Mobile games are a huge and growing industry. They’re not just for kids anymore! In fact, the average age of mobile gamers has increased from 26 to 34 in the past few years. The number of people playing mobile games is skyrocketing too; there were over 2 billion downloads globally last year alone. But how much does it cost to make a mobile game?

What should you know before starting this process? This blog post will discuss everything you need to know about making your own game, including what costs are involved and where to find resources that can help you get started.

How much does it cost to make a mobile game?

It’s important to set your expectations for what you can expect from a mobile game. A successful, high-quality download may cost upwards of $100k. This is usually an independent developer or small studio that has released several games previously and knows how much it costs to make a mobile game. For the average person just starting out, the costs will be much lower.

Also, read – why is your phone so slow?

The making mobile game costs can vary based on several factors: 

  • Whether you release your app as free or paid
  • The level of experience and expertise you need for the development team (the more experienced, the higher your costs will be)
  • How much content and features do you want to add. This can dramatically increase or decrease your cost!
  • How many platforms do you plan to release your game on (iOS and Android are the most popular, but Windows phones can be a consideration as well)
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Mobile Game
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Mobile Game

Mobile Game Development Cost for Android Mobile game

There are many ways to approach this project, but here is a general breakdown of the costs involved. These numbers will vary depending on your game and team size: for example, if you design mini games it’s taking low cost.

  • $20k for game design (type of game)
  • $30k for development (platform dependent)
  • $25k for audio/music creation
  • 40% goes towards app store fees (paid to Google Play)
  • $15k for marketing (may or may not be needed depending on how much you can do yourself – this is a good place to invest if your budget allows it! like social media marketing)

What should I know before starting an android game? Tips!

Here are some important things to keep in mind as you begin:

  • You can easily spend more than you budget for. Be careful to not overspend on any one area, especially if it means sacrificing quality elsewhere.
  • Make sure the game is something that people will want to play! It’s easy to get excited about your own idea or become too attached to a concept that either isn’t fun or doesn’t make sense for your game.
  • Take advantage of free resources (like Unity) to create your prototype before investing any money into this project! This will help you determine if the game has potential or not and is a good way to get started without spending much money. 
  • It’s always better to ask for help than it is to go at this alone. Reach out to other game developers, even if you’ll have to pay them, and find your community!
  • Be patient – nothing good ever comes overnight. This takes time! You may need several iterations before you get something that people want or enjoy.
  • If you don’t have any experience in this area, look for a team that has at least one member who does. You’ll want to make sure the game is technically feasible before spending money on it!

Read this to know about how to play android games on PC without emulator

Mobile Game Development Cost for IOS mobile game

Again, it’s important to set your expectations. A quality game that goes through the Apple review process will cost roughly $100k or more for a single developer. This is usually an independent developer or small studio that has released several games previously and knows how much it costs to make an IOS mobile game. For the average person just starting out, the costs will be much lower.

Here is a general breakdown of what you can expect:

  • $18k for design (approximate)
  • $50k for development (platform dependent – this estimate includes iOS and Android development, but maybe more or less depending on your game)
  • 40% goes towards app store fees (paid to Apple)
  • $15k for marketing (may be needed, especially if you can’t do it yourself!)

What should I know before starting an iOS mobile game? Tips!

Here are some important things to keep in mind as you begin:

  • You can easily spend more than you budget for. Be careful to not overspend on any one area, especially if it means sacrificing quality elsewhere!
  • Make sure the game is something that people will want to play! It’s easy to get excited about your own idea or become too attached to a concept that either isn’t fun or doesn’t make sense for your game.
  • Take advantage of free resources (like Unity) to create your prototype before investing any money into this project! This will help you determine if the game has potential or not and is a good way to get started without spending much money.
  • It’s always better to ask for help than it is to go at this alone. Reach out to other game developers, even if you’ll have to pay them, and find your community!
  • Be patient – nothing good ever comes overnight. This takes time! You may need several iterations before you get something that people want or enjoy.
  • If you don’t have any experience in this area, look for a team that has at least one member who does. You’ll want to make sure the game is technically feasible before spending money on it!

What are some resources that can help me get started?

You don’t have to go at it alone! There’s plenty of support available to you, whether it’s through an established game development company or a design school near you. Both offer courses and programs for aspiring indie developers.

Resources for mobile game developers: [Game Engine]

Android Developers

  • Unity
  • Unreal Engine
  • Cocos2d
  • Corona

IOS Developers

  • Makeschool
  • SpriteBuilder
  • GitHub
  • IOSGameDevWeekly

Here you can get more information about Android Developers and IOS Developers.

How to start before making a mobile game?

First, create your prototype – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Second, try and find someone who can do the programming for you or at least consult on what’s possible from an engineering perspective. And lastly, remember that this takes time! You may need several iterations before you get something that people want or enjoy.

Final thoughts!

Hopefully! we think you can get better knowledge and better understanding in this article written about how much does it cost to make a mobile game?. Make a good mobile game and earn more best of luck!.

Chaminda Gunasekara as represent as Gamedotro Author. He is a Graduate Bachelor of I.C.T. and a graduate in software and tech. Also, video game playing and finding new things is his biggest hobby.