Hey there! I'm back! Game development is a tough process, and many games fade away even before reaching the MVP stage. MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product – something playable that can be showcased to others.
🚀 Here are 10 tips to successfully create an MVP for your Unity game:
1. Concentrate on core gameplay
You have to make sure that your core gameplay is fun. It may be just circles, triangles, and squares, but if you like to play it, then the idea is worth being developed. Content, animations, and other stuff can be added later.
2. Create constraints
The natural tendency of each game developer is to add more and more features (Feature creep) until you lose focus and energy to continue. Try the opposite approach, and reduce them all the time. Here is a great video on how to develop your game using constraints from FTL and Into the Breach developers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_I07Iq_2XM
3. Create what you play
If you don't like shooters, don't create them. If you don't play mobile games, don't create them. Concentrate on genres and platforms you are familiar with. Your gaming experience is one of the most important things in game development. Your mental health is even more important, so do what you like.
4. Save your time
Game development is not free. Even if you don't spend your money, you spend your time, which is more valuable. Try to save your time by buying ready-to-use assets. If you need a dialog system in the game, don't spend time creating it; buy it on the Unity Asset Store for the price of one dinner.
5. Duplication is better than wrong abstraction
Do not try to create a perfect architecture for your game at the MVP stage. It's better to have imperfect code for MVP rather than spending hours on something that is not playable. You can always refactor your code later.
6. Don't polish
Polishing is a great way to waste your time. You can spend hours creating a perfect animation for your character, but it takes 80% of your time for 20% of the result. MVP is like an Impressionist painting; it's better to have a rough sketch than a perfect picture. Impress people with overall gameplay, not with details.
7. Learn from others
Try to find a game that is similar to yours and play it. Developers of these released games have already solved a lot of problems you will face. You can learn from their mistakes and successes.
8. Don't be afraid to fail
It's okay to fail at any stage; the next try will be better. Now I'm able to create MVPs fast, but my first game attempts were disastrous. Here is my story of my first game development attempt: https://dev.to/pashagray/how-not-to-make-your-first-indie-game-39l8
9. Don't be afraid to throw away
If you see that the game is not playable, just put it in the trash. That's why MVP is needed – to test your idea. You can have several MVPs before you find a good one.
10. Eat, sleep, walk
It's easy to forget about your health when you are focused on your game. Take time for healthy food, 8 hours of sleep, and a bit of exercise. It takes time, but you will be more productive if you are healthy. This is your main asset, don't forget about it.
Conclusion
MVP is a great way to test your idea. It's better to spend 1 month on an MVP and understand that your idea is not good, than spend 1 year on a game that nobody will play. Create your MVP, show it to other people, and start to work on a full game if people like it. Otherwise, start from the beginning until you are satisfied with the result.
Tell me about your MVP experience in the comments!
P.S. I'm working on Chrono Babes game now. Follow for updates if you like the game!
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