How to Make 2D Game Development Easier? – Tips & Tricks!
Want to start developing a 2D game, but don’t know where to start? Think that it is hard to develop games without any experience? With the wide range of game development tools and services available today, it’s easy to start creating 2D games. There are many directions to develop in – casual, logic, trivia, board and card games. They are less technically sophisticated than 3D, and are popular mainly among mobile players. However, in order to develop a worthwhile 2D game, you should have some knowledge or at least a true expert in game development within easy reach. You may need a good 2D character designer to build up characters for your game or have programming skills to implement your ideas in game engines.
It is recommended to plumb the depths from the very beginning. There are many resources to learn from – Youtube channels, countless online courses, and websites. As a result, days turn into months, months into years, and you begin to lose patience. This is one of the most important reasons why most games are ultimately not published.
Well, this article will help you out, and you’ll get a 2D game finished soon. Make the best use of tips and tricks presented below!
Where to Start Development of 2D Games?
Tip #1. Figure Out What You Want to Create
The main decision that you must make at the initial stage is to decide what you are going to create – a comprehensive 2D game with impressive artworks, such as Sonic, or something completely programming-oriented, such as Minecraft. Shortlist all your ideas for developing 2D games and compare them with trends and forecasts on the gaming market – what is most in-demand and what is preferred for you more?
Tip #2. Don’t Neglect the Artistic Vision of 2D Games
The first thing that catches the attention of gamers is… What do you think? A game title, description? No, the overall game design and design of characters. Some games are true masterpieces of design, such as Hollow Knight, Outland, Metal Gear, and others. So, if you want to make a 2D game visually vibrant and artistically inspiring, you need to hire a 2D character artist. Everything you can imagine can be realized in a video game thanks to technological advances and the professional skills of artists – from realistic humans living in stylized environments to amorphous creatures from another planet.
Tip #3. Find a Hook for Your Game
What could be a workable hook for your game? Maybe you can tell an unusual or intriguing story, or come up with exciting gaming mechanics or memorable characters. This is a decisive factor that can make your 2D game appealing to players. This is what captures or “hooks” a player from the very beginning and makes them play again and again. Designers are those who can add a lot of “juice” – sounds, movements, and visual elements that excite all the senses of the players. A well-designed game stands out in a sea of very similar games. Everything that is original can work like a charm for players. In other words, you should develop a 2D game by keeping users and their preferences in mind and providing them with new experiences. Have you already analyzed the target audience to satisfy its demands?
Tip #4. Focus on User Experience
UX (short for user experience) is an integral part of successful game development that focuses on how the end user experiences the product. In your case, this is a 2D game. It includes user interface design, animation, and other visual and non-visual elements. Non-intuitive interfaces, poor performance – this is a total turn-off for gamers, no matter how good the game or graphics is. The balanced UX / UI design will provide your users with a comfortable feeling while they are in a game, allowing them to participate more actively in the game for longer periods of time, instead of adapting to dirty controls and exploring bulky interfaces. The player-centric game development has never let down world-famous game publishers. Just look at their games.
Tip #5. Maintain the Balance of the Gameplay
This can be one of the challenges to keep every element in the game consistent – levels, assets, characters. The gameplay, which is balanced, adjusted and properly rewarded, allows you to improve the experience of players and increase the attractiveness of the game. How to check the gameplay balance of your product? Perhaps the best way is to let others play it and express their opinions.
As you can see, games require a lot of effort, so the team of artists, designers, developers, QA engineers, as well as marketers, has a lot to do. Regardless of whether you are a developer or a member of a large team, extensive expertise and proper project management are important to ensure the smooth production of games. Either turn to qualified specialists from gamedev outsourcing studios for help, or find enough time and resources to realize your dream project!
