The best and the most popular iPhone games look really simple (think of Angry Birds). But they are the trickiest to design and get right. Here are three golden rules of iPhone game design that will help you make your game popular.
Keep it simple
For a game to be successful, it needs to be simple, yet addictive and fun at the same time. The game mechanics have to be intuitive. Basically, you want any iPhone user to be able to start playing your game within seconds regardless of the user’s age or technical experience.
Make it look attractive
If you want your game to take off, you need to make sure your iPhone game design is attractive. The first thing you need to do is determine your target audience and then come up with a game design that appeals directly to them. It doesn’t matter how you achieve your goal, but you need to make your game’s looks speak to your potential customers. After all, most people look at the screenshots first and only then decide to download a game from the App Store. Also, remember to be consistent with the overall game design.
Let the game develop
Another golden rule of iPhone game design is letting the game develop. Your job is to keep your player interested throughout the whole game. There are many ways for you to achieve that. For example, you can introduce new worlds with new creatures based on the levels of the game. Each new world should have a unique design and gradually unlock new power options and features. You can also include additional content that gets unlocked either when the player reaches a certain level or uses coins/tokens/money to purchase the add-ons. Having unlockable game content encourages users to continue playing and keeps them interested.
Of course, following these golden rules doesn’t guarantee that your game will be an immediate hit, but it will surely maximize your chances!
