A Complete Guide to Mobile Game Design

Remember the first time Flappy Bird was introduced to the world? That tiny bird was trying to survive through pipes and got everyone hooked on it. Feels nostalgic, right?

But do you remember who even introduced you to that game? Let us guess, no one! What made the game popular was none other than the mobile game design itself. Every tap was designed with such perfection that each tap seemed magical and hooked anyone who laid their hands on it.

Here’s the thing: designing a game is as challenging as it seems fun to others. You need to make sure that everything feels natural and players are entertained without burning themselves out. Every little thing, like unlocking a new tool on the next level and even a tiny sound effect, can impact a lot.

In this blog, we are here to help you with everything related to game design. What it takes to create addictive mechanics, what works for the best UI/UX prototyping, and how to choose the target audience. Let’s dive in to know how to capture the attention and make players keep coming back all the time.

Understanding Mobile Game Design to Keep Players Engaged

Think of the last game you played, and you were unable to put it down. Every level increased your curiosity, and the rewards made you want to play another round (hoping it would be the last for the day). This all happened because of perfectly designed game mechanics.

In 2029, mobile gaming revenues are expected to reach $300 billion, showing the massive growth and importance of engaging mechanics and smooth experiences. This shows how you plan your core loops and mobile game UI/UX to directly affect player retention and enjoyment.

Every element counts when you are designing a phone game. By understanding these fundamentals, your mobile game design will be enough to keep players entertained for hours and coming back for more.

Here’s why the mobile game design matters:

• Accessibility: You can easily access games from anywhere, whether you are on the bus or waiting in line.
• Engagement Loops: A well-designed core loop can make any game addictive. Every tap and animation holds the power to keep players coming back for more.
• Device Diversity: Mobile devices vary in screen size, performance, and resolution.

Designing a mobile game is like creating a miniature world. Every core element contributes to providing an unforgettable experience to the players.

Game Mechanics and Core Loop

The games that catch your attention instantly are the ones that share one thing in common: the core loop that keeps you hooked. This comes naturally from carefully created game mechanics.

• Core loop design: This is the foundation of your game’s engagement. It is a process where players perform different actions, such as receiving rewards and repeating an action that keeps them invested in the game.
• Progression Systems: Including progression systems like XP (Experience Points), and unlocking a new level helps players with a sense of development, which keeps them interested in continuing the game to reach their ultimate goals.
• Examples by Genre: There are different mechanics based on different genres, such as a puzzle that focuses on problem-solving or RPGs that focus more on character and story development.

Mobile Game UI/UX

Mobile game design is different than what you see on a console or a PC. The screen size makes all the difference for every player, so keeping the controls and UI/UX of the game according to the phone can make a huge difference.

• Controls and Thumb-Zone Mapping: Designing controls that are easy to reach and mapping controls within the thumb zone make players play and interact comfortably on the phone screen.
• FTUE(First-Time User Experience): The first experience must feel warm and informative. A clean FTUE can help players understand game mechanics better, reducing the drop-off rates.
• HUD Readability and Accessibility: Focusing on a readable HUD (Heads-Up Display) makes sure that players are able to access vital information.
• Micro-Interactions, Haptics, and Sound Cues: Adding small animations, tactile feedback, and sound can enhance the gaming experience further. These elements make the game more responsive by providing real-time responses to players’ actions.

Target Audience Analysis

The first step to designing a game is to know your target audience. Mobile gamers now make up the total of 54% of the gaming population. That’s more than half of the PC and console players combined.

There are different types of players, and each one of them expects something different. For instance, you will see casual gamers pick easy-to-play games and hardcore gamers look for something challenging. If you recognize these differences among your target audience, it will become easier to design mobile games for each group.

Here’s another thing we would like to tell you: Target audience analysis is an ongoing process. If you think that it is a one-time task, then we have to burst your bubble that it is indeed not.

Identifying Different Types of Players

To lay a successful foundation for your game design, you need to understand what type of players your audience is. Each type interacts differently with your game, and designing for their preferences promises high engagement.

• Casual Gamers: They prefer simple and fun games that can be played anywhere and anytime.
• Hyper-Casual Gamers: They look for games that provide instant rewards and minimal learning curves.
• Mid-Core Players: These players look for a balance between challenge and accessibility to enjoy some complexity but a flexible experience.
• Hardcore Gamers: They expect progression and mastery. You will see them looking for deep mechanics and rich narratives to enjoy a long session.

Now, your mobile game development and design experience will reflect a broad spectrum of gamers since you know your audience perfectly.

Tools and Methods to Analyse the Target Audience

You need to check the accurate data on how players interact with the game designed for them. To make target audience analysis practical and effective, you have to seek the right tools and include them in your work.

• Analytics Platform: Use Google Analytics or Firebase to track the behavior, session time, and patterns in which your audience engages.
• Surveys and Feedback: Directly ask your players about their desired features and frustrations within your game. This will help in refining the gameplay.

Once you focus on these insights, you will be informed about the real player behavior to improve long-term retention.

What it Takes to Create a Game?

All it takes is a simple spark of an idea to create a blockbuster. You won’t believe but a rough sketch on your paper can grow into something millions of people enjoy every day.

However, here’s the main thing: the idea to launch is not some magic trick; it is a complete process. And in mobile game design, that complete process is everything.

You will begin by brainstorming fresh ideas, and with that flow of thoughts, your idea might turn into a new global sensation after the launch.

Here’s a brief of what happens in the process of creating a world that everyone enjoys.

1. Conceptualize

This is the first stage where a spark of your idea becomes a mobile game design. Here, you create a simple sketch or talk it through with your team. This part can be a little messy, but it’s important for the beginning.

Keep thinking about what players look for. Do they crave challenge or simplicity? And then map out the core loop and genre. This stage defines your game mechanics and sets the foundation for every stage.

1. Storyline

After creating the concept, you have to define a storyline to turn your simple game into an addiction for players.

Adding a story means adding a purpose to your gameplay. In this way, every level will be more meaningful to the audience, and they will be in the loop to know where it leads.

1. Characters

Adding characters means attaching the players emotionally to a game. A single great character is enough to make any player care. In mobile game designs, well-created characters become an emotional hook for the players.

Whether it’s a quirky hero or a battle-ready avatar in an RPG, personality and appearance matter. Strong characters can influence the game UI/UX to a certain extent. If you ignore this stage, your polished and well-designed gameplay can feel flat.

1. Prototyping

Prototyping is like a rehearsal of your game before going to the big stage in front of a huge crowd. In this stage, you test the game mechanics and UI flows in real time.

Using different tools like Figma or greyboxing in Unity helps you test the gameplay and identify the game design issues before the big release.

1. Polish

This stage is where you make your game feel professional and fix issues you notice in prototyping. Focus on enhancing game mechanics, improving UI/UX, and checking performance across iOS and Android.

You can also check for any strange features to remove them and add the ones that align well. Once you polish all the minor details, you will notice a great change in the gameplay.

1. Launching and Live Ops

After making final tweaks, it’s time to launch the game for players and make your hard work count. App Store Optimization makes sure that your game is discoverable on multiple platforms. Thorough QA prevents sudden crashes and bugs from spoiling the gaming session among players.

Once the game is live, keep it thriving by adding new seasons and updates to maintain interest. Including new activities encourages players to keep returning again and again.

Let’s begin with your sketch.

RevolGames guides you through mobile game prototyping to launch, turning your first sketch into a fully playable mobile game.
Let’s begin with your sketch.

For Which Platform You Should Develop Your Game For? iOS vs Android

Every hit mobile game runs perfectly on iPhone and Android. This success is not achieved by luck but with careful planning. iOS and Android game design have their own criteria, and once you ignore them, you are likely to face consequences by hurting your game’s reach.

Mobile game design on iOS emphasizes a polished UI, while on the other hand, Android focuses on flexibility across different devices. When you design a game for both platforms, you are shaping a mobile game experience that works everywhere, reaching more players.

iOS Guidelines

Apple is always known for its strictness, and it’s not a bad thing all the time. To make your game feel smooth on iOS, you must follow HIG (Human Interface Guidelines). This way, you can align your mobile game UI/UX with Apple’s design so that players connect instantly.

Moreover, tools like Game Center promote extra stickiness with achievements and social play. And since Apple closely checks in-app purchases, designing a smooth purchase flow will help in avoiding the delays.

Android Challenges

Android may have freedom, but you cannot ignore the headaches over here. There isn’t a single device standard in Android. There are different criteria in each device, so optimizing for device fragmentation means designing a phone game that performs well everywhere.

Luckily, Google has strong tools like Play Console’s pre-launch reports and testing environments. You can use them to catch any type of problem before players do.

Perfect Your Game Design with the Help of RevolGames

Designing a game means creating a unique experience for players that keeps them hooked. Partnering with a professional game development company like RevolGames makes sure that your ideas are moving smoothly across iOS and Android devices.

We believe in creating a mobile game design that stands out in the crowd among others. Our development process starts with understanding your concept deeply. We love to collaborate with you to suggest new ideas and mechanics that test the player experience.

Moreover, we do not stop at design and launch. With RevolGames, you can expect smooth seasonal updates for your players to keep the hype up.

Frequently Asked Questions