How I got my first experience in game design and game creation
I want to share with you my experience of creating the first game.
It turned out that I always wanted to make games, but for a long time I couldn’t choose an idea and start creating. And after gaining some experience using the Unity engine, I decided it was time to start playing my game. I wanted something simple in terms of development, but interesting in terms of gameplay. And even then the idea of ​​a Layer Switch began to emerge in my head.
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Initially, I had an idea in my head with looped levels, in the form of rings. These levels would change after reaching any goal. But then I decided to expand this idea by adding the same rings on different layers.
I wanted to see what it would look like and started drawing a rough level.
And when creating this sketch, it became clear that it would not be so easy to create levels, you will have to take into account how the player will switch layers, as well as collect the levels so that the player cannot cheat by switching to the right layers right away and finish the game layers should be used to the maximum.
I was unlimited in time, but still I wanted to finish the game in a maximum of 2 months, get the right experience and start creating the next game. In the end, it took about that much time, even a little less. Coming after work, I could spend the whole evening creating a game.
After creating the first draft, not a little time passed and only a few weeks later, when free time appeared, I began to develop. The latest version of Unity was already on the computer, and since I already had experience with this engine, there were no special difficulties, and in the case of problems I was always saved by the documentation.
Switching layers was implemented, oddly enough, through the standard layers of Unity, and all the animations, except sprites, were done through DOTween.
And since this was my first project, I decided to implement Google Play Games to save progress and achievements in order to gain experience with this service.
Having created a small prototype with several levels, I started testing it, and also asked to try to play a few of my friends, because I decided that I would not be able to critically evaluate my idea.
The reviews were very mixed, it seemed to someone that the game was too difficult and impossible, while others said that it was difficult, but at an acceptable level.
After analyzing the reviews, I realized that the level of complexity can not be increased, who wants to constantly lose? Therefore, before the three-layer levels, I decided to make the levels simpler, where there are only two layers at the level.
Level with two layers
I also tried to make the first levels simple, and gradually increasing the difficulty, I wanted to accustom the player to the orgy on the screen.
Initially, in my game, the goal was to collect an object that is in the center of the ring, and after that the level was pumped, but then the first problem arose, everyone would like to cheat and not pass the level, as I had planned. There was a desire to slip between the layers, or simply jump to the center and quickly change the layer to achieve the goal.
And then I decided to divide the assembled object into 4 parts. Now the player must visit all layers to complete the game, if you place the collected objects correctly.
Perhaps this is the most difficult thing in this project, the problem was that I locked myself within the ring, and basically the level could not be more than 360 degrees. To avoid this, this would have to do dynamic levels, but it would increase the complexity of the game, since you cannot know in advance what will appear on one or another layer. And I would like to keep the complexity at an acceptable level.
And maybe if I spent even more time, I would have found the correct implementation of this idea, but already at the later stages I would like to finish the game and start a new project.
I also wanted the levels to be “felt” in different ways and there was no thought “Is this the same level?”. Therefore, more time was spent on creating levels.
I decided to use the graphics as abstract, since I am an artist from the word bad. I originally planned to use the flat design color palette. But after a long selection of flowers, I decided that everything should be simpler and the number of flowers should be minimized. And again, since I am not a designer, it took me a long time to choose the right color palette.
But in the end, I am somewhat satisfied with the final version.
Final option
Since I’m certainly not a musician, I don’t have the money to buy music, so a lot of time was spent searching for the necessary music. As a result, I settled on the Jamendo resource, where I found a suitable track with the Creative commons attribution 3.0 (CC-BY 3.0) license, where the author should be indicated to use the material.
To create sounds for the game, I gutted the soundtrack I downloaded and, after some operations on the track, achieved the desired result.
For monetization, I used appodeal, rarely showing full-screen banners, also in the settings there is an option to disable ads for a small fee.
Monetization in this project for the sake of a tick rather than for profit, since I was aiming to gain experience with the necessary tools.
Since I did all this alone and scraped up money only on a Google Play account, the promotion was limited to posting information about my game on various resources. And in the end, everything rests on "Avos".
Even though I laid out the game quite recently, I can draw a few conclusions.
It is difficult to make a game without a budget, even though I managed to cope with half the problems myself, but at least with minimal sponsorship I would finish faster and better. However, having made this game, I got experience that will be useful to me in the future, as well as finally engaged in what I wanted for a long time.
UPD 1 I posted a short video with gameplay.
UPD 2 That's what happened after a month
The number of installations became about 3 thousand, and practically ceased to grow.
Total number of installations
My attempts to share the game on various resources did not pass without a trace. As soon as my game was published anywhere, a decent growth of attitudes was noticed.
Number of installations per day
The number of active users gradually decreases and fluctuates around 1000 devices.
Active users
Also monetization was not successful. The maximum number of ad views per day reached 330, which means that there is no profit.
As a result, the game was too complicated, and if people started my game, they turned it off at about level 6 and did not start it anymore, and those who passed this threshold finished the game.
Although the game received mostly positive ratings, it might have been worth spending a little more time on additional levels and polishing the game and putting the game only in the paid version to at least pay back an account on Google Play, but I'm not sure that I could get the right amount installations due to the lack of normal progress.
In addition, the game I came out was clearly not massive, but for fans of some complexity in games. I think because of this and not long duration, she did not "take off."
Prehistory
It turned out that I always wanted to make games, but for a long time I couldn’t choose an idea and start creating. And after gaining some experience using the Unity engine, I decided it was time to start playing my game. I wanted something simple in terms of development, but interesting in terms of gameplay. And even then the idea of ​​a Layer Switch began to emerge in my head.
')
Idea
Initially, I had an idea in my head with looped levels, in the form of rings. These levels would change after reaching any goal. But then I decided to expand this idea by adding the same rings on different layers.
I wanted to see what it would look like and started drawing a rough level.
Attention very poor quality photos and pictures!
First sketch
First sketch
And when creating this sketch, it became clear that it would not be so easy to create levels, you will have to take into account how the player will switch layers, as well as collect the levels so that the player cannot cheat by switching to the right layers right away and finish the game layers should be used to the maximum.
Timing
I was unlimited in time, but still I wanted to finish the game in a maximum of 2 months, get the right experience and start creating the next game. In the end, it took about that much time, even a little less. Coming after work, I could spend the whole evening creating a game.
Implementation
After creating the first draft, not a little time passed and only a few weeks later, when free time appeared, I began to develop. The latest version of Unity was already on the computer, and since I already had experience with this engine, there were no special difficulties, and in the case of problems I was always saved by the documentation.
Switching layers was implemented, oddly enough, through the standard layers of Unity, and all the animations, except sprites, were done through DOTween.
And since this was my first project, I decided to implement Google Play Games to save progress and achievements in order to gain experience with this service.
Game design
Having created a small prototype with several levels, I started testing it, and also asked to try to play a few of my friends, because I decided that I would not be able to critically evaluate my idea.
Early prototype
Complexity
The reviews were very mixed, it seemed to someone that the game was too difficult and impossible, while others said that it was difficult, but at an acceptable level.
After analyzing the reviews, I realized that the level of complexity can not be increased, who wants to constantly lose? Therefore, before the three-layer levels, I decided to make the levels simpler, where there are only two layers at the level.
Level with two layers
I also tried to make the first levels simple, and gradually increasing the difficulty, I wanted to accustom the player to the orgy on the screen.
Scam
Initially, in my game, the goal was to collect an object that is in the center of the ring, and after that the level was pumped, but then the first problem arose, everyone would like to cheat and not pass the level, as I had planned. There was a desire to slip between the layers, or simply jump to the center and quickly change the layer to achieve the goal.
And then I decided to divide the assembled object into 4 parts. Now the player must visit all layers to complete the game, if you place the collected objects correctly.
Level design
Perhaps this is the most difficult thing in this project, the problem was that I locked myself within the ring, and basically the level could not be more than 360 degrees. To avoid this, this would have to do dynamic levels, but it would increase the complexity of the game, since you cannot know in advance what will appear on one or another layer. And I would like to keep the complexity at an acceptable level.
And maybe if I spent even more time, I would have found the correct implementation of this idea, but already at the later stages I would like to finish the game and start a new project.
I also wanted the levels to be “felt” in different ways and there was no thought “Is this the same level?”. Therefore, more time was spent on creating levels.
Graphics and sounds
Graphics
I decided to use the graphics as abstract, since I am an artist from the word bad. I originally planned to use the flat design color palette. But after a long selection of flowers, I decided that everything should be simpler and the number of flowers should be minimized. And again, since I am not a designer, it took me a long time to choose the right color palette.
Selection of colors
But in the end, I am somewhat satisfied with the final version.
Final option
Music and sounds
Since I’m certainly not a musician, I don’t have the money to buy music, so a lot of time was spent searching for the necessary music. As a result, I settled on the Jamendo resource, where I found a suitable track with the Creative commons attribution 3.0 (CC-BY 3.0) license, where the author should be indicated to use the material.
To create sounds for the game, I gutted the soundtrack I downloaded and, after some operations on the track, achieved the desired result.
Monetization
For monetization, I used appodeal, rarely showing full-screen banners, also in the settings there is an option to disable ads for a small fee.
Monetization in this project for the sake of a tick rather than for profit, since I was aiming to gain experience with the necessary tools.
Promotion
Since I did all this alone and scraped up money only on a Google Play account, the promotion was limited to posting information about my game on various resources. And in the end, everything rests on "Avos".
Total
Even though I laid out the game quite recently, I can draw a few conclusions.
It is difficult to make a game without a budget, even though I managed to cope with half the problems myself, but at least with minimal sponsorship I would finish faster and better. However, having made this game, I got experience that will be useful to me in the future, as well as finally engaged in what I wanted for a long time.
UPD 1 I posted a short video with gameplay.
Gameplay
UPD 2 That's what happened after a month
The number of installations became about 3 thousand, and practically ceased to grow.
Total number of installations
My attempts to share the game on various resources did not pass without a trace. As soon as my game was published anywhere, a decent growth of attitudes was noticed.
Number of installations per day
The number of active users gradually decreases and fluctuates around 1000 devices.
Active users
Also monetization was not successful. The maximum number of ad views per day reached 330, which means that there is no profit.
Outcome 2.0
As a result, the game was too complicated, and if people started my game, they turned it off at about level 6 and did not start it anymore, and those who passed this threshold finished the game.
Although the game received mostly positive ratings, it might have been worth spending a little more time on additional levels and polishing the game and putting the game only in the paid version to at least pay back an account on Google Play, but I'm not sure that I could get the right amount installations due to the lack of normal progress.
In addition, the game I came out was clearly not massive, but for fans of some complexity in games. I think because of this and not long duration, she did not "take off."
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/267437/
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