Full game development cycle

Game development at Arionis Games: effective implementation of your ideas

With rising expectations and an increasing number of new releases, the gaming industry is becoming one of the most competitive in the tech world. Players today have too many choices – companies are forced to compete not only for sales, but also for the time people are willing to spend on their product.

Only a professional approach to game development allows you to withstand the competition and not get lost among thousands of companies. It begins with an analysis of the market landscape and the chosen niche, studying the current needs of the audience, clearly setting tasks, and high-quality technical implementation of the project.

The Arionis Games team has been developing custom games for over 5 years, we have implemented dozens of game development projects. The company offers full-cycle service: we implement your ideas on a turnkey basis - from concept and design to game mechanics and code.

Reasons for high competition in the gaming business

To successfully enter the market in the conditions of globalization and high saturation of the industry, one good idea is not enough - a high level of execution is required at each stage of development. The market is characterized by a high level of competition - on the one hand, large corporations with multi-million dollar budgets and franchises, on the other - talented indie developers who are actively developing niches.

Rapid technological developments (AI, VR/AR, cloud gaming) open up new niches and opportunities, but at the same time increase the demands on product quality and speed of adaptation. The cross-platform struggle between products for mobile devices, PCs, consoles and cloud platforms is also intensifying.

In such conditions, the company's ability to transform an idea into a competitive product that meets market requirements and user expectations is critically important. To achieve this goal, an individual approach to each project is required, careful consideration of all stages of production, and a high level of execution at each of them. These are the principles that guide the Arionis team.

What determines the effectiveness of game development

What we mean by a professional approach to game development:

Clear goal setting

• Thorough development of the project concept and idea, selection of a niche.
• Relevance of the genre, understanding of trends, competitive environment, and platform requirements.
• Understanding the tastes, preferences and characteristics of the audience (age, devices used, expectations).
• Clear documentation of client requirements and expectations – having a detailed game design document for a comprehensive vision and consistent implementation of tasks, measurability of results, and stable work.

Developing goals and creating a game design document is the foundation of a successful game project. It helps to capture the goal and formulate the concept, ensuring effective planning, management, and quality control when developing custom games.

Choosing a qualified team

• Selection of developers with relevant experience and competencies - programmers, game designers, animators, artists, etc.
• Organization of coordinated work and productive communication between specialists and the customer.
• Effective management – competent team organization, resource and deadline management.

Only specialists with the appropriate qualifications and specialized experience are able to create a game that will be profitable, interesting to the target audience, and technically stable. Team selection is a strategic investment that determines the outcome of the game's development and the success of its release.

Relevant tools and technologies

• Choosing the right engine for the project (Unity, Unreal Engine, etc.).
• Current technology stack, internal tools, automation (e.g., CI/CD and build systems).
• Ready-made assets, modules, and frameworks to optimize the development process.

The choice and combination of tools and technologies affect the productivity, scalability and payback of the product, the pace and cost of game development services, the quality of gameplay and visuals. The adaptability of the project to different platforms and the ability to integrate monetization, analytics, and third-party services also depends on the technical stack.

Time management, effective management

• Realistic estimation of deadlines with prioritization of tasks.
• Iterative work process and progress monitoring (agile, scrum, kanban).
• Prototyping and testing at the initial stages to screen out non-working hypotheses.

Time management, iterative work, prototyping, and testing are critical in the early stages of turnkey game development. These elements of work allow you to effectively manage risks, save resources, and ensure a result that meets the expectations of the customer and audience.

Feedback collection, testing

• Use of playtests, involvement of focus groups.
• Comprehensive testing for bugs (functional, combinatorial, exploratory, regression, gaming, etc.), elimination of defects.
• Adapting and refining the product based on feedback from the audience.

Feedback gathering and testing are an integral part of game production. They allow you to test hypotheses and the viability of design solutions, identify bugs and weaknesses in gameplay, check UX, server stability, compatibility with different devices, etc. You can order turnkey game development with these conditions at Arionis Games.

A responsible approach to testing a product before entering the market allows you to prepare for a successful release, prevent wasting resources on unnecessary features and unsuccessful ideas, and improve the user experience.

6 components of a high-quality, successful game

A quality game is the result of a comprehensive approach to each stage of development. Here are six key aspects that affect how your product will be received by the audience:

• Well-designed, balanced graphics. Users expect high-quality images, good color reproduction, and high detail. At the same time, when developing games and programs, it is important to optimize resource consumption so that the user's device is not overloaded.
• Interesting, dynamic gameplay. The ingredients of success are exciting, original mechanics with gradually increasing difficulty of tasks, a variety of interactions and activities (environment, enemies, artifacts, alternative solutions, bonus levels). Audience analysis, understanding of the market landscape and current trends allow to ensure and maintain the interest of players during the passage.
• Intuitive interface and rules. A convenient menu, easy access to important information, and logical button layout are important. When creating a game, it is important to strike a balance between originality and simplicity. Completing tasks should be interesting and feasible. Clearly developed rules and consistent logic help in this: so that the player can quickly navigate the laws of the universe, the principles of interaction with the environment and other participants. All actions should have a predictable, justified result.
• High-quality backend. Stable operation of the program and a good user experience are incompatible with bugs and crashes. For success, well-thought-out game mechanics and technically competent implementation of each element are necessary, including clear control and responsiveness.
• Content diversity. Alternative tasks, tactics and play styles, additional enemies, abilities, hidden levels, mini-games and plot branches diversify the user experience and increase engagement. There are many options to retain and increase player return: new modes, achievements, goals, alternative endings, online competitions. At Arionis Games, you can order the development of a game with all these elements in various combinations.
• Atmosphere and player motivation. Visual design, a unique world with authentic aesthetics and history, a well-developed plot and interesting characters help users immerse themselves in your universe. Complicating tasks as the plot progresses, thoughtful placement of enemies and objects on the player's path ensure increased interest. Clearly set tasks and a thoughtful reward system (points, abilities, items, etc.) maintain excitement and give a sense of progress. Arionis Games developers create games with these rules in mind.

Game development stages

The process of creating custom games includes five major stages, each of which is divided into several stages and areas of work.

Pre-production

At the pre-production stage, key components of the future project are laid, ensuring stability and predictability of game development by programmers and other specialists.

Preparatory work:

• concept creation;
• market, audience, and platform analysis;
• finalization of the concept;
• writing a game design document;
• team formation;
• gameplay prototyping;
• budget and timeline planning.

Preproduction allows you to avoid misunderstandings, delays, and expensive rework, giving a quality start to the entire production cycle.

Production

This is the main stage of game development, during which the concepts captured in the design document, technical specifications, and prototypes are translated into a working product:

• logic programming and mechanics;
• character creation, environments, UI;
• level design (level design, mapping) – creation of game levels, missions, tasks, locations;
• voice acting, sound effects, music overlay;
• integration of AI solutions and multiplayer (optional).

At this stage, all the main specialists are involved: programmers, game designers, artists, animators, screenwriters, testers. All elements are integrated into a single system, production is the basis of the material embodiment of the game.

Testing (QA)

The testing stage (Quality Assurance) is critically important when developing custom games – it ensures high quality of the final product:

• finding and eliminating bugs and other shortcomings;
• gameplay check;
• testing for compatibility with platforms and devices;
• collecting feedback from focus groups, playtests;
• working with analytics;
• product refinement.

The quality, stability, competitiveness, and commercial success of a project depend on testing. Improving a game based on testing strengthens the audience's trust, supports the company's image, and reduces post-release maintenance costs.

Release

This is the culmination of game development – the release of the product to the market. This is a strategically important stage on which the perception and success of the product depends:

• compiling and uploading the final version of the game to platforms (Steam, App Store, etc.);
• technical support of the release version (content updates).

After the product is released, it becomes available to a wider audience. This stage shows how the market, players, media and publishers perceive the game in reality, and to what extent commercial and image goals have been achieved.

The future and potential of the project depends on how well the release is carried out - the feasibility and prospects of content updates, add-ons (DLS), activities, and the creation of sequels and franchises.

Post-release technical support

In a world of high competition and rapidly changing user expectations, post-release technical support is the final, but no less important, stage of the game's life cycle. It ensures the stable operation and development of the project after its launch:

• making updates and fixes;
• launch of seasonal events and additional content (DLS);
• analysis of player behavior and feedback;
• interaction with the community;
• implementation of monetization and in-game purchases (optional).

Post-release technical support ensures the technical stability, relevance, and commercial success of the game in the long term.

Following this sequence of actions when outsourcing game development allows Arionis to create high-quality IT products without bugs and errors, and deliver them on time in accordance with the prescribed technical specifications and client expectations.

How we work

If you are interested in developing a game from scratch

Creating a game from scratch is a multi-level process that requires a professional approach, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the specifics of the gaming industry. Arionis specialists offer comprehensive support for the development of IT products from idea to release with subsequent technical support.

What will be the algorithm of actions if you are interested in developing a turnkey game:

• Assigning a team of experienced developers to the project, who will promptly implement your ideas on a turnkey basis.
• Market, niche, and audience analysis.
• Development of game design documentation.
• Offering memorable concepts, artistic style options, and characters.
• Prototyping of core mechanics and gameplay elements to test hypotheses for functionality and test player interest.

The flexible, phased production cycle of turnkey game development and the iterative collaboration format ensure that changes and modifications can be made quickly without stopping the process.

• Organizing a smooth launch to collect feedback before release.
• Technical support for the product after its official release, release of updates, etc.

A flexible interaction model combined with a team of experienced developers ensures high quality results and its compliance with audience expectations. How much does it cost to create a game from scratch and how long will it take for your project to be ready? Contact an Arionis Games specialist.

If you want to accelerate the release of an existing product

To implement a game project, there is not always a need to form a fully staffed staff that includes specialists from all profiles. Sometimes it is more effective to involve an external team on a project basis that meets the goals and scope of the idea facing the company.

In this case, a team is formed, adapted to the specific needs of the customer - involving specialists with the competencies necessary for the successful completion of the project.

Such strengthening of the customer's internal staff allows optimizing the production process and ensuring timely preparation for the launch date and successful market entry. To clarify the preliminary price of game development, we recommend contacting Arionis specialists - after consultation, an individual calculation will be prepared based on the goals and features of the project.

This approach allows you to precisely cover all project needs, speed up game production, and minimize potential risks of missing deadlines without the need to expand the company's staff.

Range of services for game creation

The Arionis Games team provides a full range of services for creating games, let's take a closer look at them:

Game design development

The goal of every game client and developer is to create an exciting, intuitive, and engaging product. Game design is responsible for achieving these results. Game designers work on the plot, interface, logic of user interaction with the virtual universe of the project, mechanics, balance, and visual style.

Game design is a development direction that takes into account the entertainment aspect, player psychology, possible behavior scenarios, and motivations.

Creating a technical specification for a mobile game

The success of a game project is impossible without competent planning. The development of technical specifications for mobile games ensures that the product meets the expectations of the target audience and the customer's business goals. After the initial consultation, this document specifies the project goals, the results of studying the competitive landscape, the characteristics of the target audience, functionality, mechanics, graphics, technological stack and other aspects of development on which the result depends.

2D character design

2D character design – creating their visual images in two-dimensional space. The process involves working on proportions, silhouette, clothing and accessories, color scheme, and facial expressions. We work in different styles – from minimalist pixel art and various stylizations (for example, under a painting) to realism with an emphasis on anatomy, chiaroscuro, and textures.

3D character design

Three-dimensional characters are expressive due to their volume, which provides a deeper immersion of the user into the atmosphere and increases the aesthetic value of the product. 3D design allows you to achieve a high level of realism and detail, experiment with lighting and angles, which simplifies animation and further development.

3D character designs are ordered for games, videos, films, advertising, VR/AR and other digital projects.

Animation development for games

Even the best graphics without movement can look static and boring. Animation brings characters to life, adds dynamics to the gameplay, environment, and events, making the title truly immersive. Motion design helps convey shades of emotion, character, visualize the motivations of characters, and the features of the virtual universe as a whole, enhancing the effect of presence.

Dynamic graphics add depth to the project, allowing you to achieve a unique atmosphere, effectively attract and retain the audience, and increase the commercial value of the product.

Game development on Unity

The main advantage of this engine is cross-platform. Unity allows you to create a title that will immediately work on 25+ operating systems, without the need to rewrite the code. The tool allows you to significantly expand your audience reach and accelerate your time to market. A large library of ready-made plugins, the use of C# and a modular system for writing game projects reduce the cost of development. And built-in services for animation and optimization help achieve truly high product quality, increasing its commercial potential.

The solution is universal – Unity is used to create 2D and 3D games for mobile platforms, consoles, PCs, and browsers.

Game development on Unreal Engine

Thanks to the flexibility of UE IT solutions and tools, this engine can be used to develop a game project of any genre and scale. It supports all popular platforms and allows you to implement photorealistic graphics.

The tool is free to use until the game’s revenue exceeds $1 million, plus it has a large community and a multitude of ready-made assets, and with the help of the cloud-based MetaHuman Creator solution, realistic characters are created in minutes. This significantly reduces development time and project costs.

Online game development

Online titles are one of the most dynamic and promising segments of game development. Web solutions open up a wide range of genres and formats, from simple browser arcades to large-scale multiplayer projects. This direction of the gaming industry allows you to quickly attract and retain an audience, forming a loyal community beyond geographical boundaries and device types.

Game server development

Stable connection and comfortable gameplay are inseparable attributes of high-quality online and multiplayer titles. A well-thought-out server architecture allows us to achieve this result. Without it, it is impossible to hold mass competitions and eSports tournaments. In addition, servers ensure the smooth operation of large-scale virtual worlds.

Investments in this area of game development increase the quality and capabilities of the product. Which, in turn, increases audience loyalty, reduces the risk of technical problems, and contributes to the commercial success of the product.

Casual game development

Casual games are an effective way to quickly enter the market and gain a wide audience, ensuring high engagement and good monetization rates. Such projects are distinguished by simple rules, intuitive controls and short game sessions, making them accessible to users from any device at a time convenient for them.

Casual titles are suitable for mobile platforms, social networks, advertising and educational purposes. It is a universal solution for entertainment, business gamification, brand and service promotion, as well as interactive, including corporate, training.

Creating promotional games

Promotional game projects are an effective tool for promoting goods, companies, and services. A distinctive feature of promotional games is the combination of an entertainment element and marketing: users get a vivid interactive experience of interacting with the brand, and businesses get the opportunity to convey their message and advertise their assortment in a form that is interesting to the target audience, through channels convenient for them.

Adding a system of points, achievements, bonuses, and various ratings to such projects further increases user engagement and return. Any genre can be used for gamification – from browser mini-arcades to impressive VR/AR titles.

3D game development

Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional graphics and realistic visualization open up great opportunities for creating detailed virtual worlds and vivid characters. These features of 3D games increase the level of immersion, involvement and retention of users. Action games, shooters, simulators, adventure projects and RPGs - modern technologies allow you to implement complex mechanics and animation, making the gameplay rich and original.

3D titles are created for PC, mobile devices, consoles, and VR platforms, allowing them to reach a wide audience, providing an immersive gaming experience and emotional engagement.

Crypto games on the blockchain

This is an innovative segment of game development. In them, in-game assets and currency are built on blockchain technology, which ensures security, transparency of the game economy and full ownership of digital assets. In blockchain-based titles, users buy, sell and exchange unique tokens (NFTs), having the opportunity to receive real income from the game.

There are many variations of crypto and blockchain games, from collectible card games and strategy games to metaverses. Such projects attract a paying audience, allow for expanding monetization models through cryptocurrencies and NFT trading, and increase audience loyalty.

Telegram game development

Easy access, instant launch, and integration with the messenger's social features - game projects for Telegram provide fast time-to-market and wide reach. These can be mini-apps or game bots in various genres (from casual clickers, puzzles, and quizzes to multiplayer titles with strategy and RPG elements).

Thanks to Telegram's functionality with built-in notifications, such projects effectively attract and retain an audience, are used as entertainment, a tool for promotion, and gamification.

Full custom game development cycle with Arionis Games: from idea to release

Discussion of the concept and preliminary assessment of the project

The first stage of game production is preparatory: a detailed discussion of the key parameters of the project: concept and idea, expectations, business goals, budget, implementation timeline, and production schedule.

The discussion clarifies the main aspects:

• Genre and key game mechanics – it is planned to create a shooter, strategy, puzzle, platformer, RPG or simulator.
• Features of the target audience – adults, teenagers, children, casual or hardcore gamers, preferences in genres, geo- and cultural component, motivation (entertainment, communication, achievement, etc.).
• Development platform – mobile devices (iOS, Android), PC, consoles or browser solutions.

Preliminary consideration of these aspects allows us to lay the foundation for the next stages of production and ensure that the product meets the expectations of the customer, target audience, and market conditions. Preliminary calculations of the cost of game development services are made, which depends on the chosen genre and complexity, expectations for deadlines, technological stack, required number and level of qualification of specialists. As a rule, we inform you of the preliminary cost of game development for the project within a week after the first consultation.

Design (preparation for production)

After agreeing on the key project parameters, it is necessary to formalize cooperation:

• a service provision agreement is concluded with clearly defined terms, stages and implementation conditions;
• a project team is formed to develop the game from specialists who meet the project objectives and the genre specifics of the game;
• A package of technical and organizational documentation is being prepared.

These steps ensure transparency of collaboration, effective project management, and measurement of results.

Before the start of production and programming, the following are drawn up and agreed upon:

• Game design document (GDD) with a detailed description of the narrative, mechanics, relationships, gameplay, game cycles, technologies (Unity, Unreal Engine or other engine, in 2D or 3D, in the style of realism, anime, etc.).
• A document describing the visual component with a given artistic style, character design wishes and configurations, palette, references, etc.

The stage of preparation for game production takes an average of 1-2 months, depending on the complexity of the project.

Creating an MVP, clarifying the cost of game development

Having a clear understanding of the concept and visual and story style of the project, the game development studio Arionis determines a list of key elements needed to create a minimum viable product (MVP) necessary for a soft launch. access.

The goal is to test game mechanics, story elements, and stylistic design, as well as collect initial feedback from the target audience to refine individual elements as needed. Based on the analysis of data on labor costs and resources required to release the MVP, the final project budget is formulated.

Game development (programming, art and sound design)

This is the main stage of the production cycle - the development team gradually implements the game's functionality in accordance with the approved technical specifications and schedule. The Arionis team provides detailed reports on the amount of work performed every week, ensuring transparency of interaction at each stage. Product production is divided into sprints (small stages). 1-2 weeks after the start, you will be able to test and evaluate the implemented elements every week based on the results of each such sprint. On average, 3 months after the start of work (depending on the complexity and scale of the project), the game's MVP becomes available for initial testing.

Testing (launching a test version for internal players)

This is a key stage of testing the finished product before soft launch, especially if it implements experimental mechanics or narrative elements that require preliminary evaluation and possible refinement based on feedback.

Testing allows:

• evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and appeal of mechanics and narrative for players;
• get feedback before launch;
• measure the level of engagement – how the focus group reacts to different elements of the gameplay, what works/arises interest, what doesn't and why.

This information provides material for further optimization and programming of the game - eliminating bugs and non-obvious control problems, and refining missions.

Soft start, optimization

This stage allows you to get a more complete picture of possible shortcomings, user behavior and adjust the mechanics and/or refine the content. In the case of a soft launch, a limited number of players get access to the test version to test the product in real conditions. This stage helps to finally prepare for the full release, assess the level of user engagement and retention, the success of the chosen monetization model, the strengths and weaknesses of the game and ensure a more successful launch to a wide audience.

Release

Official release – the launch of the final version of the game on the market. All mechanics, content and functionality comply with the technical specifications and game design document. The product functions stably and is ready for sale and market entry. At this stage, trailers, screenshots, and online store pages are created. This is the beginning of interaction with real players and improvement of the project according to feedback from the target audience.

Post-release support

The Arionis Games team will create the game and provide post-release maintenance:

• managing activities in the game;
• content updates (new missions, levels, temporary events, sequels).

This helps make the product better by ensuring its relevance, stimulating and maintaining audience interest.

Technologies we use to develop games

We apply a wide range of current technologies:

Game engines:

• Unity is universal, suitable for creating 2D and 3D games, including mobile ones.
• Unreal Engine is the most powerful engine for developing games with advanced graphics.

Graphics and modeling:

• For 3D modeling we use Blender, Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush.
• For 2D graphics we use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Krita, and for 2D animation – Spine and Aseprite.
• Working with textures: Substance Painter, Quixel Mixer.

Programming languages:

• C# – game development on Unity.
• C++ – when creating projects on Unreal Engine.
• Python, JavaScript – for scripts.

Server technologies: Photon, Mirror, PlayFab, AWS GameLift, Azure PlayFab.

Network protocols: TCP, UDP, WebSocket.

Databases and backend : Firebase, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis.

IDEs and development environments : Visual Studio, Rider, VS Code.

Testing and analytics : Unity Analytics, GameAnalytics, Adjust.

Thanks to a broad technology stack, our team develops both simple and high-load game projects, adapted for different platforms, target audiences, and operating systems.

Comprehensive game development: benefits of cooperation with Arionis Games

Arionis Games has been working in the IT industry for over 10 years, creating games in dozens of genres for popular platforms and OSes. The company's experience and expertise allow it to successfully implement projects of any complexity - from classic gaming solutions to innovative products based on blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies:

• The company has a team of experienced professionals with many years of experience in the gaming industry - developers, game designers, testers and other specialized experts. Work on each project is based on an individual approach, taking into account the goals, objectives and specifics of the product and the customer's audience.
• The processes are designed to ensure strict adherence to deadlines and agreements at every stage of creating an IT product. Arionis Games takes on the full production cycle: from concept development and technical implementation to testing and post-release support.
• As part of a comprehensive approach, work is performed on the frontend and backend, A/V testing of game mechanics, and collection and analysis of user feedback.
• The stack of current technologies, modern game engines, and programming languages that the company uses in its work allow it to create visually appealing and functional games with original mechanics.
• Special attention is paid to the issue of optimization - games released by the Arionis Games team consistently perform well, especially on devices with limited technical resources.
• The company builds its cooperation with clients on the principles of transparency and flexibility. This is achieved through regular reporting, prompt communication, and a willingness to make adjustments to the production process or concept at any stage of the project implementation.
• Being well acquainted with the specifics and dynamics of processes in the game development industry, the Arionis studio ensures that the project adapts to changing requirements, taking into account process productivity, meeting deadlines, and the quality of the final product.

Would you like to consult, find out how much it costs to develop a game based on your concept, or simply get an answer to a question about game development? Write to us - we will answer and offer solutions to achieve your goals.

We work on a turnkey and outsourced basis, we are ready to create a game from scratch and quickly connect at any stage of your project implementation, please contact us.