understanding your game. When all options are intuitive, the player gets the most enjoyment out of the process of completing levels. A clear interface really leads to audience growth and retention.
- Technical Equipment. Few users will like a game that constantly crashes or is bogged down (there are many bugs that slow down the gameplay). For this reason, technical support is important not only during the development phase, but also after final testing.
Genres ideal for developing a profitable mobile game
The genre palette of mobile games is quite diverse. Every year there are more and more new subspecies of apps for destroying free time. To determine the most successful type for development, let’s understand the current trends and preferences of the audience.
- “Perpetual Runner” or “Runner.”
The technical advantage of this kind is the excellent performance on the touchscreen. The main theme of the gameplay is the character’s continuous struggle with himself. In such a game, there are many records that can always be broken because they are set by the player himself. In our case, the main goal of each gamer is to set a record and take the first place in the overall leaderboard.
Successful examples: TempleRun 2, Subway Surfers, Ugly Ya: Minion Rush, Agent Dash, Sonic Dash, The Little Fox
- “Clackers.”
Such games are very easy to play with one hand – a single tap on the screen is enough to control the character. Creating a “clackety-clack” involves lots of opportunities for creativity: picking up almost any game idea, strategy, and design.
Successful examples: Tiny Wings, Flappy Bird, Platformer, Piano Tiles, Agar.io
3. “Racers” or “Racers.”
Fans of speed and beautiful cars are dedicated. This type of game is a win-win option for several reasons: a wide audience, the ability to realize bold technical and design concepts. You can come up with a lot of versatile game solutions here, from car brands to location atmospheres.
Successful examples: Asphalt 8, Horizon Chase Turbo, Asphalt 9: Legends, Nitro Nation 6, Need for Speed: NL
4. Match-3 RPG
The idea of combining match-3 puzzles along with RPGs hit our Japanese friends, and they hit it right on target. Such games captivate players with their interaction of solving puzzles through the prism of the character’s personality, namely their development, combat and ability to overcome challenges. Now games of this type are rapidly gaining momentum and turning into some of the most lucrative games in the world. The audience is growing all the time.
Successful examples: Puzzle&Dragons, Heroes and Puzzles, Rainbow Tail, Empires & Puzzles
5. “Reflexes decide.”
These games are based on the body’s ability to react quickly. That is, instantaneous action is important for the successful completion of a stage. Accordingly, the strategy is built on interaction and pumping reaction reflexes. Structurally, these games are similar to timeless runners, but here it’s the human reactions that are more important. So the sooner you click, the better.
Successful examples: Super Hexagon, Street Fighter V, King of Fighters, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear
Stages of creating a simple and profitable mobile game
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of game creation and popular custom genres, the question remains unanswered – how to create a profitable mobile app? The development is carried out in several stages.
1. Concept Preparation.
The idea and concept are the pillars on which the model of the future game stands. The outcome of the brainstorming session is captured in a game-design plan. It consists of Vision (detailed description of the game as a profitable product) and Concept Document (initial elaboration of technical tasks and basic game design). After completing the plan, a holistic picture of the future game emerges.
2. Prototype development
A prototype is the temporary infrastructure of a future game. Studio COLORO pays maximum attention to this stage. It is made to test the gameplay in reality. We test game mechanics, key technical points, and interpret hypotheses.
The components of prototype development:
- Establishment of the technical basis, its verification and adjustments;
- Working out the game design, interface and character drawing;
- Vertical slice (realization of basic gameplay elements, draft version of basic features, preparation for content creation of a full-fledged game).
3. Content creation
At this stage, the game is being prepared for launch to external audiences. The designers flesh out all the graphics for quality content, and the game takes on its final shape. Programmers are fixing bugs in gameplay and finalizing feature development.
4. Beta testing
There are two types of testing:
- Closed beta testing of the CBT, the product is demonstrated to a loyal public. The main task is to find gameplay errors and logical failures, as well as fix bugs. For this purpose, statistical data is collected and analyzed, stress tests involving players are conducted.
- OVT open beta testing, the game is being presented to a wide audience. Large traffic loads are being tested. The product optimizes billing, develops internal and external payments. The effectiveness of monetization is checked, as well as the operation of all the features.
5. Strategy for launching a mobile game
A game’s success is directly related to its cool release. The COLORO team is thinking through:
- Press Release Launch;
- Familiarization videos;
- Gamer Reviews;
- A marketing strategy plan is created;
- Financial risk analysis;
- All the possibilities for productive monetization.
6.Support
After starting the game, you need to communicate with the audience:
- Perform social media activity;
- Engage in promoting the game to the gamer community;
- Through blogger channels, explain all the attractive aspects and benefits of the product;
- Participate in various forums and conferences.
Ways to monetize and make money with a simple mobile game
1. Promotion through bloggers.
Streamers and yearsplayers have a huge impact on the mass audience. If you choose the right bloggers and a well thought out review plan with comments, you can achieve a brilliant return in the form of a rapid increase in active users of the app, which will positively affect further profits.
2. Built-in shopping.
In-game currency allows you to buy needed items or pay for access to closed, but so desirable levels. If you create a base currency and then introduce an improved item that requires a different type of currency to buy, the player will want to buy something they don’t have. Namely, a new currency and a desired object:
- Limited resources are created so that the player buys the same item multiple times. Its effect is limited.
- Holiday bonuses delight users and excite the desire to make themselves a treat and buy new game items.
- Unavailable characters engage the audience and encourage them to buy a new hero because they have a customized character and better opportunities to advance in the game.
3. Plot and Character Disclosure
- Customization reveals the hero and pumps up his abilities. Players are interested in improving their character.
- Skill points reduce the time it takes to complete difficult tasks, and as a result, the audience gets more opportunities and conditionally buys skills.
- Extra lives appear at the most critical and necessary moment, when the player is ready to do anything for the sake of passing the level.
- Hints are very effective because they do not reveal the solution to the problem 100%, but they are necessary for a better understanding of it;
- Serialized paid content with bigger and better features.
4. Embedded advertising
Implementing ads is one of the easiest and most effective ways to monetize. If you introduce ads wisely and not annoyingly, the player won’t even notice them. And you’ll be making a positive profit. The COLORO team knows how to make it happen:
- Video format between levels. A brightly colored video picture will relax the player and promotes good advertising effectiveness;
- A window when entering and exiting the game. This is the perfect moment to draw the player’s attention to a promotional product;
- Paid version of the game with no ads. If you don’t want to see windows with ads, buy the extra version.
5. Partnerships
The good old fashioned method of profiting from the game. Implementing partner products into the main graphics, as well as designing characters to match the theme of the partner’s brand. This is a great opportunity to earn money on the game before it even launches.
7. Creating merchandise
This method of monetization is suitable for a game that already has a certain circle of audience and fans.
- It can be various paraphernalia of gameplay;
- Themed brightly colored items;
- Clothing design using game graphics and characters;
- Theme Ringtones;
- Pictures of the game for phone backgrounds or stationery.
8. Technical support for the mobile game
If necessary, KOLORO studio is engaged in technical support of the game. Our experts collect feedback and modernize the product. Mobile gamming is an emerging and top segment of the gaming industry. Want to create a successful mobile game and monetize it with ease? Then come to us!
