Thinking of stepping into the realm of Game Development? Well, it’s best to start out small and gradually climb the ladder to bigger titles. After all, everyone must start somewhere. In this day and age, we have a great means of embarking on this journey and it’s from the comfort of our own Android phones. iPhone users, fret not, you’re not completely locked out of this loop either. Simply follow this short and sweet guide to learn how to set up, optimize, and distribute Android games via the Android Game Development Kit (AGDK) and Google Play.
For this task, you need only employ the AGDK , Android NDK, and Vulkan or OpenGL ES graphics APIs. Remember that utilizing a game engine that already integrates AGDK or developing a new game engine that uses AGDK would work in favor of you.
This game development process uses game engine IDEs along with Android Studio, Visual Studio, and optimization tools. After all the dirty work is out of the way, you don’t need to worry about your game’s distribution and services as they will be handled by good ol’ Google Play. As you may already know, it allows cross-platform support across Android, Chrome OS, and Windows alongside a wide range of social, billing, and game play features.
Handy-dandy Tools and Libraries
Following goodies are all Android game development products and features. Follow the links to cut to the chase!
- AGDK: This is the prime set of Android game development tools and libraries to aid you on your journey. It includes C/C++ game integration, performance tuning, high-performance audio, and features for game engine customization.
- Android Game Development Extension (AGDE): This is a Visual Studio extension that lets you develop the game of your dreams in Visual Studio. Don’t forget that Android is your target platform though!
- Android GPU Inspector (AGI): Your go-to advanced graphics and system profiling tool that makes extensive tracing and individual frame analysis much less arduous tasks.
Game Engines?
Game engines play a massive part in your project. Some of them have integrated AGDK components, allowing you to build Android games without modifications to the game engine itself. Android development capabilities are key so check these unmodified game engines out.
You also have the luxury of using AGDK to develop or customize your very own game engine. Some things to note are comprehensively listed on this page;
Optimization can mean Everything
Remember: these are Android games! If they aren’t optimized to run in this environment and cause issues for the user, your game is as good as dead. Below are some vital optimization tasks and superb practices to ensure your game doesn’t stress players out. You need to give ample consideration for performance, battery life, and/or storage space across a wide range of Android devices.
- Game modes for improved battery performance
- Vulkan and OpenGL ES optimization
- Android NDK practices
- System, GPU, and GPU frame profiling
- Performance fine-tuning
- 3D asset optimization
Services and Distribution
Our god and savior, Google Play, is here to save your game! But if it is to do so effectively, it’s gonna need your help. So don’t forget to add cross platform services to your infant game and then distribute across Google Play store.
Features to engrave in your head are:
- Cross-device play and distribution across Android, Windows, and Chrome OS
- Use of cloud for saved games
- Protection of integrity across multiple platforms
- Facilities for game preview prior to installation
- Allowing gameplay during game downloads
- In-app updates
- Efficient billing, in-app purchases, and subscriptions
- Giving a place for User reviews and social engagements
Your Level as a Developer
These facilities are best in the hands of an intermediate game developer. Even if you’re new to this domain,worry not because they’ve got you covered. It’s only a matter of time before you rise to the Intermediate rank and this is a great place to start. Use the below Android game development basics guide to learn the essential tools and libraries for your project.
That’s it! That’s everything you need to know to get started on your journey as an Android Game Developer. Whether you’re attempting this alone or as a group, grind the basics into your head first and you can expect smooth sailing ahead. We wish you the best of luck on your Game Development Career.
