How to create a game app

Smartphones, even the cheapest ones, are powerful enough to be used as small game consoles. Surely, you also use yours in this way. In fact, there is no better way to pass the time in “dead moments”, such as when waiting at the bus stop or in the waiting room at the doctor. In light of this evaluation, you were curious to find out how to create a smartphone game and, consequently, you searched for information on the Net.

You are thus finished on this tutorial of mine, where, I am happy to announce it, I will have the opportunity to explain to you  how to create a game app . Unfortunately, yours is a huge question and not even an essay would be enough to illustrate all the possibilities available and all the specific functions for each “genre” of game you want to create. In any case, I will do my best to introduce you to the easiest solutions to use and show you the development environment.

That said, let’s not waste any more time chatting and take action. Courage: make yourself comfortable, read carefully the instructions I am about to give you and, more importantly, try to apply them. I assure you that, with a little practice and a lot of effort, you will be able to obtain satisfying results. Enjoy your reading and have fun!

Index

• Preliminary information
• How to create a game with App Inventor
• How to make a game with GameMaker
• How to make a game with Unity 3D
• How to publish game apps

Preliminary information

First, you need to know that the tools for creating a game app fall into two broad categories. On the one hand we find the SDK (Software Development Kit) of each operating system with the related application software, such as Android Studio  which is the suite that integrates the Android SDK and that Google makes available to developers for the production of apps for the system. Android operating. Alternatively, there are independent commercial software , which allow you to develop content within an integrated environment and, based on the license in possession, to export the game in different formats intended for as many operating systems.

These two options have a lot of differences and, of course, both have their positive and negative characteristics. The SDKs allow you to make the most of the potential of the operating system to which they are addressed, to manage every single detail and to make sure that every function is optimized. Furthermore, it is possible to conduct numerous tests, in some cases even through the use of virtually emulated devices.

The independent commercial software, also known as Game Engine , on the other hand, are characterized by a generally lower level of difficulty, have an orientation already strongly marked on the creation of games and allow you to develop a single project (and all related resources) that can be exported as package compatible with different platforms (desktop, mobile, Web, console…), available depending on the license owned.

In this article I will focus with you on the second category of tools I told you about: game engines , as they are easier to use for non-experts. The panorama of game engines is very vast and includes various software, some very simple and useful for novice developers, others more advanced and specifically designed for certain genres of video games, others still very powerful and characterized by the maximum freedom left. to the developer, in terms of graphics and programming, which make them suitable solutions for the development of, potentially, any type of game, even very close, in terms of quality, to those currently on the market.

How to create a game with App Inventor

The first tool I want to introduce to you is called App Inventor , a development environment for Android apps . It was initially created by Google but, for some years, the project has been carried out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most important universities that does technological research at the US and world level.

App Inventor has a very intuitive interface, which is based on the simple concept of drag-and-drop and is very reminiscent of Scratch , another visual programming environment. Although it is possible to publish the application on the Play Store, through App Inventor, it is generally possible to create small applications with rather basic functionality.

To get started, connect to the official App Inventor website and click the orange Create apps button ! , top right. To continue, you need to log in with a Google account: then enter your account credentials and, if requested, authorize access. When you are ready to start, click on the Start new project… button , at the top left, and, in the small window that appears, type in the name you want to give the project and click on the OK button .

The project will automatically open within the web page. The environment allows you to perform various operations: the heart of App Inventor is represented by the left sidebar , which, divided into categories, shows various controls that you can add to your application. The options are very varied and range from buttons to contacts in the address book, through images , lists , text boxes , cameras , SMS and much more.

The operation of the various components that you can add is very simple: once you have identified the one you are interested in, click on it and physically drag it to the screen visible in the center of the page. Once the component has been added, it will be possible to select it and modify some specific properties, through the right sidebar. In the case of a text box , for example, you can change the size and font of the text and the acceptable values.

To create new screens, click the Add Screen… button in the top bar, then, in the window that appears in the center of the page, enter the name and click the OK button . You can move from one screen to another by choosing from those in the menu that you find to the left of the button you just used.

When you are satisfied with the result, you can export the application in .APK format . To do this, go to the menu at the top of the web page and select the items Compile> App (save the .apk file on my computer) . In this way, the compilation will be started, a procedure that checks the formal correctness of all your application, and the .APK file will be downloaded to your PC. If you have any doubts about how this file works, consult my guide dedicated to installing APK files . I conclude by pointing out the official support documentation of App Inventor, useful to deepen the functioning of the platform.

How to make a game with GameMaker

GameMaker is one of the most popular development environments for 2D games. The program allows you to set up the project based on both visual programming and programming via code, using a proprietary language. Its basic version, to learn programming, is free, but to publish the games you need to purchase a license, with prices starting from 39 $.

To download the free version of GameMaker, visit the official page of YoYo Games  (the software company) and click on the green Get GameMaker button , at the top right, then locate the Trial panel and click on the green Free button . On the next page, click on the green Login to download button , enter your YoYo account credentials and click on the Login  button (to create a new YoYo account, you need to click on the Sign up button on the right and fill in the form that comes to you. proposed). At this point, from the menu that you find along the left sidebar, select the itemsGameMaker> Download and finally click the Download button , either under the Windows logo or under the macOS logo , depending on the operating system you are using.

To proceed with the installation of GameMaker, open the .EXE or .PKG package you downloaded, click on the Yes button (only if you are using Windows), then, in the installation window that appears on the screen, click on the buttons OK , I Agree , Next , then Install and finally Next and Finish . Once the installation is finished, on the GameMaker main screen, click on the New button  and then on  Drag and Drop. Now, in the save window, type in the name you want to give the project and click the Save button .

Along the right sidebar, you can find different items to create, divided by categories. For example, to add audio content, you can right-click on the Sound item , then select the Create Sound option  from the drop-down menu: in this way you can define the properties of the audio file and import the source track.

All the elements present in the panel in question can be dragged into the workspace , which occupies almost the entirety of the GameMaker window and represents, approximately, the result that will be visible in the final game. At any time, you can test the game by selecting the Build> Run items  from the top bar. At the end of the compilation, you will be able to see the game in action.

For more information on GameMaker, you can refer to the official website of the program, which I linked to at the beginning of this chapter. In a special section of the same site you can also find the complete software manual .

How to make a game with Unity 3D

Unity is a cross-platform integrated development environment dedicated to the creation of numerous 3D simulations, which embrace not only the videogame field but also, to name a few, those of animation and architecture. With the Unity graphic engine it is possible to create video games of any genre, the customization is maximum and the quality level that can be reached is equal to that of commercial video games.

You should know that you can download and use the Personal version of Unity for free, but only if the legal entity you represent does not generate any income or fundraising in excess of $ 100,000. If not, you will need to proceed with the purchase of a Plus or Pro license , starting at $ 25 / month with annual billing.

To download Unity, go to the official website and click on the Get Started button , at the top right, then move to the third option, Personal , and click on the Try Personal button . At this point, put a check mark on the box under the heading Accept terms and click on the Download Installer for Windows button, or on the  Download Installer for Mac OS X button , which will be displayed automatically depending on the computer you are using.

Once the download is complete, you can install the program. If you are using Windows , open the .EXE file you downloaded, click the Yes button  in the small box that appears, and, to proceed with the installation, click the Next button . Then put a check mark next to the item I accept the terms of the License Agreement , click three consecutive times on the Next button and, finally, click on the Install button .

If, on the other hand, you have a Mac , you can install Unity by double-clicking on the downloaded .DMG file and dragging the program’s icon into the Applications folder , located in the Finder sidebar . To start Unity for the first time, you need to right-click on its icon and select the Open item , twice in a row: in this way you bypass the restrictions that macOS imposes on applications from non-certified developers.

The procedure I have shown you allows you to download the most recent version of Unity and configure it according to the default settings, that is, including the basic modules for development from your PC and, where applicable, the supporting documentation.

Once the installation is complete, start Unity and, in the window that is proposed to you, log in with your Unity account or, if you do not have one, skip this step by clicking on the Work Offline button . At the top right, click the New button , type the name of your project in the first proposed text box and select a template for your project from the drop-down list below, choosing between 2D and 3D , depending on the type of game you want to make. To confirm, click on the Create project button at the bottom right.

Unity’s default layout organizes the interface into three large main areas, each dedicated to a different component of the workflow: the Hierarchy panel , the Inspector panel, and the Project panel . As I told you, knowing these three elements is the key to learning the basics of Unity.

The Hierarchy panel , which in Italian would translate as “Hierarchy”, is located on the left of the window and allows you to manage all the elements present on the scene. To create a new element, just click with the right mouse button inside the panel and choose, through the appropriate menu that appears, the category and then the object to create. For example, by selecting the 2D Object> Sprite items , a sprite will be added, that is a two-dimensional graphic element that can represent a character or an object.

On the right of the window is the Inspector panel , i.e. the Inspector panel, which allows you to view and modify the properties of the individual elements selected in the Hierarchy panel. By selecting the sprite you created earlier, the Inspector panel will allow you to change its size or add different components to it. To give it a try, click on the Add Component button and select Physics 2D> Box Collider 2D from the menu that opens. Very good: you just added a collision physical condition to your sprite. As you have seen, the configurable add-ons are many and can meet any need.

The last area of ​​the Unity interface I want to tell you about is at the bottom of the window and is what is called the Project Panel . This part is intended for the management of the Assets, ie the materials, the resources that make up the project. By right-clicking inside it and selecting Import New Asset… from the menu that appears, you can add all the materials you need to your project, such as audio sequences, images or decorative motifs. As you add new assets to your project, within this panel you can use the classic New Folder , Copy and Paste functions to keep your library organized.

Finally, to create new Scenes , that is new levels or new settings of your game, use the Unity top bar and select the File> New Scene items . At any time, you can test your game by clicking the Play button at the top – remember to press it again to exit test mode before making any changes to the project.

When you are ready to export, go to the top bar and select File> Build Settings… . In the window that appears, choose between Android and iOS , click on the Switch Platform button , at the bottom right, then click on the Build button , which is in the same position. Now you just have to assign a name to the file and proceed as if you were making a normal save.

Unfortunately, the PC does not always include everything that is necessary for the export of the application package. In some cases, depending on how your computer is used, some components may be missing, such as libraries, add-on modules or software such as Java , which Unity needs in order to continue. In this case, unlike what I explained to you in the previous paragraph, the Switch Platform button will not be available but, in its place, the Open Download Page button will be displayed , which, if clicked, will redirect you to the page that provides instructions on the modules missing and details of their installation.

In conclusion, I suggest you read the  official Unity user manual , which allows you to find out in detail how to take advantage of the features of this software.

How to publish game apps

Very well: now that you understand how to create a game app and have taken your first steps in this new world. It is therefore time to think about the publication phase, the moment in which you will make your game public through official channels, such as the Play Store , in the case of Android, and the App Store , in the case of iOS.

As for the publication on the Google Play Store , the first and only fundamental requirement is to have a developer account, which can be associated with your Google profile at a cost of 25 dollars. You can do what I have just described to you through the Google Play Console registration page .

Once this is done, you will have the option to upload the .APK files of your applications. In this phase, first of all, you have to manage the metadata of the apps you have created, then the versioning and system requirements and, subsequently, think about the commercial part, then the title, description and screenshots. For more information on uploading an app to the Play Store, I invite you to consult the official guide provided by Google and my tutorial on how to create apps for Android .

If your app is geared towards an iOS device , you need to get an Apple developer account  (costing $ 99 per year) via this website . After that you have to go through iTunes Connect : log in with your Apple ID and enter the My apps section , then, at the top right, click on the + and  New app buttons .

You can now edit all parameters of your game, such as name, language, description, category, price, screenshots and finally upload the compiled .IPA package of the application. Generally, after submission, the application will be pending for review before actual publication: you can follow these steps via the notifications you will receive on the inbox associated with your Apple ID. For more details, feel free to check out my guide on how to create iPhone apps .