MANU Video Game Maker’s Post

🚀 The Zipline Hook: Unveiling the Evolution of a Game-Changing Trend Remember when Fortnite introduced the Zipline in Season 7 back in 2018? It was a game-changer—players were thrilled to zip across the map, adding a new layer of excitement (well, almost everyone loved it)! Then came 2019, and with it, the global launch of Apex Legends (Electronic Arts (EA). Pathfinder's ability to deploy ziplines took battle strategies to new heights. YouTube exploded with tutorials on mastering zipline skills, and gamers couldn't get enough. But things really took off when UEFN was introduced in Fortnite Creative. Suddenly, creating custom ziplines and building unique games became the new craze on YouTube. The community's creativity knew no bounds! So, who took notice next? Mobile game developers, of course! Companies like Evony quickly integrated this mechanic into games like Age of Origins. It's clear that 4X strategy games are pulling out all the stops to capture attention and reduce CPIs. They're even analyzing audience overlaps to see what else their players are into. (Check out the comments for some interesting insights!) Which genre is tackling similar challenges? You guessed it—Match-3 games. Recently, Dream Games drew inspiration from this trend as well. How awesome is that? This evolution sparks more questions than answers: -Why is this so effective? -Who else is jumping on this trend? -What's the next twist on this hook? Let's explore these questions together! 🦄 Join the Brutally Honest newsletter: lancaric.substack.com 📺 Catch the latest creative trends on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/d5fX2i7v 🗣 Be part of the discussion in our Slack community: https://lnkd.in/dbrDdGiJ 🎈 Follow lancaric.me for more insights 💬 Comment below or message me if you'd like to see a video on this evolution!

Building a puzzle game sounds simple, but it takes more than just great mechanics to keep players hooked. From designing smart levels to choosing the right monetization strategy, every step counts. Ready to dive into the details? Check out our latest guide on how to create a puzzle game from scratch, with real examples and tips: https://lnkd.in/eBQVWFhh #GameDevelopment #MobileGames #GameDesign #PuzzleGames #RocketBrush

Let's take a look at the case study of reaching 100K whishlists on steem from Black Tabby Games with Slay the Princess. Promoting narrative games is often seen as challenging, but Slay the Princess proves otherwise. This game not only gathered substantial wishlists but also had a highly successful release. Key Achievements: - Conversion Rate: 0.9 sales per wishlist in the first month, three times the median. - Wishlists: Reached 30K with a single viral trailer. Strategies: 1. Compelling Concept: The game’s unique and intriguing idea drew player interest. 2. Effective Trailer: The trailer went viral, generating massive engagement. https://lnkd.in/dkpK5q3V 3. Engaging Demo: A 1.5-hour demo helped players connect with the game. 4. Strong Steam Capsule: High conversion rate, leveraging dynamic visuals and intriguing narrative elements. Promotion Tactics: - Distribution: Shared the trailer and demo with streamers, press, and on social media. - Consistency: Utilized classic indie developer strategies without any extraordinary measures. Outcome: - 100K wishlists by release, leading to nearly 100K sold copies in the first month. Takeaway: To successfully market a narrative game, focus on an engaging concept and highlight it in your promotional materials. Comment below or send me a direct message, and let’s start the conversation on how to make your game stand out!

𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝐆e𝐭 𝐲o𝐮r n𝐨w:https://lnkd.in/dnQhWKfx ⏩𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 The Fast Sling Puck Game is an exciting, fast-paced tabletop game that brings fun and competition to family gatherings, game nights, or casual play. Two players face off to sling all the pucks through the center gate into the opponent’s side using an elastic band. Combining skill, speed, and strategy, this game is easy to learn yet highly addictive. ⏩ 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 ▶️𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕-𝑷𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Test reflexes and hand-eye coordination. ▶️𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍: Made with high-quality wood for longevity and smooth gameplay. ▶️𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍: Compact and easy to carry for travel or outdoor fun. ▶️𝑻𝒘𝒐-𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒑: Perfect for head-to-head challenges. No Batteries Required: Powered by skill and fun, ideal for unplugged entertainment. ⏩𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: ▶️𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍: Premium wood and elastic bands. ▶️𝑫𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔: Varies (e.g., 15” x 8” for standard size). ▶️𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑰𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔: 1 game board, 10 pucks, 2 elastic bands. ⏩ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆: ▶️ Players start with 5 pucks each on their side of the board. ▶️ Using the elastic band, aim and sling the pucks through the small gate in the center. ▶️ The first player to clear their side of all pucks wins! ⏩ 𝑻𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝑨𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆: Families Friends Kids (6+ years) Game enthusiasts ⏩𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: Enhances hand-eye coordination and concentration. Provides hours of fun and entertainment. Encourages friendly competition and teamwork. Would you like help with marketing ideas or detailed pricing strategies for this product?

As counterintuitive as it might seem: To build a Game Direction, don't focus directly on the Game Direction itself. The Game Direction describes the Target Game Experience you want to generate, but you can't come up with it out of nothing. You need something concrete to base it on. This is what the Game Direction Document exists for: It has 4 elements you need to iterate on to shape your Game Direction: - Vision Statement: A statement representing the Target Game Experience in a single sentence. - Game Overview: An overview of all the major aspects of the game idea (core gameplay, level, narrative, look & mood) - Uniqueness: A bulleted list of all the aspects that make the game idea unique from what already exists - Similar Game Comparison**: A comparison between the idea you want to design and the other games on the market To discover more about the Game Direction building process 👇 I wrote a Newsletter Issue about it, to show you how to build a rock-solid Game Direction from start to finish without getting stuck on endless refinement. Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/d9zNM5Du A well-crafted Game Direction is the best tool to navigate the often scary Game Design ocean.

Ever struggled to pick which game to build? Never fear, the humble Concept Funnel is here! A vetting process to get you your best possible game 🚀 Originally based on practices used by big companies like EA, SuperCell and Blizzard, the Concept Validation Funnel is a simple framework we've honed over 3 years at the Indie Game Academy The process is simple: ideas go in the top, and one amazing game comes out the bottom. Let's talk through the steps! 1️⃣ Define In the Define step we reduce the infinite possible games we could make to a box for us to ideate inside of. This actually helps creativity (think Game Jams) and we do so by defining 3-5 high level objectives for the game, and identifying any major constraints we might have. 2️⃣ Ideate Now that you've defined your creative box, it's time to actually brainstorm! Work together as a team in multiple brainstorming sessions to come up with 20-50 possible concepts that would fit your objectives and constraints. Give this some space and time! 💭 3️⃣ Filter Once you have 20-50 possible concepts, it's time to murder the weak ones! Use simple filtering techniques, defined as any process that allows you to quickly eliminate weaker concepts WITHOUT fully prototyping them, to cut your way down to a top 5-10. You can score concepts in important categories, send out surveys, put up fake ads, whatever it takes to get to that top 10! 4️⃣ Prototype Ahh! The best part! From your top ten list, pick the few you think are truly strongest, and build out representative versions of them. The most accurate way to do this is in-engine, but you can prototype much faster on paper or even just via auditory input and output. The important thing is to prototype at least 2 concepts, and more like 3-5, so that a strong prototype clearly stands out from the rest. ✨ 5️⃣ Choose It's time to pick! You should already have data from playtesting your prototypes, scoring concepts, and surveying your audience. But you might do some final comparisons. At the Delve Bros, my own little hobby game studio, we actually held a formal debate of our top 3 concepts! Whatever it takes, pick your top game, and get to building! 6️⃣? Repeat If none of your games feel like a clear winner, do NOT build them. Games are too risky to commit to a mediocre concept. Return to higher up on the funnel and trickle back down until you are confident you have a winner on your hands. 🧠 And that's it! An easy to follow vetting process to help you and your team choose your next hit game. What do you think? Would you use this yourself? How do you pick your projects? Tag somebody who might be interested, and REPOST to spread the love! 💜 #indiedev #gamedev #gamedesign #gameproduction #GameDevelopment #IndieGameDev #GameDevTools #GameConcept #ConceptFunnel #GameIdeas #GameInnovation #GameDevelopmentProcess #IndieDevelopers #GamingIndustry #GameDevCommunity #GameDesignTools #GameDevelopmentTips #IndieGameDesign

𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 👉𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/geYPabDs ✅𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆: The simplicity of bouncing a ball off walls and obstacles, combined with increasing difficulty, keeps players hooked as they aim for higher scores. ✅𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻❟ 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: The game typically has simple controls, making it accessible for beginners, but mastering the angles and timing requires skill, providing depth for more experienced players. ✅𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹: Many bounce ball games come with vibrant graphics and smooth animations, making the gameplay visually enjoyable. ✅𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗲𝘀: Playing bounce ball games helps improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time as players quickly respond to the ball's movement. ✅𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻: Often available on mobile devices, these games are perfect for short, on-the-go sessions, allowing players to jump in and play anytime, anywhere. ✅𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: With scoreboards and level-based challenges, players are motivated to beat their own scores or compete with friends, adding a layer of competition.

Concord and the importance of a niche 8 years of development, estimated development cost of $100M and developed by a Sony owned studio. That's Concord, a hero shooter game released on August 23rd 2024. You would think such a game is primed for success, but it will be shut down tomorrow, September 6th 2024. That's a lifespan of 2 weeks, similar to that of an average mosquito. At its peak, the game had 697 concurrent Steam players. By contrast, another AAA game that was released just 3 days before had 2,223,179 peak concurrent players (~3200x more). By most measures Concord is not a successful game. But why? There are a multitude of reasons you can point to: the lackluster marketing, the $40 price tag, the over-saturated hero shooter market. These are all important factors, but for me, the most important reason is the lack of a niche. Watching gameplay videos, Concord did not strike me as a bad game, gameplay looked fine, graphics looked fine and the art style seemed fine. But therein lies the problem - it was just fine. Fine is not interesting, Fine is not memorable, Fine is a deathknell. You like flashy and fast combat? Overwatch does it better. You like the Sci-Fi aesthetic? Apex Legends does it better. You like more tactical gameplay? Valorant does it better. No matter what you found the most important in a hero shooter, a better alternative was already available. If Concord was able to do one thing better than the other hero shooters, it would've captured an audience. But it didn't have that niche and hence it's shutting down tomorrow. This lesson extends beyond games, it applies to our personal and professional lives as well. Success in life is about being able to do one thing better than anyone else. If you're valued for that one thing, your audience will be more patient with your flaws. I'm crafting my niche, how about you?

🕹 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 – 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 🎮 As part of my ongoing exploration into video game development, I set out to create my own version of the classic Breakout game. After a little over a month of work, I’m excited to share my results! I built the game in Godot and designed the pixel art in Aseprite. Here are a few key takeaways from the process: 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 One of the most important lessons I learned was the value of modularity in game design. I structured the levels so that I could easily add more, with a simple link to the next level attached to each one. If no link is present, the game ends! This setup means I could keep adding new levels down the line. 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗽 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 The game features four powerups:    • 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: Increase Paddle Size, Multiball    • 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: Decrease Paddle Size, Decrease Ball Size A key decision I made was that the extra balls from Multiball would not be affected by the size reduction from the "Decrease Ball Size" powerup. This turned what was originally a negative powerup into a strategic advantage: it now becomes clear which ball is most important to keep in play. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁? If I were to revisit this project, I’d focus on:    • 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘀: I had several ideas that I couldn’t implement due to time constraints.    • 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: While the game is functional, there are opportunities to optimize load times and frame rates. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗨𝗽: I’m diving into creating my own version of Flappy Bird as the next step in my game design journey. Check out the gameplay in the video below to see how it all comes together! Sources:    Base Color Palette: https://lnkd.in/e-T6m-Fn    Music: https://lnkd.in/ePaCPi3b    Sound Effects: https://lnkd.in/exuj34XP Let me know what you think!

🌊🌊🌊🌊Exciting times are upon us in the mobile gaming industry, bringing forth a wave of fresh opportunities to craft better, more immersive games with increased retention and higher LTVs - welcome to the era of the NEW HYPER! Yet, amidst all this innovation, one fundamental principle remains unchanged: the importance of simplicity. Here are some important considerations for developers and publishers aiming to create successful products: 1️⃣ Fun Factor: Fun is the beating heart of every successful game, driving engagement and retention. Games that only rely on great creatives won’t cut it anymore - they have to have enough depth and creativity (fun!) to engage players    2️⃣ Polished Art: In today's market, polished visuals of high fidelity are the new standard. Use art to enhance the player experience and elevate your game above the competition. 3️⃣ Masterful Level Design: Craft levels with an understanding of player psychology, while maintaining a delicate balance between FunXEconomic pressure points. Every level should be a journey, carefully designed to keep players coming back for more. 4️⃣ Long(ish)-term Vision and pockets:  Set clear lifetime value (LTV) goals for your projects from the outset, and meticulously plan your development cycles and resource allocation to achieve them. What's your #5 & #6? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below! If you’re ready to try out these for your next game, you’re in luck. We've just launched SuperSpring - another exciting contest focused on puzzles, simulations, and runners. Whether you have a fully-fledged game or just a brilliant idea, submit your concept and get exclusive resources and many perks I’m super excited to see your submissions! I love this time of year, it feels like my birthday every single day. Submit your game now :