Game development

Lots of amateur programmers all feel like they have a hit game in them. They dream of one day creating a game that takes the world by storm like an Angry Birds did or even something more complicated like a Civilization VI.

This may seem like they have their heads in the clouds, but it could happen. If you are one of them then you can take your skills and apply them to creating a popular game. You just need to have the right strategy from the very beginning.

Before you even think you have a game already thought up, it pays to start from scratch to think of what type of game is needed and then have a game marketing strategy.

In this article, I will go over several of the ways that you can create a hit game and take your dream to reality.


1 - Find out what type of game people want

If you already have an idea for a game, put it on the shelf for now. You may think you have a great idea but there is a lot of competition. Look for an entry into game development by creating a game that people are looking for and can’t find.

Scour the forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups to see what people are saying about games that are already popular. Surely there are things about the popular games that they don’t like.

Use this information to find out what people are looking for. And be active in those communities by asking a lot of questions about what they want but aren’t getting from games that are already out there.


2 - Pick a genre

Again, look for what is already popular when it comes to what type of game you want at first. We aren’t looking to invent the wheel.

Decide if you want to make an RPG, a casino, a time killer mobile app or a Sims type game. This isn't to say that you should be copying what is already popular, it just means that you have to start to narrow your focus after that first step so you can concentrate on one thing.

You can pick a genre based on your skills as well. If your programming preferences lean one way or the other as far as the genre, then focus there.


3 - Niche down

Now that you have the genre picked out you have to decide on the type of game that best fits within the genre. Use the information you gleaned from the forums and community about what they would like in a game within that genre and you now have your niche game idea.

Maybe it is already what you had planned on making, but chances are you have come up with an entirely different game.

This is the gap in the market that you should be looking for.


4 - Make a prototype

Come up with the basic game that you plan to make and have some people test it. Ask them what they like, what the didn’t like and what might have been missing from the experience. Then develop it accordingly to fully flesh it out.

Then you should have a game that people actually want to play!