For many aspiring founders, the actual process of making games is a black box.
You have a brilliant idea, a solid plan, and maybe even a budget, but the journey from a document on your laptop to a fully functional mobile game app on the App Store can seem like a mysterious, highly technical maze.
How does code become a character? How do drawings become a world? What does a game developer actually do all day?
My name is Bhagyesh Khilare, and I am the Head of Production at Aaryavarta Technologies. My entire job is to manage this "black box." I've had the privilege of overseeing hundreds of projects, guiding them from the earliest prototype to a successful global launch.
I can tell you from experience that it’s not magic. It’s a disciplined, structured, and surprisingly creative process.
We call it the Aaryavarta Blueprint.
This is your transparent, step-by-step guide to that blueprint. We're going to open the black box and show you exactly how to create a game, stage by stage. By the end of this page, you will understand the full development lifecycle, what to expect at each step, and how a professional team transforms a vision into a polished, market-ready product.
The Foundation: What Happens Before Step 1
Before we dive into the blueprint, it's critical to understand that development never starts in a vacuum. A professional team won't write a single line of code without three key things in place:
- A Clear Game Design Document (GDD): The architectural blueprint for the game. (If you don't have one, start with our guide to creating a game idea).
- A Validated Monetization Strategy: The business plan for how the game will generate revenue. (Learn more in our guide to monetization models).
- An Initial Budget & Timeline: A realistic understanding of the financial scope. (See our cost breakdown guide for details).
With this foundation, we can begin the build.
Step 1: Prototyping - Finding the Fun, Fast
Goal: To answer one question: "Is this idea actually fun to play?"
A prototype is a rough, playable sketch of your game's core mechanic. It is not pretty. It often uses simple shapes—like grey boxes and spheres—instead of final art.
Its sole purpose is to test the core gameplay loop in isolation. If your game is about jumping over obstacles, the prototype will be nothing but a character that can jump and obstacles to avoid.
This is arguably the most important step in the entire process.
Why? Because it is the easiest way to make a game concept testable and the cheapest way to discover if an idea is a dud.
Spending one week on a prototype that proves an idea isn't fun can save you six months and thousands of dollars in development costs.
A successful prototype is one that, even in its ugliest form, feels satisfying and makes you want to play "just one more time."
Step 2: Pre-Production - The Architect's Blueprint
Goal: To create a detailed production plan that will guide the entire project.
Once the prototype has proven the core concept is fun, we move into Pre-Production. If prototyping was a quick sketch, this is where we create the master architectural blueprints for the entire house. This is a critical planning phase that includes:
- Technical Architecture: The development team designs the game's software structure, chooses the right tools, and plans for complex features like server integration or databases.
- Production Roadmap: The Project Manager breaks down the entire GDD into small, manageable tasks and schedules them into "sprints" (which we'll cover next). This creates a clear timeline for the project.
- Art Style Bible: The art team creates a definitive guide that establishes the final look and feel of the game, including character designs, color palettes, and UI style.
Pre-production is all about planning. A thorough pre-production phase is the secret to a smooth, on-time, and on-budget development cycle.
Step 3: Production - Building the Game, Sprint by Sprint
Goal: To build all the features of the game in iterative, manageable cycles.
This is the main "construction" phase where the bulk of the development work happens. At Aaryavarta, we use an Agile Sprint Methodology.
- What is a Sprint? A sprint is a short, fixed period of time—usually two weeks—where the development team focuses on building a small, specific set of features from the production roadmap.
- How it Works: At the end of each two-week sprint, the team delivers a new, playable version of the game that includes the latest features. You, the founder, get to play this build and provide feedback.
- Why it's Better: This iterative process means you are involved and see progress every two weeks. There are no long periods of silence. It allows us to catch issues early, get your feedback in real-time, and stay flexible if a feature needs adjusting.
During this phase, the artists are creating the final assets, the level designers are building the worlds, and the developers are writing the code that brings it all together.
Step 4: Art & Audio Integration - Breathing Life into the Code
Goal: To implement all final visual and audio assets and transform the game into a polished experience.
Throughout production, developers often use placeholder assets ("grey boxes") to build and test features.
In this stage, placeholders are replaced with the final artwork and animations from the art team.
This is one of the most exciting moments in the project. It's when the game stops looking like a developer's tool and starts feeling like the real, living product you envisioned.
Sound effects, ambient background tracks, and music are implemented to create atmosphere and provide crucial player feedback.
Step 5: Quality Assurance (QA) - The Relentless Hunt for Bugs
Goal: To find and fix every bug, glitch, and performance issue before a single player sees the game.
Quality Assurance is one of the most critical, yet undervalued, stages of game development. A professional QA team doesn't just "play games"—they systematically try to break them.
- They follow detailed test cases to ensure every feature works as intended.
- They perform exploratory testing to uncover hidden issues.
- They conduct performance testing across various devices to ensure smooth performance.
A buggy, crashing game is the fastest way to get 1-star reviews. Thorough QA is the best investment in protecting your game's reputation.
Step 6: The Soft Launch - A Real-World Final Exam
Goal: To test the game with real players in a controlled environment and gather invaluable data before the global launch.
Before releasing globally, we execute a "soft launch" in a few select countries with similar demographics to your target market.
The goal is not immediate profit but data collection. Analytics answer critical questions:
- Retention: Are players coming back on Day 1, Day 7, Day 30?
- Engagement: Where are players spending time? Are there points where they quit?
- Monetization: Are store interactions and ad frequencies optimal?
- Technical Stability: How are servers performing under real-world load?
The data informs final tweaks to balance, economy, and stability.
Step 7: Global Launch & Post-Launch Support - The Beginning, Not the End
Goal: To launch the polished game to the world and support it as a live service.
Insights from the soft launch guide final refinements. On launch day, marketing efforts drive downloads.
Post-launch, ongoing work includes:
- Community Management: Engaging with players.
- Regular Updates: New content and events.
- Performance Monitoring: Ensuring stability and responsiveness.
Post-launch support is critical for long-term success.
Your Blueprint for Success
The journey of developing a mobile game is not a mystery. It is a structured, step-by-step process moving from vision to market-ready product efficiently.
It balances creative artistry with disciplined project management, and at Aaryavarta, it's a blueprint perfected for predictable, world-class results.
Putting the Blueprint in Context: Your Full Development Roadmap
This 7-step process is the engine of game development. To see how it’s fueled by budget, monetization strategy, and team strength, explore our main guide.
➡️ Read the full Founder's Guide to Mobile Game Development
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for "The 7-Step Guide on How to Develop a Mobile Game"
Here are answers to the most common questions founders and creators have about the journey from idea to a fully launched mobile game.
Category 1: Pre-Development & Prototyping
Q: Can I hire Aaryavarta to start building my game right away if I have a great idea?
A: We are always excited to hear new ideas, but we follow a "measure twice, cut once" philosophy. Before any significant development begins, we ensure three foundational elements are in place: a clear Game Design Document (GDD), a validated monetization strategy, and a realistic budget. This sets the project up for success from day one.
Q: What is a prototype, and will it look like my final game?
A: A prototype is a very basic, playable version of your game's most important feature—the core gameplay loop. It will not look like your final game and often uses simple shapes for art. Its only purpose is to answer the question: "Is this core mechanic fun?"
Q: How long does the Prototyping phase usually take?
A: The prototyping phase is designed to be fast. A typical prototype for a mobile game can be built and tested within 1 to 2 weeks.
Category 2: The Development & Production Process
Q: The guide mentions "Agile Sprint Methodology." What does that mean for me as a client?
A: It means you will be an active and engaged partner throughout the process. Instead of waiting months to see progress, you will receive a new, playable version of your game every two weeks at the end of each sprint. This ensures regular feedback, transparency, and eliminates long periods of uncertainty.
Q: What is the difference between "Pre-Production" and "Production"?
- Pre-Production (Step 2): The master planning phase. We create technical architecture, the production roadmap, and the art style guide. It's the blueprint stage.
- Production (Step 3): The main construction phase. Developers code, and artists create assets based on the pre-production blueprints.
Q: What if I have a great new idea for a feature in the middle of the "Production" phase?
A: This is common. In Agile, we can adapt. However, to protect your budget and timeline, we handle this with a "Change Request." We’ll estimate the extra cost and time so you can decide whether to add it now or after launch.
Q: What is "QA," and isn't that just playing the game?
A: QA (Quality Assurance) is a disciplined process. Testers systematically try to break the game, follow detailed test cases, and check performance across devices. It’s essential to ensure a polished, stable product.
Category 3: Launch & Post-Launch
Q: What is a "soft launch," and do I really need one?
A: A soft launch is a limited release in select countries before global launch. Yes, you need one. It’s the final test that gathers data on player behavior, helping fine-tune difficulty, economy, and stability before worldwide release.
Q: What happens if the soft launch data shows players don't like my game?
A: That’s the value of a soft launch—you discover issues before spending your full marketing budget. If data is poor, you can:
- Iterate: Identify and fix problem areas before a wider release.
- Pivot/Kill: If the concept is fundamentally flawed, stopping here saves significant resources.
Q: Does Aaryavarta's service end on the day my game launches globally?
A: No. Launch is the start of the live service phase. We offer post-launch support for bug fixes, new content, events, and compliance with OS updates.
Q: How involved will I need to be during the 7-step process?
A: You’ll be most involved during planning and at the end of each sprint when reviewing builds. Our goal is to keep you informed and empowered, while handling the day-to-day so you can focus on marketing and strategy.
Category 4: General Questions
Q: This 7-step process seems very thorough. Is it used for all types of games?
A: Yes. The Aaryavarta Blueprint applies to all projects. Time in each step varies—simple games have shorter production phases—but the structured process ensures on-time, on-budget quality delivery.
Q: Who is Bhagyesh Khilare? Can I speak with him or someone from the production team?
A: Bhagyesh Khilare is our Head of Production, overseeing project execution. When you partner with Aaryavarta, you’ll work directly with a Project Manager from his team to guide you through the entire 7-step process.
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