How can you leverage game genres and platforms for success?

1 Define your genre

The first step to leverage game genres is to define your game genre. A game genre is a category of games that share common features, mechanics, themes, and goals. For example, platformers are games that involve jumping and moving across platforms, while shooters are games that involve shooting enemies and weapons. Defining your game genre helps you to focus your game design, identify your core gameplay loop, and communicate your game vision to your players and stakeholders.

2 Research your platform

The second step to leverage game platforms is to research your platform. A game platform is a device or system that runs your game, such as a PC, console, mobile, or web browser. Researching your platform helps you to understand the technical specifications, limitations, and opportunities of your game platform, such as graphics, sound, input, storage, and network. By researching your platform, you can optimize your game performance , compatibility, and accessibility for your platform.

3 Analyze your market

The third step to leverage game genres and platforms is to analyze your market. A game market is the segment of players and consumers that are interested in your game genre and platform. Analyzing your market helps you to understand the demographics, behaviors, and preferences of your potential players, such as age, gender, location, play style, and motivation. By analyzing your market, you can tailor your game design, features, and marketing to your target audience.

4 Study your competitors

The fourth step to leverage game genres and platforms is to study your competitors. Your competitors are the other games and developers that are offering similar or alternative games in your game genre and platform. Studying your competitors helps you to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your game design, such as innovation, quality, popularity, and feedback. By studying your competitors, you can differentiate your game design, value proposition, and positioning from your competition.

5 Test your assumptions

The fifth step to leverage game genres and platforms is to test your assumptions. Your assumptions are the hypotheses and expectations that you have about your game design, genre, platform, market, and competitors. Testing your assumptions helps you to validate or invalidate your game design decisions, such as gameplay, art style, narrative, and monetization. By testing your assumptions, you can iterate on your game design, improve your user experience , and measure your game success .

6 Learn from feedback

The sixth and final step to leverage game genres and platforms is to learn from feedback. Feedback is the information and opinions that you receive from your players, stakeholders, and peers about your game design, genre, platform, market, and competitors. Learning from feedback helps you to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and improvements of your game design, such as fun, engagement, retention, and satisfaction. By learning from feedback, you can refine your game design, adapt to changes, and grow your game audience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?