How do you create a game pipeline for multiple platforms and genres?

1 Choose a cross-platform engine

One of the first decisions you need to make is which game engine to use for your project. A game engine is the software framework that provides the core functionality, graphics, audio, physics, and networking for your game. Choosing a cross-platform engine means that you can target multiple devices and operating systems with the same code base, reducing the need for porting and compatibility issues. Some popular cross-platform engines are Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, and GameMaker Studio.

2 Define your game genre and scope

Another important step is to define your game genre and scope, which will affect your pipeline design and requirements. A game genre is the category of gameplay and mechanics that your game belongs to, such as action, adventure, puzzle, or strategy. A game scope is the size and complexity of your game, such as the number of levels, features, assets, and systems. Defining your game genre and scope will help you choose the appropriate tools, workflows, and standards for your pipeline, as well as set realistic goals and milestones.

3 Establish your asset pipeline

An asset pipeline is a process of creating, importing, managing, and exporting the various assets that make up your game such as models, textures, animations, sounds, and scripts. It needs to be efficient, consistent, and scalable for cross-platform and multi-genre games. Choosing the right formats and compression depending on the platform and genre is one task of an asset pipeline. Additionally, creating asset naming conventions and folder structures for organization and easy access is important. Version control and backup systems are essential for tracking changes and avoiding data loss. Automating asset conversion and optimization with scripts or tools is also part of an asset pipeline. Lastly, testing and debugging assets on different platforms and devices must be done.

4 Design your game architecture

Your game architecture is the structure and organization of your code, data, and systems that define how your game works and interacts. To ensure that your game architecture is modular, flexible, and maintainable, you should choose a programming language and paradigm that suits your platform and genre. Additionally, design patterns and principles should be used to structure your code and avoid duplication and complexity. Abstraction and interfaces can help you separate your game logic from the presentation layer. It is also important to implement cross-platform and genre-specific features, such as input, UI, audio, physics, and networking. Finally, documenting and commenting your code will help with clarity and collaboration.

5 Develop your testing and deployment pipeline

A testing and deployment pipeline is the process of verifying, building, and distributing your game to your target platforms and audiences. This process should be reliable, fast, and secure, ensuring that your game meets the quality and performance standards and expectations of your platform and genre. To ensure this, you need to create test cases and scenarios for your game that cover functionality, usability, compatibility, and security. Automated testing tools and frameworks should be used to run and report tests on different platforms and devices. If any errors or issues are found during testing, debugging tools and logs can be used to fix them. Additionally, you need to build and package your game for each platform using platform-specific tools and settings. Finally, you must distribute your game to the platform's store or marketplace following the platform's guidelines and policies.

6 Optimize and update your game pipeline

A game pipeline is not a static or final product, but rather a dynamic and evolving process that needs to be optimized and updated regularly. Optimizing your game pipeline involves improving its efficiency, quality, and performance by identifying and eliminating bottlenecks, errors, and redundancies. Updating your game pipeline means adding new features, content, and improvements by responding to feedback, trends, and opportunities. To optimize and update your game pipeline, you should monitor and analyze metrics and data with analytics tools and dashboards; collect and review feedback from players, testers, and stakeholders using surveys, reviews, and forums; research new technologies, tools, and techniques using online resources, courses, and communities; refactor and revise code, assets, and systems with best practices and standards; implement and test new features with agile and iterative methods.

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?