The creators of Marvel Snap, Second Dinner, sat down with Unity to give aspiring game developers tips on making mobile games. Two members of the team were present, Second Dinner's Chief Development Officer, and ex-Hearthstone Game Director, Ben Brode, and Kent-Erik Hagman, Associate Design Director.
Now, thankfully these tips don't include anything about monetization, which Marvel Snap doesn't exactly have the best track record of being gamer-friendly with, but there are some great general tips for anyone who is looking to create mobile games.
Marvel Snap Design
- Marvel Snap was made mobile-first to get it into as many hands as possible.
- They wanted to push for a game length of around 3 minutes. They found this ideal for mobile games.
- They were conscious about making a giant play button when you load up the game.
General Tips for Creating Mobile Games
- Keep it simple by sizing your expectations correctly. Finishing games is hard.
- Consider where players are going to play your game. They might not be giving it their full attention.
- Copy someone else - don't reinvent the wheel.
- Take something you love, recreate it in Unity, and use that as a base for your own creation.
- Shorten your gameplay loops.
- Test your game on an actual mobile device. Touch screens have quirks, vibration feedback can't be felt in the editor.
- Portrait mode is the way to go. Don't force players to turn their device.
- Make new choices. Don't always iterate on the same thing, try something new too.
- Keep gameplay snappy. Get into games quick.
- Use Unity! It's easier than making everything from scratch to get onto mobile. "A delight to use."
Comments
I really don't agree with them on everything. Sure, it fits for mobile card games, but not something else.
Also, it doesn't mean card games should be limited to 3 minute gameplay cycles. Look what HS turned into over the years. Maybe some of us like long games of around 10 minutes, IF they provide enough strategic choices. When you bring the game down to 3 minutes, unless the game is designed properly, you end up with an RNG fest or other similar stuff that forces the game to end. Fortunately, Snap was properly designed for this and doesn't feel like crap, but fun.
"Consider where players are going to play your game. They might not be giving it their full attention" - this one is quite fun! Imagine designing a game that people DON'T HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO when playing it. Seriously?! What kind of game is that?! Why do you still play it??? Why did you design it that way?? Why are you calling it a "game"?! Oh wait... forgot HS exists, my bad. Also, forgot Ben designed a lot of HS too.
Like yea, imagine designing your game to be played while pooping, so you can't give it enough attention...
Anyway, i'd take most of his advice with a grain of salt. Not all mobile games involve cards or are TCG/etc. Also, not all mobile card games should be designed for ADHD teenagers that can't control themselves for more than 3 minutes.