The Art of Reskinning: How to Refresh Your Game Without Starting from Scratch

Have you ever wondered how some games manage to stay popular and profitable for years, even decades, without losing their appeal or becoming outdated? ?

One of the secrets behind their longevity is reskinning – the process of changing the graphics, theme, or style of a game while keeping the core gameplay and mechanics intact. ?

Reskinning is not a new concept in the gaming industry. In fact, some of the most iconic and successful games of all time are examples of reskins, such as Pac-Man, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., Angry Birds, and Candy Crush Saga. These games have been reskinned countless times, with different characters, settings, colors, sounds, and features, to suit different audiences, platforms, markets, and trends.? ?

But reskinning is not only for big studios and blockbuster titles. It can also be a powerful and cost-effective strategy for mid-size and indie developers who want to extend the life of their games, reach new players, and boost their revenue, without having to start from scratch every time.? ?

How Reskinning Can Extend the Life of Your Games?

As a developer, you know how challenging and rewarding it is to create your own games. You pour your passion, creativity, and skills into every project, and hope to reach as many players as possible, while making a profit from your hard work.?

But what if you could multiply your success, without multiplying your efforts? ?

What if you could create more games, faster and cheaper, while maintaining the quality and fun of your original games??

This is where reskinning comes in. Reskinning is the process of changing the graphics, theme, or style of a game, while keeping the core gameplay and mechanics intact. ?

But reskinning is not a magic bullet. It requires a lot of planning, research, creativity, and testing, to ensure that your reskins are unique, engaging, and profitable. And it can also be time-consuming and tedious, especially if you have to do everything by yourself.?

That's why outsourcing companies can be your best allies when it comes to reskinning your games.

Outsourcing companies specialize in providing reskin services, such as graphic design, sound design, game engine integration, publishing, and marketing. They can save you time, money, and hassle, and help you reskin your games like a pro.?

Why Reskin Your Game???

Reskinning your game can offer many advantages for game developers, such as:??

• Reducing development time and costs: Reskinning allows you to reuse your existing code, assets, and features, and only modify the graphics, theme, or style of your game. ?

• Expanding your portfolio and audience: Create multiple versions of your game with different themes, genres, or niches, and target different segments of players, platforms, or markets. ?

• Testing and optimizing your game: Experiment with different elements of your game, such as the art style, the color scheme, the sound effects, the user interface, or the monetization methods, and see how they affect the performance and engagement of your game. You can use analytics and feedback to measure and compare the results of your reskins and optimize them accordingly.??

What Makes a Good Reskin???

Reskinning is not just about changing the graphics or the theme of your game. It is also about creating a unique and engaging experience for your players, while maintaining the core gameplay and mechanics that make your game fun and addictive.??

A good reskin should be:??

• Consistent and coherent: The graphics, theme, and style of your reskin should match and complement each other and create a unified and immersive atmosphere for your game. Avoid using mismatched or clashing elements that can confuse or distract your players.??

• Original and creative: Your reskin should be distinctive and memorable and reflect your personality and vision as a developer. Avoid using generic or clichéd elements that can make your game look boring or unoriginal.??

• Appealing and attractive: Reskins should be eye-catching and draw the attention and interest of your players. Using dull or low-quality elements can make your game look unprofessional or unappealing.??

• Relevant and appropriate: The graphics, theme, and style of your reskin should suit the genre, audience, platform, and market of your game, and resonate with your players' preferences, expectations, and emotions. Avoid using inappropriate or offensive elements that can alienate or upset your players.?

How to Work with an Outsourcing Company to Reskin Your Game in 5 Simple Steps??

Working with an outsourcing company to reskin your game doesn’t need to be complicated or stressful. ?

Here are five simple steps to guide you through the process:??

1. Choose your game: The first step is to select the game that you want to reskin. Ideally, you should choose a game that has simple and proven gameplay, modular and flexible code, and high demand and potential in the market. ?
2. Choose your theme: The next step is to decide on the theme that you want to apply to your game. You can choose a theme related to the original game, such as a different setting, character, or story, or a different theme, such as a different genre, niche, or style. You can also choose a theme that is inspired by current trends, seasons, events, or personal interests.??
3. Choose your outsourcing company: Select the outsourcing company that you want to partner with. Evaluate and compare different teams based on?factors such as portfolio, reputation, communication, collaboration, price, and value, and choose the one that best suits your needs, expectations, and goals. You can also contact and interview the outsourcing company and ask them any questions or concerns that you may have, or request a demo game.??
4. Provide your game and theme: Submit your game code, assets, and features along with your theme idea, and any references or examples that you may have. You can also discuss your vision, goals, and feedback, and agree on the scope, timeline, and budget of the reskin project.??
5. Review and approve your reskin: The final step is to review and approve your reskin. The outsourcing company will send you the reskin of your game, and you can test and evaluate it, to see if it meets your quality and standards, and?matches your vision. Once you are satisfied with the reskin, you can approve it and publish it.?

To help you reskin your game with the help of outsourcing companies, we’ve added a few expert tips:?

?? Tip #1: Plan ahead and do your research. Before you start reskinning your game, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and what resources you need. You should also do some market research and competitor analysis, to find out what themes and graphics are popular and profitable, and what gaps and opportunities exist in the market.?

?? Tip #2: Add some variety and innovation. While reskinning your game, you should not limit yourself to changing only the graphics or the theme. You should also try to add some variety by introducing new content, features, or challenges, that can enhance the gameplay and engagement of your game. For example, you can add new levels, modes, power-ups, enemies, or rewards, that can make your game more fun and challenging.?

?? Tip #3: Test and polish your game. After reskinning your game,?test and polish your game to ensure that it works smoothly and flawlessly, and that it meets the quality and standards of the market and the platform. You should also get some feedback and reviews from your players and use them to improve and update your game.?

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By following these steps, tips, and examples, you can work with outsourcing companies to reskin your game like a pro, and create unique and engaging experiences for your players.?

Ready to reskin your game? Contact us today and let us help you turn your game into a masterpiece!?

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