What are the best practices for cross-platform game networking?

1 Network architecture

The network architecture of your game determines how the data is exchanged between the players and the servers. There are two main types of network architecture: peer-to-peer (P2P) and client-server. P2P networks rely on the players' devices to communicate directly with each other, without a central server. This can reduce latency and server costs, but it also exposes the game to cheating, hacking, and connectivity issues. Client-server networks use a dedicated server to handle the game logic and data, while the players' devices act as clients. This can improve security and consistency, but it also increases latency and server costs. The best network architecture for your cross-platform game depends on your game genre, scale, and budget. You can also use a hybrid approach, where some features are handled by P2P and others by client-server.

2 Network protocol

The network protocol of your game defines how the data is encoded, transmitted, and received over the network. There are two main types of network protocol: TCP and UDP. TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol, and it ensures that the data is delivered reliably and in order. UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol, and it allows for faster and more efficient data transmission, but without guaranteeing reliability and order. The best network protocol for your cross-platform game depends on your game mechanics, speed, and complexity. You can also use a combination of TCP and UDP, where some data is sent using TCP and others using UDP.

3 Performance optimization

Performance optimization is the process of improving the speed, quality, and stability of your game's network communication to enhance the gameplay experience and reduce bandwidth and resource consumption. To do this, you should employ compression and encryption techniques to reduce the size and protect the integrity of your data packets. Additionally, prediction and interpolation algorithms can smooth out the movement and animation of game objects in fast-paced games. Delta compression and snapshot compression techniques should be used to minimize the amount of data sent and received in large-scale games. Rate control and throttling techniques should be used to adjust the frequency and priority of data packets based on network conditions and game state. Finally, network simulation tools can be utilized to test and debug your game's network performance under various scenarios and platforms.

4 Security enhancement

Security enhancement is the process of protecting your game's network communication from unauthorized access, modification, or disruption, which can prevent cheating, hacking, and other malicious attacks that can damage your game's reputation and revenue. To achieve this, you should use secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocols to establish a secure connection between your game's clients and servers. Authentication and authorization techniques are also necessary to verify the identity and access level of players and servers. Encryption and hashing techniques should be used to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data packets, while anti-cheat and anti-hack techniques can help detect and prevent any attempts to manipulate or exploit your game's network logic or data. Additionally, it’s beneficial to use network monitoring and auditing tools to track and analyze your game's network activity and behavior.

5 User experience design

User experience design is the process of creating a satisfying, enjoyable, and accessible gameplay experience for your game's players across all platforms. It can increase the retention, loyalty, and satisfaction of your game's audience. To ensure this, you should use cross-platform compatible tools and frameworks to develop and deploy your game's network features, such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Photon, or Firebase. Additionally, cross-play and cross-progression features should be implemented to allow players to interact and progress across different platforms without losing their data or progress. Cross-platform testing and feedback tools should also be used to make sure that your game's network features work well and look good on different platforms. Adaptive and responsive UI and UX elements should be used to adjust your game's interface and controls to suit different platforms. Lastly, platform-specific and platform-agnostic features should be used to balance your game's functionality and identity across different platforms.

6 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?