5 Tips for Developing A Killer Video Game

Photo by Soumil Kumar

Do you want to develop your own video game? Maybe you just want to make sure that you perfect your game’s story but are nervous about the graphics. Either way, making a video game is a huge undertaking, so it helps to be prepared before you dive into your venture.

Find your Hook

The first thing you need to do is take the time to find the hook of your game. It might be the characters, the mechanics or even the story. The hook is the factor that endears your game. It’s the thing that grabs people from the start and it encourages them to start playing. Ideally, this is something you should give a lot of thought to at the early stages of your project, because if you don’t then you may struggle to come up with a solid concept for your game. While you are thinking about your hook- you need to come up with a good name too. Use this video game name generator if you want some inspiration.

Sound Design

It doesn’t matter whether you are coming up with a hyper-casual mobile game or whether you are making an immersive 3D game, because the right sounds, at the right time are so important to the general gaming experience. Sounds are implicit to the player and it helps them to navigate the game going forward. Most importantly, it helps to set the mood as well as the atmosphere.

Focus on Fun

It’s so important that you know about all the different types of fun. Fun can be experienced through intriguing stories or even memorable characters. You may find that it also relates to the game itself. You can create fun by delving into emotional responses or by coming up with your emotional style that helps to captivate players. Revisit concepts such as finding your hook, and make sure that you create a level of virality. If you can do this then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to create something that will stand the test of time.

Controls 

It is so important that you keep your control scheme simple and that you relate it to the user experience. Ideally, it should be effortless for people to learn how to play your game. On top of this, the controls should determine how people progress through the game. It’s no small matter for you to implement keyboard or mouse functionality, and it’s not easy to create a seamless gaming experience either. That being said, if you are willing to take your time and if you are happy to put in the effort to focus on the people who are going to be playing your game then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to reap the benefits.

Balance Gameplay

There’s nothing worse than feeling disadvantaged when playing a game. There’s also nothing worse than being overpowered against your enemies. Make sure that the gameplay is balanced, and that you are willing to create some difficult battles as well as easy rides within the game.