The UK games industry generated over £7 billion in revenue last year, making it one of the largest creative sectors in the country. With that scale comes a crowded market of studios, freelancers, and consultancies, all claiming expertise. So when publications like Digital Reference compile lists of the best game design consulting services in the UK, what criteria actually matter?
As a studio that was recently named in that list, we thought it would be useful to break down what we believe separates a genuinely capable consultancy from one that simply has a good website.
Technical Depth Over Breadth of Services
The biggest red flag when evaluating a game development consultancy is a services page that claims to do everything. Web apps, blockchain, AI, mobile, VR, AR, "metaverse". If a studio lists every buzzword, they're likely a generalist agency that treats games as just another software vertical.
A great game dev consultancy has deep, demonstrable expertise in specific technical domains. That might be:
- Engine-level optimization - not just "we use Unity" but "we've optimized draw calls for mobile GPUs rendering 10,000+ entities"
- Networking architecture - understanding server-authoritative design, tick rates, interpolation, and lag compensation for multiplayer games
- Platform-specific porting - knowing the actual constraints of iOS Metal, Android Vulkan, and the compromises required to hit 60fps on a mid-range phone
At Ocean View Games, we deliberately specialize. Our core competencies are Unity development, mobile porting and optimisation, and multiplayer networking. We don't claim to build VR experiences or design board games, because doing fewer things well is how you build genuine authority.
A Provable Track Record
Case studies matter more than client logos. Any studio can list impressive names, but the question is: what did they actually build, and what were the results?
Look for consultancies that publish detailed technical case studies. Not marketing fluff, but honest accounts of the problems they solved. Did they describe the architecture? Did they explain trade-offs? Can you see the shipped product?
Our case study on porting RuneScape to mobile walks through specific UI/UX challenges we solved for a 20-year-old MMORPG with millions of active players. Our Domi Online case study details the server-authoritative networking decisions we made for a blockchain MMORPG built from scratch. These aren't vague "we helped a client" stories, they're technical narratives that demonstrate actual engineering capability.
Third-party coverage helps too. When Beam interviewed our lead developer about the architecture behind Domi Online, it wasn't a paid placement. It was a platform reaching out because the work was technically interesting enough to warrant coverage.
Industry-Specific Experience
Game development isn't one discipline, it's dozens. A studio that excels at casual mobile puzzle games may be completely wrong for your multiplayer RPG. A consultancy that builds educational games may not understand live-service monetization.
The best consultancies have depth in specific verticals:
- MMORPG and multiplayer - requires networking, database architecture, anti-cheat, and scalability expertise
- Educational and serious games - requires understanding pedagogy, accessibility standards, and institutional procurement processes
- Mobile porting - requires deep platform knowledge, performance profiling, and UI adaptation for touch interfaces
We've worked across game studios and education institutions specifically because these two verticals demand the kind of rigorous engineering we specialize in. A vocabulary app for Cambridge University Press has more in common with an MMORPG than you might think; both require offline-first architecture, progressive content loading, and obsessive performance optimization.
Communication and Process Maturity
Technical skill means nothing if the consultancy can't communicate clearly, hit deadlines, or integrate with your existing team.
The hallmarks of a mature consultancy:
- Clear scoping and estimation - they tell you what's hard and what's risky before starting
- Transparent weekly reporting - you see progress, blockers, and burn rate regularly
- Co-development capability - they can embed into your Jira/Slack/Git workflow rather than operating as a black box
- Post-launch support - they don't disappear after shipping; they offer maintenance and live-ops retainers
This is particularly important for studios that need staff augmentation or a specialized team to hit a milestone. The consultancy needs to function as an extension of your team, not a separate entity that delivers a ZIP file at the end.
Long-Term Thinking
The best consultancies think beyond the current invoice. They make architectural decisions that serve the project's 5-year roadmap, not just the next sprint.
When we built the 64-bit progression system for Domi Online, we could have used standard 32-bit integers and moved on. But we knew the game was designed for decades of player progression, so we engineered a system that mathematically cannot overflow. That's the kind of decision that separates a consultancy from a contractor.
Similarly, when we modernized Flash games for the Museum of London, we didn't just convert ActionScript to JavaScript, we rebuilt the architecture in TypeScript with Phaser so the institution could maintain and extend the game for years to come.
The UK Advantage
The UK has genuine structural advantages for game development consultancy:
- Talent pipeline - universities like Abertay, BAFTA-affiliated programs, and proximity to major studios (Rockstar North, Rare, Jagex) create a deep talent pool
- Time zone positioning - GMT/BST overlaps with both US East Coast and European working hours, making co-development practical across regions
- Tax incentives - Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) and the UK Games Fund actively support the industry
- Cultural proximity to major markets - British studios work natively in English and understand both Western and Asian gaming markets
These aren't just marketing points, they're practical advantages that affect project delivery. When you hire a UK consultancy, you're tapping into an ecosystem that has produced some of the most successful games in history.
What to Ask Before Hiring
If you're evaluating game development consultancies, here are five questions that quickly separate the serious from the superficial:
- "Show me a technical case study for a shipped product" - if they can't, they're hiding something
- "What's your team's background?" - look for people who've worked at actual game studios, not just "full-stack developers"
- "How do you handle scope changes mid-project?" - the answer reveals process maturity
- "What would you recommend against for our project?" - a good consultancy says no to bad ideas
- "Can we talk to a previous client?" - confidence in referrals signals quality
Final Thought
Being named among the best game design consulting services in the UK is a milestone we're proud of. But recognition follows results - not the other way around. We'd rather be known for the work than the awards.
If you're looking for a game development consultancy that brings deep technical expertise, honest communication, and a track record of shipped products, get in touch. We're happy to discuss your project even if you end up choosing someone else.