Custom Game Development

Step 1. Initial Meeting

A meeting where we will discuss all preliminary information: key aspects of your game, your expectations, budget, and timeline. This will allow us to establish a foundation for the initial assessment.

Step 2. Preliminary Assessment

At this stage, we perform initial calculations based on the information you provide and our prior experience in the relevant genre, technology stack, and timelines.

• Development Analysis: We examine each stage of game creation, considering your needs, the number of specialists you plan to involve, and the expected budget.
• Initial Assessment: We conduct a preliminary assessment within one week of receiving all game specification details.

Step 3. Pre-Production Preparation

The preliminary development stage includes signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and service contracts, forming the core team that will drive your project, and preparing key documentation for further game development. The most critical documents include:

• Game Design Document, which provides a detailed description of the game’s narrative, including all branching paths, mechanics, gameplay loops, and interconnections. We use this document to estimate development timelines and as a reference throughout all stages of our work.
• Visual Style Guide, where you define the required artistic style, character design configurations, necessary visual effects, color palettes, visual references, and more.

This stage takes approximately 1-2 months, depending on the project’s complexity.

Step 4. Budget Refinement and Cost Clarification

Now that we understand what your game is and the style in which you want it visualized, we can determine which game elements should be included in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a soft launch.

In game development, an MVP is a game with, for example, the first level. We release the MVP to gauge how players respond to the world, narrative, and core mechanics.

Additionally, we can estimate the budget required for the MVP release and extrapolate this data to the entire game. We will provide a final assessment within one to two weeks, depending on the scope of work.

It’s important to note that creating an MVP not only allows us to test ideas and mechanics but also gather player feedback. This helps make necessary adjustments before the full release, significantly increasing the project’s chances of success.

Step 5. Development

The Metabula Games team begins game development. We share progress updates in a format convenient for you on a weekly basis. Typically, we use Agile methodologies, but the project manager working with your team, along with game designers, producers, and lead specialists, can adapt the process to meet your needs.

Game development is organized in sprints, each lasting one week. Within 1-2 weeks of development, we will start showcasing our achievements at the end of each sprint, allowing you to test, evaluate, and provide feedback on implemented features. After three months, you will have the opportunity to try the MVP version of the game and, if needed, participate in managing the process.

We ensure full transparency at all stages of work and provide reports in a format convenient for you (typically, detailed descriptions via email, a package of graphics and visual assets if such work was done, and, of course, the latest build).

Step 6. Test Version for Internal Players

The test version of the game is used to conduct testing sessions with potential players before the soft launch. This is a crucial stage, especially for games featuring experimental mechanics or unique narrative elements.

Main objectives of the test version:

1. Evaluation of Mechanics and Narrative: Testing allows us to see how players perceive the game in their first short session. This helps determine whether the game mechanics and storyline are clear to them.

2. Gathering External Perspectives: It’s essential to obtain an outside perspective before presenting the game to publishers. This enables the team to shift from analyzing individual features to understanding the overall story and answering key questions like “Why would players want to play it?”

3. Measuring Engagement: Observing testers allows us to assess their engagement and how they navigate the game world. This provides valuable insights for further refinement.

Thus, the test version serves not only to verify game features but also to gather feedback that will improve the product and prepare it for market release.

Step 7. Soft Launch

A soft launch in the gaming industry is a stage where the game becomes available to a limited audience before its official release on the global market. This process allows us to test the game in real-world conditions, identify potential issues, and collect data on player behavior. Typically, a soft launch is conducted in specific regions or countries, where we can gather valuable feedback and adjust the game’s balance, mechanics, and content.

The primary goal of a soft launch is to minimize risks before the full release. Our clients can analyze metrics such as user retention, engagement, and monetization, helping them understand the game’s success and what changes are needed. This stage also provides an opportunity to test server infrastructure and resolve technical issues, ultimately contributing to a more successful launch in a broader market.

Step 8. Game Release

The full game release is the stage where the product becomes available to a wide audience and meets all requirements of the technical specification and game design document. At this point, both we and our clients are confident that the game is ready for launch, as all key mechanics, content, and functionality have been implemented according to the original vision. During the soft launch testing phase, major bugs were identified and fixed, ensuring stable game performance and a positive player experience.

After the full release, developers focus on supporting and evolving the game through regular updates. This may include adding new content, enhancing gameplay, fixing remaining bugs, and responding to community feedback. The full release is not the endpoint; instead, it opens new opportunities for player engagement and further project improvement.

Step 9. LiveOps