Category: Multiplayer Mobile games

Whether teaming up with friends or competing with players on a global scale, the thrill of real-time experience in multiplayer games is what makes them dominate the global charts. They are loved by fans worldwide because they speak to the basic human desire to enjoy group activities, whether collaborating or competing.

A successful multiplayer game stands on the foundations of seamless networking, matchmaking, and gameplay. However, due to the large number of users and limitations of mobile devices, developers often struggle with issues like latency and scalability. 

With step-by-step guidance on how to build a multiplayer mobile game, this blog will discuss the essentials of building a multiplayer mobile game. So, whether you are an indie developer or developing for a big studio, rest assured that this blog will guide you through the essentials of developing a world-class multiplayer experience.   

What is a Multiplayer Mobile Game & How Did it Begin?

Multiplayer mobile games offer a platform where players from different geographical locations can collaborate in real-time or compete asynchronously. Unlike single-player games, they don’t rely on scripted narratives but on unpredictability, social interaction, and replayability. Since real players are shaping their actions, every match is a new experience. 

Bluetooth-based games like Bluetooth Biplanes (2000s) and Shade (2002) were among the ones that laid the foundation of multiplayer mobile games. With access to the internet, online multiplayer titles like TibiaME (2003) or Glu’s Project Gotham Racing (2007) allowed players from distant locations to play together. Further, iOS and Android-powered smartphones brought real-time multiplayer games like Clash of Clans (2012) that popularized multiplayer mobile gaming with persistent online battles. 

Bluetooth Biplanes, Source: Kotaku

As the industry and technology evolved, games like PUBG Mobile (2018) and Call of Duty: Mobile (2019) brought console-like experiences to mobile devices. The graph below shows that multiplayer MOBA titles like Honor of Kings (2015) and battle royale game PUBG Mobile were among the highest-grossing games worldwide. This indicates their rising popularity and demand. 

Source: Statista

With the evolution of technology, features like cross-platform play, social-platform integrations, and esports are pushing the limits of multiplayer mobile games to new domains. The 2023 Global Statshot Report indicates the popularity of multiplayer modes like M.O.B.A, sports, or battle royale among the most popular game formats. 

Source: Simon Kemp

Types of Multiplayer Mobile Games

The common types of multiplayer mobile games include:

• Local Multiplayer: These games allow multiple users to play together on the same device. For example, the popular title Fruit Ninja enables multiplayer mode through a split-screen mechanic. 
• Strategy Games: As the name suggests, strategic decision-making is the central idea of these multiplayer games. They rely on cloud-based game servers to manage the data of persistent players and global matchmaking. Popular examples include Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars.
• Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA): These are fast-paced, strategic combat games like Arena of Valor and League of Legends: Wild Rift, where teams compete to dominate the battlefield.
• Battle Royale: In these games, the players are dropped on a large map where they can group up or go solo to compete with each other, and the winner is the last player standing. Popular examples include PUBG: Mobile and Fortnite. 
• Sports: This includes games like FIFA Mobile or Asphalt 9, which offer fast-paced, skill-based competitions that imitate real-life sports.
• Casual & Puzzle Games: These games are made for casual fun with simple mechanics. They usually feature simple 2D game art styles and gameplay, such as Among Us and Words with Friends 2.
• Role Playing Games (RPGs): These games offer exploration of worlds, character development, and cooperative gameplay. For example, Genshin Impact features breathtaking worlds where players can build teams or play in survival mode. 

Essential Backend Components of Multiplayer Mobile Games

From adding multiplayer features to scaling an existing title, here are the backend essentials you need for  developing a successful multiplayer mobile game:

• Game servers & Synchronization: Multiplayer game architecture runs on cloud-based servers. Opt for the best networking solutions for your multiplayer mobile game that can handle all the real-time actions. This helps in preventing cheating or a lack of coordination between players.
• Network Connectivity & Latency: Lag is one of the biggest downers in multiplayer games that can instantly kill the fun. When players are competing or collaborating in real-time, low-latency game networking is crucial to ensure smooth gameplay. This is usually mitigated with methods like lag compensation and client-side prediction. 
• Game Data Management & Security: Data such as customer profiles, stats, inventories, or online wallets is crucial to manage and protect. Use cloud databases and encrypted codes to keep the data safe. This also prevents issues like stat manipulation or duplication. 
• Matchmaking & Player Interaction: Efficient matchmaking and player interaction are among the core requirements of multiplayer games. Players can be matched based on their skill levels and region to drive social interaction and game engagement.
• Scalability & Optimization: Ensure that your mobile game can handle players from around the world so that it can run flawlessly even during peak hours. This can be done by load balancing, distributing servers, and optimizing resources.  
• Anti-Cheat Measures: Hackers and cheaters can compromise fair gameplay and ruin the multiplayer experience. To mitigate this, multiplayer game programming must be integrated with server-side validation, cheat detection, and hardware bans for fair matches.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building Multiplayer Mobile Games

From conceptualization to post-launch support, let’s explore how to create a real-time multiplayer mobile game:

1. Conceptualize: The first step starts right from the mind, by conceptualizing your vision. Are you planning for a fast-paced real-time action like Call of Duty or a strategy game like Clash Royale? Accordingly, conceptualize the mechanics, game level design, audience profile, and monetization channels.
2. Choose tools: After you have a clear concept of what you want to create, choose a suitable game engine and network framework. Ensure cross-platform deployment to enjoy smoother development for both Android and IOS. Popular game engines include Unreal Engine and Unity. 
3. Design the architecture: Elements like the user interface and multiplayer framework are the backbone of your game. Decide between peer-to-peer, cloud-based, dedicated servers, or a mixed approach to ensure scalability for multiple players.
4. Set up the backend: Integrate multiplayer game backend solutions like Firebase, PlayFab, or AWS to manage user accounts, in-game communication, matchmaking, leaderboards, and anti-cheat systems.
5. Implement multiplayer features: Add multiplayer features like common challenges, common goals, friend invites, real-time communication, leaderboards, and ranking to promote player engagement.
6. Test and debug: Every experience is unique in multiplayer games; therefore, ensuring a seamless experience demands rigorous testing. After game prototype development, simulate issues like device compatibility, network compatibility, high latency, and packet loss to refine the gameplay for all conditions.
7. Release: After developing, testing, and optimizing your multiplayer game, it is time to release it on app stores. Keep a close eye on user feedback and offer seamless post-release support/ updates. 

Best Engines for Multiplayer Mobile Game Development

You need the right mobile game development engine for a full-fledged and supportive experience. Here are some of the best ones:

• Unity: This is a powerful engine for developing multiplayer mobile games that supports both iOS and Android. It features a vast array of assets and strong community support. The new Unity 6.0 (2024) has converted the MLAPI element to Netcode, making the platform more streamlined for multiplayer functionality. Pokemon Go and Among Us are some of the popular games made with Unity.
• Unreal Engine (UE): This is one of the best tools for multiplayer game development that offers high-fidelity graphics and advanced game mechanics for creating stunning mobile games. It features a built-in support system to help with game development. Popular games made from UE include PUBG Mobile and Tower of Fantasy.
• Godot: It is a light-weight, open-source engine for game development. It is a popular choice among indie developers as it offers both 2D and 3D game development for any genre. Examples include Wizards of Lezama and Flappy Race.

Conclusion

Multiplayer mobile games are evolving into full-fledged console experiences and even going beyond with technologies like AR, VR, and AI. This calls for precision with new technologies along with creative design to compete in a highly competitive market. From backend architecture to game development engines, this multiplayer game development guide presents all the key concepts and tools you need.

Key takeaways: 

• Start with a strong multiplayer game concept and user profile.
• Opt for the right tools and engine that support your game vision.
• Build a strong multiplayer game architecture that can scale without lag.
• Set up multiplayer game backend solutions to manage user data and support multiplayer activities.
• Test extensively in different settings to ensure a seamless experience and offer post-launch support. 

Irrespective of the type, whether MOBA, racer, or strategy, the fundamentals and steps discussed in this multiplayer mobile game development tutorial remain the same. Keep a check on these details and harness the power of expertise to create unique and immersive mobile multiplayer experiences. 

How Xpress Gaming Can Help You Develop a True Multiplayer Gaming Experience 

At Xpress Gaming, we are committed to delivering services with sheer excellence to develop exceptional gaming experiences. We utilize industry-leading platforms like Unity and Unreal Engine with expertise that spans full-stack game development. With our 135+ experts and 17+ years of proven track record with clients like Games2Win and Reliance Games, we offer a one-stop solution for all your needs. 

Looking for a reliable partner for multiplayer game development? Contact us today and get a scalable and secure infrastructure to transform your multiplayer game vision into reality.