How to create a successful mobile game: a step-by-step guide

We at KISS have been down this road more than once and know where beginners usually stumble. In today’s article, we’ll tell you how to create your own mobile game for your phone. The article will be filled with life hacks and personal experience from our leading specialist, Yevhen Kasyanenko. It will be useful!

Where to start developing a mobile game?

Before diving into understanding how to create an online game for a phone, whether it’s a 2D platformer, 3D action game, or multiplayer app, it’s important to stop and figure out three basic things. These will form the foundation on which the entire project will rest:

• concept;
• genre;
• audience.

“If you clearly understand from the very beginning who you are making the game for—who these people are, what they like, why they play games in the first place—then the chance of creating something truly captivating increases dramatically. “Without this, you can miss the mark,” says Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Defining the idea and concept

The first step is to understand the overall concept. The idea, visual style, and mechanics must fit together. At this stage, it is important to determine:

• The genre and format of the game. To choose a genre, it is best to look at trends. Analyze popular platforms and study the leading games in terms of downloads and reviews. In 2025, hybrid casual games (simple gameplay with levelling elements), Web3 games with NFTs and tokens (especially in developing regions), as well as AR/VR mechanics that make the game more engaging.
• Uniqueness. How will the future mobile game differ from other products for phones or tablets? Unique mechanics or a specific visual style? Choose your unique selling point and stick to it.

Survey results and the reaction of potential players to the idea itself at this stage will indicate the best direction to move in.

Target audience and its needs

At this stage, it is important to:

• Analyze user behavior. Fortunately, platforms such as Google Play and the Apple Store collect detailed statistics themselves. You can also use analytics services (Sensor Tower, Data Ai). 
• Tailor the game to the players. Mobile players prefer short gaming sessions and the ability to put their phone down at any time. Age is also very important. Older players are interested in logic and puzzles, while younger players are more often drawn to opportunities for self-expression through character customization.

It is worth thinking about the motivation and development system right away. As Yevhen Kasyanenko emphasizes:

“Players love it when their efforts are noticed. Even a simple reward can cause excitement, a sense of achievement, and a desire to return — just to experience that thrill again.”

Choosing a platform: Android or iOS?

At first glance, you want to release the game on both Android and iOS right away. But it’s not that simple: each platform has its own characteristics that can affect both the timing and the budget.

• Android has a huge audience. But there is also a huge variety of devices: different screens, performance, and system versions. It will take some work to make the game run smoothly everywhere.
• iOS is more predictable: fewer devices, easier to test. It’s easier to monetize the game, but the quality requirements are stricter — Apple won’t let a raw project through.

If you want to go both ways, be prepared for additional optimization costs.

Choosing technologies and tools for development

It’s time to figure out the practical aspects.

Popular game engines

At this stage, the possibilities and limitations of further development are determined. Most often, developers use:

• Unity. A universal engine. Suitable for almost any mobile game: 2D, 3D, casual, and more complex. Works with both Android and iOS. There are many training materials on the Internet, so it is perfect for beginners.
• Unreal Engine. An engine for games that focus on detailed AAA-level 3D graphics. Visual programming allows you to work without code.
• Godot. Open source and affordability make this program a good choice for those on a small budget. It supports both 2D and 3D projects, and its capabilities go beyond “simple” games, which is what makes it so attractive.

Each engine has its strengths and weaknesses, but the choice should be made based on the concept of the game.

Development environments and programming languages

After choosing a platform and engine, it’s time to turn to programming languages. Here, too, there are popular and proven options:

• C# – for Unity;
• C++ – Unreal Engine;
• Kotlin or Swift for native development.

Android and iOS also have official development environments – Android Studio and Xcode, respectively.

“Is it possible to create your own mobile game without programming knowledge? The basics and understanding of the main processes are still necessary. Fortunately, Unity and Unreal Engine offer visual and intuitive tools. With their help, you can create a game on your phone or tablet without any code,” adds our expert.

Graphics and sound

Design and sound are key components of the atmosphere that creates the overall player experience. Here are three main questions on the topic and answers to them from personal experience: 

• How to choose a style? Focus on the genre and audience. For example, brightness and cartoonishness are suitable for casual games and puzzles. RPGs require the creation of a unique world with attention to detail.
• How to create an environment without deep code? Free asset libraries (Kenney, OpenGameArt, Itch.io) or marketplaces such as Unity Asset Store and Unreal Marketplace can help you avoid creating every object from scratch.
• Where can you get music? There are also free libraries (Freesound, Zapsplat). Your own music or commissioned sound design can become a unique feature of the game. Simple melodies can be generated using neural networks.

“Graphics and sound are the first things a player encounters, and they set the mood for the entire game. Even simple mechanics are perceived much more vividly if they are packaged in high-quality visuals and atmospheric sound,” reminds Yevhen Kasyanov.

Game app development and mobile game programming

The development of an online game for a mobile phone or tablet also involves programming, creating animations and controls, and working out the logic of object interaction.

The main stages of programming

At this stage, you need to decide on the specific mechanics of the game: for example, where the fruit will fall from and how it will break into pieces in Fruit Ninja. There are several important steps here:

• Creating game objects and logic. The interaction of all aspects of the game (characters, objects, environment, even the menu and interface) must be taken into account and programmed.
• Implementing physics and animation. Built-in physics engines (such as Unity Physics or PhysX) are usually used.
• Developing artificial intelligence. In RPGs, for example, the player will have to interact with NPCs. Therefore, their behavior system plays an important role. Pathfinding algorithms, FSM, or machine learning can be used to develop non-player characters.

At this stage, a living and interactive game world is created. Even in collectible card games for mobile devices, players want to interact with virtual cards or arenas.

“Interactivity is the heart of any game. The more actively the player influences what is happening, the stronger their involvement. Without response and participation, even the most beautiful game turns into a passive cartoon,” says Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Testing and optimization

Before the official release of a game on a mobile platform, it is important to thoroughly check it for bugs. The second important aspect is optimization.

Let’s take a look at everything in order:

• Bugs. There are special debuggers (Unity Debug or Unreal Logging), code profiling, and automated testing. They are used to find critical errors in the code.
• Beta testing. Beta testers give their feedback on the game and identify rare and unique errors.
• Optimization. Balancing desires with capabilities. The performance of mobile devices is limited.

Before launching any mobile game, it is optimized to account for the variety of Android devices, from budget models to flagship models:

• the quality of polygons and textures is reduced on low settings;
• object reuse is enabled using Object Pooling;
• tools are used to improve rendering (e.g., LOD or Occlusion Culling);
• code is optimized by minimizing Update calls and using multithreaded data processing.

Modern optimization requires mandatory consideration of the minimum and recommended specifications for Android devices. After all, unmet expectations and frustration from errors can scare away even the most loyal audience, so attentiveness is paramount.

Legal subtleties

Even if the game is almost ready, there are moments that are often overlooked, and for good reason. This is especially true if you are planning to release not only for the local market, but also for Europe or the US. Here’s what’s important:

• Copyright. It’s best to officially secure everything you create (code, art, music). And if you work with freelancers, clarify in advance who owns what.
• Assets and licenses. Are you using other people’s images or sounds? Make sure you can, especially if the project is commercial. Not everything that is “free” is actually free.
• GDPR and data collection. Europe is strict: if you collect analytics or personal data, you need to ask users for permission. You also need to explain to them why and how you store all this information.
• Age rating. Stores require you to specify the age rating for the game. If you miss this, they may remove it from publication. Especially if the game has in-app purchases or chat.

“Newbies with burning eyes usually remember about rights and laws when it’s too late. It’s better to keep this in mind in advance,” advises Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Publishing and promoting the game

The launch of a mobile game determines how well it will sell and whether it will get lost in the list of monotonous projects. Here are the rules for a successful launch based on our personal experience:

1. Thorough preparation. It is important to take into account the requirements of the platforms and design the game page. Bright screenshots showing the gameplay, an exciting description, and an eye-catching trailer—everything to get the player interested.
2. App Store Optimization (ASO). To make your game easy to find in the App Store and Google Play, you need to “package” it correctly. The title, description, keywords, and icon all affect visibility. The better the design, the more downloads you’ll get. At KISS, we regularly check which words work best and test covers and screenshots to make sure the game ranks higher in search results.
3. Marketing and advertising. For people to play the game, they first need to know about it. To do this, we use everything that works: we attract bloggers, launch ads, and create engaging content. People love updates, respond to reviews, and share what they like, which means that the more actively you run your project, the higher it climbs in the rankings and the faster it gains an audience.

“Remember that attracting attention is only half the battle. The main task is to keep the user in the game,” emphasizes our specialist.

Advice from Yevhen Kasyanenko: how to avoid mistakes

Creating a mobile game is not just a matter of turning on your imagination and starting to code. It’s easy to run into “pitfalls” that can ruin even the best idea. That’s why our expert Yevhen Kasyanenko will help you understand the main mistakes and tell you how to avoid them.

Development mistakes to avoid

The main reasons for the failure of mobile games are most often the following:

• Poor optimization and bugs. Slow downloads, unexpected crashes, and incorrect operation take up people’s time and patience. An angry player will leave the project forever and leave only negative feedback behind.
• Lack of a clear plan. Creative freedom and the pursuit of perfection can hinder the launch of a game if there is no control. Often, endless refinements and improvements completely destroy the project.
• Ill-conceived monetization. Developers must clearly think through the financial side of the project in advance. The value of in-game items must be indisputable, and the price must be reasonable.

How to achieve success?

Avoiding mistakes will help you not to ruin the project at the very start, but for real long-term success, it is worth taking additional measures:

• Regular updates and feedback. New levels, events, and mechanics should appear regularly to refresh the gaming experience and form the right community. For example, Discord, Reddit, or X can be effective platforms for communicating with players.
• Support engagement. Challenges, rewards, and visible progress motivate players to return to the game every day.
• Marketing. The more awareness, the more players. Social networks are ideal for this now.

Even beginners can create a mobile game that will not only be released but will also generate revenue. The main thing is to follow proven steps, but it is important to understand that it is very difficult to go all the way to success alone or in a small team—you cannot achieve true success without support and experience.

Why work with KISS Software?

At KISS, under the leadership of Yevhen Kasyanenko, we know how difficult it is to go from an idea to the release of a mobile game, especially if you are doing it for the first time. That’s why we don’t just offer advice, we actually take care of all the difficult aspects, from choosing an engine to promoting the game in stores. And we do it together with you, step by step.

How can we help?

• We teach and advise. We offer practical courses on game design and development, where experts share their experience, tips, and anti-patterns. This is not theory, but what works in real projects.
• We accompany you at every stage. Choosing an engine, working out mechanics, usability, testing — we help when needed, advise on the best options, and insure you if something goes wrong.
• We promote the game to the market. We set up ASO, select advertising channels, and find influencers. We have already helped dozens of projects reach top positions in Google Play and the App Store, and we know how to do it for your game.

“I am sure that it is not a lack of ideas; developers have plenty of them. What they lack is support. That’s why our goal is to be there every step of the way — from the first lines of code to the full release — with an understanding of the market, strong marketing, and belief in success,” notes Yevhen Kasyanenko.

Conclusion

Creating a mobile game is not just about writing code or designing beautiful screens. It’s a whole adventure: from the first idea to the launch, where every step is important.

To make a real hit, you need three things:

• An idea that hooks and is understandable to your audience.
• Bug-free implementation with normal performance.
• Promotion so that people learn about the game, want to play it, and stay.

We at KISS have been down this road more than once and know where to play it safe and where to take risks.