# Ocean View Games -- Full Content > Ocean View Games is a London-registered Unity studio founded in 2020, staffed by senior engineers only, offering Unity game development, co-development, porting, Unity version upgrades including Unity 6, performance optimisation, and educational and serious games. Director David Edgecombe is a Unity Certified Expert and former Technical Developer at Jagex, working on RuneScape and RuneScape Mobile. This file inlines every page listed in [llms.txt](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/llms.txt) in the order it appears there. Each page begins with an H2 heading and its canonical URL. Generated by `scripts/generate-llms-full.ts`. ## Key Facts - Ocean View Games Ltd, registered in England and Wales, Companies House No. 13011771, founded 2020. - Registered office: 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE. The team works remotely. - Core team: David Edgecombe (Director and Principal Unity Engineer, Unity Certified Expert) and Adam Kaye (Lead Unity Engineer), supported by a vetted network of contractors who have worked on previous OVG projects (backend, art, UI/UX, audio, QA). - Senior engineers only, no juniors. - Pricing: development is billed against milestones at rates agreed in each proposal, with projects starting from £5,000. Audit and advisory work is £750 per day, and the fixed-price Rapid Audit is £1,250. All prices exclude VAT. Fixed price, time and materials, co-development, Paid Scoping and LiveOps retainer engagements available. - Clients own the bespoke work on final payment; pre-existing tools are licensed for use within the delivered project. - Member of UKIE, the UK games industry trade body. - Does not take on NSFW, real-money gambling, social casino projects, or equity or revenue-share deals. Has not shipped a console title. - Contact: [oceanviewgames.co.uk/contact](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/contact) # Pages # Services ## Educational Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/educationalgames We design and build educational games for publishers, universities, museums and learning organisations. Bring us a learning objective, existing content or a game that needs updating. We’ll help shape and build the experience. ### Bringing The Great Fire of London to modern browsers Delivered by David at a previous agency, before Ocean View Games. London Museum’s educational game explored the Great Fire of 1666, but its Flash technology needed replacing. David rebuilt it from scratch in HTML5, using the original Flash game as the reference. The rebuild preserved the existing educational content and brought the game to modern browsers, keeping the museum’s interactive experience available to a new generation of learners. [Read the Great Fire of London case study](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london) ### What are you starting with? You do not need a finished game design. We can join at the idea stage or take on a product that is already in use. #### Build a new educational game Start with an audience and a learning objective. We can help shape the concept, design the gameplay and take it through prototyping, production and release. [How we develop the idea](#learning-through-play) #### Turn your content into a game Bring your curriculum, research, stories or artwork. We work alongside your subject experts to turn that material into interactions learners can explore and practise. [See the Vocab Builder project](/case-studies/educational-game-development-edtech) #### Improve an existing product Keep useful educational content in service with new platforms, updated technology, more languages or further development. We begin by assessing what can be retained. [See the Fire of London rebuild](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london) ### How learning becomes gameplay The learning objective shapes what the player does. Your educators, researchers or subject experts help us define the skill, review the content and decide how to evaluate the experience. #### Define the skill For a vocabulary game, an objective might be recognising a spoken word and connecting it with its meaning. #### Design the interaction An audio-matching activity gives the learner a word to listen to and images to choose from. Feedback and repeated practice become part of the play. #### Prototype and review Test a playable version with the intended audience, review it with your educators and refine the difficulty, instructions and feedback before expanding the content. ### Our team’s educational work Educational projects delivered at Ocean View Games and during our team’s previous employment. #### Navigo Delivered during previous employment Challenge: Turn pedagogical research from the EU Horizon 2020 iRead consortium into activities for young learners. Result: 15 mini-games across four languages. Adam led the project, which received a Serious Games Society award. [View Navigo](/projects/navigo) #### Vocab Builder Freelance work Challenge: Turn The Language Conservancy’s vocabulary research for endangered indigenous languages into a playable learning experience. Result: Nine vocabulary mini-games for iOS and Android, used across 14 published language apps. [View Vocab Builder](/projects/stoneyvocabbuilder) We’re currently the industry partner on a final-year games module at the [University of Roehampton](/partnerships/university-of-roehampton). ### Built for the setting where learning happens A classroom, museum gallery and research programme have different practical needs. We agree the requirements that matter to your project before choosing the technical approach. #### Devices and deployment Browser, desktop, iOS or Android: we agree the target devices early, including school hardware, managed tablets and kiosks. Offline use is scoped where connectivity is limited. #### Languages and content Plan text, audio and content pipelines around the languages you need now and those you may add later. Your subject experts stay involved in reviewing the material. #### Accessibility Agree access needs during discovery and test them throughout development. Controls, timing, text, audio and navigation all need to suit the learners and target platform. #### Reporting and integration Define what teachers, researchers or administrators need to see. Learning management system (LMS) connections, progress reporting and single sign-on are scoped against your actual systems. #### Younger audiences and privacy Plan data collection and account flows around your audience. We implement the technical measures agreed with your organisation’s legal and safeguarding teams. #### Support after launch Agree ownership of deployment, maintenance and future content before release. We can continue development as your programme grows or its technology changes. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about your audience, learning objectives, existing material, budget and deadline. If the requirements are clear, we can scope the development directly. If the game still needs defining, a paid scoping phase can produce a gameplay concept, technical approach, scope and costed production plan. For an existing product, an audit or prototype may be the useful first step. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions. We work alongside your educators and digital team, bringing in trusted specialists for art, audio or other disciplines where needed. Production runs in agreed milestones with regular playable builds, followed by testing on the target devices, deployment and any agreed ongoing support. Budget and scope We scope the work around your learning objectives, available content and delivery requirements. Discovery can be a separate first step when the game still needs defining. Content volume, platforms, languages, integrations and the production disciplines involved shape the estimate. We set out the scope and assumptions in your proposal. [Discuss your project](#contact)[Explore an early cost estimate](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator) ### Frequently asked questions #### What do you need from us to provide an estimate? Tell us who the game is for, what you want people to learn, and what content or research you already have. It also helps to know the target platforms, your available budget and any deadline, such as a funding milestone or planned launch. An incomplete brief is fine. You do not need a finished game design or every technical decision made. We can help identify the missing information and decide whether the project can be estimated directly or would benefit from a paid scoping phase. #### Who provides the educational content, artwork and audio? You bring the subject expertise and any existing educational material, and we handle the game design and engineering around it. We agree who will create and review the content before production begins. We can bring in artists and audio specialists through our freelance network, or work with your existing creative team. We scope these contributions as part of the project so responsibilities and costs are clear. #### Can you update an existing game without its original source code? Sometimes. We first assess what is available, such as a playable build, published files, artwork, audio or documentation. Without source code, the work may require recreating the game rather than updating its existing code, so feasibility and cost depend on what can be recovered and what needs rebuilding. In a previous role, David rebuilt London Museum’s [Great Fire of London game in HTML5](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london), using the original Flash game as the reference for every interaction. Share what you have and we can assess the options for your product. #### How long does an educational game take to build? Small, tightly scoped projects can be a couple of months. Most educational builds we see run somewhere between three and nine months, and larger multi-language or multi-platform programmes run longer. Content volume and the number of stakeholders who need to review it tend to affect the timeline more than the engineering does. Our [timeline estimator](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator) gives a rough indication before we speak. #### Can you work from our existing content and alongside our own educators? Yes, and this is common. Clients regularly come to us with a curriculum, a research database, stories, artwork or subject expertise held by their own team, and need the game designed and built around it. We are comfortable working alongside your educators, researchers, curriculum designers, illustrators or internal digital team rather than replacing them. Our team has done this with academic and institutional partners including Cambridge University Press, London Museum and the EU Horizon 2020 iRead consortium during previous employment, and David worked with The Language Conservancy on [Vocab Builder](/projects/stoneyvocabbuilder) as a freelance contractor. #### Can you integrate with our LMS? Where [LMS](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-lms-learning-management-system) integration is required, we first confirm the target platform, deployment environment and reporting needs. Depending on those requirements, the appropriate route may be SCORM (the long-established standard for reporting scores and completion to an LMS), xAPI (a newer standard that records more detailed learner activity) or a custom interface with single sign-on. Any standards-based integration is scoped and tested against the actual LMS rather than assumed to work universally. Our [SCORM vs Custom API](/blog/posts/scorm-vs-custom-api-lms-integration) post compares the approaches. Not every educational game needs LMS integration, so it is worth deciding early whether yours does. #### Can you support grant-funded or research projects? Yes. Adam’s team at a previous agency delivered [Navigo](/projects/navigo) for the EU Horizon 2020 iRead consortium, working across more than a dozen European research and education partners. That work won a [Serious Games](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-serious-game) Society award in the Digital Game Competition. We are used to projects with formal reporting requirements, multiple stakeholders and fixed funding windows. Where you are still preparing an application, a paid scoping phase can produce the scope, technical plan and costed budget the bid needs. ### Tell us what you want people to learn Share your audience, learning objective and any content or research you already have. You do not need a finished game design to start a conversation. [Describe your learners](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/educationalgames#contact) --- ## Mobile Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/mobile We build Unity games for iOS and Android. Bring us a game idea, an existing title to port or a mobile project that needs improving. We can help with the planning, development and release. ### Modernising Nova Blast and bringing it to Android Developed by Ocean View Games for Foil Hat Games. Foil Hat Games had a live iOS puzzle game with an ageing engine version and plans for an Android release. We moved it to Unity 2019 LTS (a long-term support release), updated its packages and adapted it for display cutouts and the wide range of Android devices. The work also extended the level design tools so the client's designers could build new content. The result was an Android release alongside the maintained iOS game, with a stronger foundation for further updates. [Read the Nova Blast case study](/case-studies/nova-blast-sdk-modernisation-porting) ### What are you starting with? You do not need a finished game design. We can join at the idea stage, take on a port or help with a game that is already live. #### Build a new mobile game Start with an idea, a prototype or a game design. We can help shape the gameplay and take the Unity development through production, device testing and release. [How we develop the idea](#building-for-mobile) #### Bring your game to mobile Bring your existing game and source project. We assess the controls, interface, performance and dependencies, then agree what needs adapting for phones and tablets. [Explore game porting](/services/game-porting) #### Improve a mobile game If your game struggles with frame rate, loading times or stability, we start with a real build. Profiling and a code review help identify the work that will make a difference. [Explore optimisation](/services/performanceoptimization) ### From an idea to a game that works on a phone The core interaction, target devices and technical risks guide the first build. We test those decisions while there is still room to change them. #### Define the experience Agree who will play, what they do in a session and which devices matter. For a construction game, that includes how players place, connect and adjust objects on a small screen. #### Prototype the interaction Build a playable version of the important mechanics. Test touch input, camera movement and feedback on a device before expanding the levels and content. #### Review and build Use playtesting and profiling to refine the controls and performance. Production then progresses through agreed milestones with regular builds for your team to review. ### Our mobile work New games and existing titles developed for iOS and Android by Ocean View Games. #### Pocket Factory New mobile game Challenge: Build a casual merge game for Mojo Games on iOS and Android. Result: Core gameplay systems, monetisation and a release on both stores. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) #### Nova Blast Modernisation and porting Challenge: Bring a live iOS title with outdated software development kits (SDKs) to Android. Result: Modernised libraries, updated level tooling and an Android release. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) Before founding Ocean View Games, David worked on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex from 2017 to 2019. That experience adapting a long-running PC game informs our mobile engineering today. [Read about his work at Jagex](/projects/runescape). ### Built for the way people play on mobile Device limits, interruptions and platform services shape the experience. We agree the requirements that matter to your game before choosing the technical approach. #### Devices and performance Agree a representative range of phones and tablets early. We profile on real hardware and test longer play sessions to understand frame pacing, memory use and heat. #### Touch controls and screens Build controls around the way people hold and use their devices. We adapt menus, text and gameplay to different screen sizes, orientations and safe areas. #### Saving and interruptions Decide how progress is saved and restored when a player takes a call, switches apps or loses their connection. Offline play and cloud saves are scoped around your game. #### Purchases and platform services Integrate the purchases, advertising, analytics or account services your project needs. We agree the player experience and data requirements before choosing the SDKs. #### Testing and store submission Plan device testing, beta builds and release responsibilities alongside development. We prepare the technical submission work and help address issues raised during review. #### Support after launch Agree who owns maintenance, platform updates and future development before release. We can stay involved as your game grows or its dependencies need updating. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about the game, what already exists, your target platforms and deadline. If the requirements are clear, we can scope development directly. For an early idea, a paid scoping phase can produce a gameplay concept, technical approach and production plan. For an existing game, an audit or a small test build can help establish the scope of a port or upgrade. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions. We can work alongside your developers and creative team, bringing in trusted specialists for art, audio, backend systems or quality assurance (QA) where needed. Production runs in agreed milestones with regular playable builds, followed by device testing, release preparation and any agreed ongoing support. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do you build new mobile games or only port existing ones? Both. We build new Unity projects for iOS and Android and also work with existing games that need to be ported, modernised or improved for mobile. #### Can you bring an existing PC or console game to mobile? Yes, where the source project and target experience make sense for mobile. We normally start by assessing the existing codebase, input, UI, plugins, performance and platform dependencies so we can identify what can stay and what needs to change. Our [Game Porting service](/services/game-porting) covers that work in detail. #### Can you improve the performance of an existing mobile game? Yes. We work on existing Unity projects with issues such as frame-rate instability, memory usage, long loading times, thermal problems and device-specific performance. We start by profiling the real build so the work is based on evidence rather than guesswork. See our [Performance Optimisation service](/services/performanceoptimization). #### Do you support both iOS and Android? Yes. We develop Unity projects targeting iOS and Android and can work on projects shipping to one or both platforms. #### Can you work with an older Unity mobile project? Yes. Older projects often need package, [SDK](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-sdk-software-development-kit), plugin or Unity-version work before they can meet current mobile requirements. Depending on the condition of the codebase, we may recommend a [Technical Audit](/services/technical-audit) or [Unity modernisation](/services/legacy-modernisation) phase first. #### Do you only work with game studios? No. We work with game companies, publishers, educational organisations and other teams building interactive products. Pedagogy-led work is covered by our [Educational Games service](/services/educationalgames). #### Can you handle a larger mobile project? Yes, within the right scope. We have a small senior core team and can expand delivery through trusted contractors and specialists we've already worked with. We'll also be direct if a project's staffing requirements are better suited to a substantially larger studio. ### Plan your mobile game with the engineers who build it Share your idea, existing project or the problem you need to solve. Tell us which platforms you have in mind. We reply within 1 to 2 business days, and the first call is free. [Tell us about your game](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/mobile#contact) --- ## Unity Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/gamedevelopment Unity game development for studios, publishers and organisations. Bring a concept, prototype or existing codebase. We can own the engineering or work alongside your creative team. Ocean View Games is a UK Unity game development studio, registered in London, that builds mobile games, educational games and PC titles for game studios, publishers and organisations. Its director, David Edgecombe, is a Unity Certified Expert, and recent Unity work includes Pocket Factory, a merge game built for Mojo Games in two months and launched on iOS and Android, and a Unity 6 upgrade and mobile port of Hugecalf Studios' When Ski Lifts Go Wrong. Development is billed against milestones at rates agreed in your proposal, with a minimum project fee of £5,000. ### Leading engineering on Domi Online Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. Our involvement began with a technical code review during the earliest stages of development. We were then brought in to lead engineering, designing the architecture and building the systems that underpin the game, from movement, combat and progression through to networking, backend infrastructure and developer tooling. Domi is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) designed around uncapped progression, a persistent player economy and a large multiplayer world. Gameplay is server-authoritative, meaning the server and not the player's device decides every outcome. It runs on FishNet, a networking library for Unity, with networking led by Brinca, the project's network engineer. The full closed alpha, an invitation-only test, ran on a single Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 cloud server, keeping operating costs practical for an independent studio. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? You do not need a finished game design. We can join at the concept stage, work alongside an existing creative team or take on a project that already has a codebase. #### Start a new game Begin with a concept, a prototype or a design. We can shape the scope, prove the risky parts early and take the Unity development through production to launch. [How a project works](#how-we-build) #### Add engineering to your team You have designers, artists or writers in place and need experienced Unity engineers to own the technical delivery around them. We work as an embedded part of your team. [Explore co-development](/services/codevelopment) #### Take on an existing project Bring an existing codebase that has stalled, changed hands or outgrown its foundations. We start by assessing what can be kept and agreeing a practical route forward. [Explore technical audits](/services/technical-audit) ### How a project works Every project is different, but the shape of an engagement is usually the same. The goals, target platforms and technical risks guide the first build, and we test those decisions while there is still room to change them. #### Understand the project Start with the goals, audience, constraints, existing work and technical requirements. The aim is to understand what actually needs to be built before committing to a delivery plan. #### Prove the foundations Where useful, prototype the risky mechanics or technical assumptions early and establish the architecture the rest of the project will depend on. #### Build and review Development runs in practical milestones with regular builds and feedback, so you see the project taking shape rather than waiting until the end to find out whether expectations matched. ### Unity projects delivered by Ocean View Games New mobile games, engine upgrades and long-running projects engineered by Ocean View Games for its clients. #### Pocket Factory New mobile game Challenge: Build a casual merge game for Mojo Games on iOS and Android. Result: Built in two months: the merge loop, offline earnings, ads, in-app purchases, ad mediation and analytics, launched on both stores from one Unity project. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) #### When Ski Lifts Go Wrong Unity 6 upgrade and mobile port Challenge: Move Hugecalf Studios' Unity 2018 physics puzzler to Unity 6 and bring it to Windows, Android and iOS for the Epic Games Store. Result: Three months of work, mobile builds cut from around 500MB to 150MB, 60fps on every phone and tablet tested, and physics that needed no retuning. [View When Ski Lifts Go Wrong](/projects/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong) #### Bookwood Interactive fiction, co-development Challenge: Give GamerCat Studio's growing library of choice-driven stories a foundation for iOS, Android and Steam. Result: Core Unity architecture and a content pipeline on Unity Addressables and Unity Cloud Content Delivery, so new books ship without growing the app. [View Bookwood](/projects/bookwood) #### Domi Online Full-cycle engineering Challenge: Lead engineering on an MMORPG with no level or skill caps, on an independent studio's budget. Result: Server-authoritative FishNet gameplay, progression stored as 64-bit numbers so it has no practical cap, and a closed alpha that ran on a single AWS EC2 server. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) Read how the work was done in the [Pocket Factory](/case-studies/pocket-factory-mobile-strategy-design), [When Ski Lifts Go Wrong](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port) and [Bookwood](/case-studies/bookwood-addressables-content-delivery) case studies. For learning games, see [educational game development](/services/educationalgames). We keep our permanent team small and technically focused. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and retain responsibility for the technical direction. When an engagement needs more capacity or specialist disciplines, we expand the delivery team through trusted contractors we have already worked with. [Meet the team](/team). ### What we can take responsibility for We shape the engagement around what already exists. That might mean taking a project from prototype through launch, or owning the Unity development alongside your creative team. #### Discovery and technical planning Turn the idea into a buildable plan. We define scope, technical risks, architecture, platforms and practical milestones before committing heavily to production. #### Prototypes and vertical slices Validate the core mechanics and technical assumptions early with playable builds that answer the important questions before full production begins. A vertical slice is one short section of the game built to final quality. #### Gameplay and systems engineering Build the systems that make the project work: gameplay, UI integration, progression, content pipelines, persistence, tools and other project-specific engineering. #### Technical architecture Create maintainable foundations for projects expected to grow, evolve or support substantial amounts of content and players over time. #### Performance, testing and polish Profile real builds, solve performance problems and work through the technical issues needed to make the project stable on its target hardware. #### Launch and ongoing support Support deployment, launch preparation, updates and continued engineering after the initial release where the project needs it. ### How a Unity project with us starts Start with a free conversation about what you are building, what already exists, your target platforms and deadline. If the requirements are clear, we can scope development directly. For an early concept, a paid scoping phase can produce a technical approach, scope and costed production plan. For an existing game, an audit or a small test build can help establish the scope of the work. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions. We can work alongside your own developers and creative team, bringing in trusted specialists for art, audio, backend systems or quality assurance (QA) where needed. Production runs in agreed milestones with regular playable builds, followed by testing on the target platforms, launch preparation and any agreed ongoing support. ### Plan your Unity project with free tools Free interactive tools to help you scope the work before we talk. [Get a cost estimate](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): An instant ballpark figure based on your game's scope and complexity. [Estimate your timeline](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator): How long a project takes based on genre, platforms and team size. [Build your project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder): Capture your concept, platforms and requirements in a structured brief. [Compare game engines](/resources/game-engine-comparison): See how Unity, Unreal, Godot and others compare for your project. ### Frequently asked questions #### What kinds of projects do you build? We primarily build games and interactive products using Unity. Our work spans commercial games, educational projects, mobile and PC development, browser-based experiences and technically demanding interactive applications. Recent examples are [Pocket Factory](/case-studies/pocket-factory-mobile-strategy-design), a merge game for Mojo Games on iOS and Android, a Unity 6 upgrade and mobile port of Hugecalf Studios’ [When Ski Lifts Go Wrong](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port), and the content architecture behind GamerCat Studio’s [Bookwood](/case-studies/bookwood-addressables-content-delivery) story library. If you’re unsure whether your project fits, send us a brief and we’ll tell you directly. #### Do you only work with game studios? No. We work with game companies, publishers, educational organisations and other teams building interactive products. The important question is whether the project benefits from the kind of Unity engineering and technical ownership we provide. #### Can you handle larger projects? Yes, within the right scope. We have a small senior core team and can expand delivery through trusted contractors and specialists we’ve already worked with on real projects. We’re transparent about capacity and will tell you if a project’s team requirements would be better suited to a substantially larger studio. #### Can you work alongside our existing team? Yes. Some engagements involve us owning most of the Unity development, while others involve working alongside an existing engineering, design or creative team. For dedicated team reinforcement, see our [Co-Development](/services/codevelopment) service. #### Can you take over an existing Unity project? Yes. We regularly work with existing codebases. If the project’s condition or scope is unclear, we may recommend starting with a [Technical Audit](/services/technical-audit) or [Project Rescue](/services/project-rescue) engagement before committing to a larger body of work. #### How much does Unity game development cost? It depends on scope, platforms, content requirements and how much of the wider production we need to provide. Development is billed against milestones at rates agreed in your proposal, and the minimum fee for a development project is £5,000. Once we understand the project, we can provide a structured estimate or proposal. For an early indication, use our [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator). #### How long does it take to build a Unity mobile game? A focused casual game can take a few months. We built [Pocket Factory](/case-studies/pocket-factory-mobile-strategy-design) for Mojo Games in two months, including ads, in-app purchases and analytics, and designed, built and self-published our own 4X strategy game [Empires Rise](/case-studies/unity-mobile-strategy-game-development) on iOS and Android in three months. Content volume, platforms and the number of systems change that a great deal. The [Game Development Timeline Estimator](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator) gives a range for your project. #### Where is Ocean View Games based? Ocean View Games Ltd is a UK company registered in England and Wales (company number 13011771), with its registered office in London. The team works remotely on UK time and collaborates with clients in the UK and abroad. See [UK game development](/uk-game-development) and [game development in London](/london-game-development). #### Why do you specialise in Unity? Unity is a mature cross-platform engine with a strong ecosystem and is particularly well suited to the kinds of mobile, PC, educational and interactive projects we work on. Deep specialisation means we can spend less time learning the engine and more time solving the project’s actual engineering problems. Our [engine comparison tool](/resources/game-engine-comparison) covers how Unity stacks up against the alternatives. #### Are your developers Unity certified? David Edgecombe holds Unity Certified Expert Programmer credentials. Certification is one piece of evidence alongside the team’s shipped projects and professional experience. ### Put senior engineers in charge of your Unity build Tell us what you are building, what already exists and where you need technical ownership or development support. [Describe your project](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/gamedevelopment#contact) --- ## Game Porting Services Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/game-porting Bring an existing game to PC, iOS or Android with senior UK Unity engineers. We assess the source project, adapt controls and interfaces, and test performance on the target hardware. Ocean View Games is a UK Unity studio that ports games between PC, iOS and Android and rebuilds games from older engines in Unity. Its porting work includes moving Hugecalf Studios' When Ski Lifts Go Wrong from Unity 2018 to Unity 6 for Windows, Android and iOS, which cut the mobile build from around 500MB to 150MB and ran at 60fps on every phone and tablet tested, and bringing Foil Hat Games' iOS puzzle game Nova Blast to Android. Every port starts with a fixed-price feasibility audit, which gives a written cost and timeline range and a verdict on whether the port is worth doing. ### Bringing When Ski Lifts Go Wrong from Unity 2018 to Unity 6 and mobile Developed by Ocean View Games for Hugecalf Studios. When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is Hugecalf Studios' physics-based construction puzzler, released on Steam and Nintendo Switch with Unity 2018. After Epic Games approached Hugecalf about its store, we spent three months preparing Windows, Android and iOS versions together. That meant migrating the game to Unity 6, a Long Term Support (LTS) release, redesigning its controls and interface for touch and optimising the mobile builds. The mobile builds went from around 500MB to 150MB and run at 60fps on every phone and tablet we tested. Side-by-side play comparisons confirmed the physics needed no retuning, and all three platforms build from one shared repository. [Read the When Ski Lifts Go Wrong case study](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port) ### What are you starting with? Porting is a specialist discipline, not a downscale-and-ship exercise. Tell us where the game runs now and where you want to take it. #### PC or console to mobile Touch UX redesigned around the way people hold a phone, with thermal and memory budgets managed for sustained sessions and testing across the Android device spread. [See the When Ski Lifts Go Wrong port](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port) #### Mobile to PC and Steam Resolution and aspect-ratio scaling, keyboard, mouse and controller input, Steam Deck compatibility testing and integration with Steamworks (Steam's developer toolkit), with session design reworked for longer desktop play. [Explore Unity development](/services/gamedevelopment) #### Engine-to-Unity rebuild Games in unsupported engines rebuilt in Unity, treating the original as the specification. This overlaps with our legacy modernisation work. [Explore legacy modernisation](/services/legacy-modernisation) ### How a porting engagement works Three stages. The first is fixed price with a standalone deliverable, and nothing after it happens unless the audit supports it and you agree to proceed. #### Feasibility audit A codebase review, target-platform risk assessment and a written report with honest cost and timeline ranges and a clear verdict: proceed, adapt the scope or defer the port. The report is yours to keep either way. #### Porting plan A proposal setting out milestones, timeline, scope and technical risks. The engineers who assessed the project stay involved in the delivery. #### Execution Milestone billing with a playable build at the end of each milestone, so you see the port running on real hardware as it progresses rather than only at the end. ### Porting projects delivered by Ocean View Games Platform moves, Unity upgrades and engine rebuilds delivered by Ocean View Games for its clients. #### Nova Blast SDK modernisation and Android port Challenge: Bring Foil Hat Games' live iOS title to Android without disrupting their release schedule. Result: Modernised software development kits (SDKs), updated level tooling and an Android release alongside the existing iOS build. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) #### Nub Remake Engine-to-Unity rebuild Challenge: Recreate an isometric puzzle game from a legacy Java app, using the original as the specification. Result: A Unity remake with playable builds on PC, iOS and Android and a touch control redesign for mobile. [View Nub Remake](/projects/nub) The full write-ups: [When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, Unity 2018 to Unity 6 and mobile](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port), [Nova Blast, iOS to Android](/case-studies/nova-blast-sdk-modernisation-porting), [Nova Blast, Unity 6 upgrade with the download cut from 187MB to 137MB](/case-studies/nova-blast-unity-6-upgrade-battery-optimisation) and [Nub, Java to Unity on PC and mobile](/case-studies/nub-java-to-unity-platform-migration). ### What changes between platforms Input models, memory budgets, thermal limits and session-length expectations all change between platforms. The work is agreed against your game before it starts. #### Input model A desktop interface dropped onto a touchscreen fails. We redesign the interaction model for the target device rather than overlaying buttons on the old one. #### Performance budgets Memory, draw calls and thermal headroom are profiled on real target hardware, not in the editor, and the budget is set before the port begins. #### Session design A game built around two-minute mobile sessions needs more than a window resize to feel right on PC, and the reverse is also true. Pacing and save points are reworked. #### Platform services Store SDKs, achievements, cloud saves, purchases and controller certification are scoped against the target platform's requirements. #### Device coverage We agree a representative device range early and test across it, rather than validating on a single flagship and hoping. #### Store submission Submission requirements, ratings and build formats for each target store are planned alongside development, not discovered at the end. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about where the game runs today, where you want to take it and what you know about the existing codebase. Most engagements begin with a fixed-scope feasibility audit. It produces an honest cost and timeline range and a clear verdict, and the report is yours to keep whether or not we do the port. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions. We can work alongside your own developers and creative team, bringing in trusted specialists for art, audio or quality assurance (QA) where needed. Production runs in agreed milestones with weekly playable builds, followed by device testing, store submission and any agreed ongoing support. Start with a feasibility audit A feasibility audit reviews the source project, platform dependencies and target hardware. You receive a written assessment of the work, risks and likely timeline before committing to the port. We agree milestones, review builds and commercial terms in the proposal. The assessment remains useful if you choose to brief another team. [Discuss your port](#contact)[Run the feasibility checker](/resources/porting-feasibility-checker) ### Scope your port before we talk Free tools and guides to size the work. [Porting Feasibility Checker](/resources/porting-feasibility-checker): How complex your port is and what needs reworking for the target platform. [Porting Cost Estimator](/resources/porting-cost-estimator): A cost range based on source platform, target platform and complexity. [Mobile Game Porting Guide](/blog/posts/mobile-game-porting-guide): The engineering behind a PC-to-mobile port, start to finish. [Is Your Game Ready to Port?](/blog/posts/porting-feasibility-guide): What makes a codebase cheap or expensive to move. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can you port a game that was not built in Unity? A non-Unity game may need rebuilding rather than a direct port. We assess the source, assets and original behaviour before recommending an approach. See our [legacy game modernisation service](/services/legacy-modernisation) for engine migrations. #### How long does a mobile port take? The timeline depends on the source project, touch controls, interface changes, dependencies and device performance. As a guide, our [When Ski Lifts Go Wrong](/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port) Unity 6 upgrade and mobile port took three months, the [Nova Blast](/case-studies/nova-blast-sdk-modernisation-porting) Android port and update took three months, and the [Nub](/case-studies/nub-java-to-unity-platform-migration) rebuild from Java to Unity took four months. A feasibility review establishes what can be retained and gives you a range specific to the game, including testing and release preparation. #### How much does it cost to port a game to mobile? It depends on the size of the codebase, how much of the interface needs redesigning for touch and how many devices and stores are in scope. The work starts with a fixed-price feasibility audit, then the port itself is billed against milestones at rates agreed in your proposal. For an early range, use the [Porting Cost Estimator](/resources/porting-cost-estimator). #### Can you upgrade an old Unity project as part of the port? Yes, and an out-of-date engine is often the first thing a port has to fix. We moved When Ski Lifts Go Wrong from Unity 2018 to Unity 6 before adapting it for mobile, and took [Nova Blast from Unity 2019 to Unity 6](/case-studies/nova-blast-unity-6-upgrade-battery-optimisation) in one week, cutting its download from 187MB to 137MB. The [Unity Migration Checker](/resources/unity-migration-checker) shows what an upgrade from your version involves. #### Do you handle App Store and Google Play submission? We can include build preparation, technical submission support and review feedback in the porting scope. We agree who owns the accounts, listing assets, policy declarations and final release decision. #### Can you port to Switch, PlayStation or Xbox? We have not shipped a console title, so we assess console requests individually. Platform access, development hardware and certification expertise need to be established before we commit. We will be direct if a specialist console porting studio is a better fit. #### What if the feasibility review recommends against the port? You receive the reasoning in writing, including the technical constraints and any alternative scope worth considering. The report is yours to keep and use when deciding whether to proceed, defer the work or brief another team. #### Can multiplayer support cross-platform play? Potentially. Account systems, matchmaking, game versions, platform rules and the networking architecture all affect feasibility. We review those dependencies and scope cross-platform play explicitly. ### Find out what your port will take Tell us where the game runs today, where you want to take it and what you know about the existing codebase. We reply within 1 to 2 business days, and the first call is free. [Discuss your port](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/game-porting#contact) --- ## Legacy Game Modernisation Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/legacy-modernisation Keep an established game playable and maintainable. We upgrade older Unity projects and rebuild games in unsupported technology, preserving the content and behaviour that matter. ### Upgrading Domi Online from Unity 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3 Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. Domi is a Unity massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built by a core team of four over several years. It is a large codebase with server-authoritative networking (the server decides every outcome) built on FishNet, a Unity networking library, and each LTS release between 2020 and 6.3 introduced its own breaking changes. We stepped the project through every LTS release in turn: 2020 LTS, 2021 LTS, 2022 LTS, Unity 6 and Unity 6.3. Each upgrade was done in place on a growing codebase, and nothing was rebuilt from scratch. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? This service fits three common situations. If any of these describes your project, we can help. #### Stuck on an old Unity version You are on Unity 2019, 2020 or 2021. Builds are starting to fail on newer iOS or Android versions and third-party plugins are drifting out of compatibility. [Check your migration path](/resources/unity-migration-checker) #### Built in unsupported technology Flash, Java applets, early HTML5 frameworks or a custom 2000s engine. The game has proven demand but cannot run anywhere modern and needs a rebuild that preserves the content and audience. [See the Fire of London rebuild](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london) #### Works, but needs new platforms The source is older Unity, often PC-only, and you want to reach mobile or console. The project needs a supported Unity version and a modern build pipeline before the port can start. [Explore game porting](/services/game-porting) ### The three modernisation tracks Most engagements are one of these, or a sequence that starts with one and ends with another. #### Unity version upgrade We upgrade Unity projects to a currently supported LTS release, stepping large gaps through intermediate versions so breaking changes are isolated and fixed at each stage. #### Engine migration and rebuild When the source technology is end-of-life, we rebuild the game against the original as a specification, preserving design, progression and player-visible behaviour. The target is usually Unity, but a Flash or Java title bound for the browser is often better served by an HTML5 rebuild, as with the Great Fire of London. #### Modernisation with platform migration Modernise the codebase to a stable foundation first, then port to the target platforms with the performance, input and UI work each one needs. ### How we protect a live game during the move We plan compatibility checks, gameplay comparisons and release safeguards around the existing game. This helps identify regressions before an upgrade reaches players. #### Discovery and audit A review of the project, dependencies, build and render pipelines, platform targets and analytics, delivered as a written report with the migration sequence, risk areas and timeline. Fixed-scope paid work, typically one to two weeks. #### Compatibility staging A branch on the target Unity version with package and plugin compatibility resolved and the automatic migration changes captured. Output is a clean build that compiles and runs, before gameplay parity is proven. #### Parity testing The modernised build run against the old build on matched scenarios: visual parity, gameplay behaviour, save data, networking and performance. Regressions are recorded, prioritised and reviewed against the agreed release criteria. #### Platform and store validation A rebuild for each live target platform, storefront compliance checks and testing on representative hardware. For live games this phase includes a rollback plan. #### Staged release and monitoring For live projects, a progressive release starting with a small percentage of users or a single platform, monitoring crash rates and performance before completing the rollout. Dormant projects collapse this into one launch step. ### Our modernisation work Rebuilds and upgrades delivered by Ocean View Games and its team. #### Nub Remake Java to Unity rebuild Challenge: Rebuild an isometric puzzle game from a legacy Java app for PC, iOS and Android. Result: A Unity remake running on all three platforms with a touch control redesign for mobile. [View Nub Remake](/projects/nub) #### Fire Of London Flash to HTML5, during previous employment Challenge: Rebuild London Museum's Great Fire game from Flash to HTML5 without losing any of its content. Result: An HTML5 rebuild that kept the educational content and returned the game to modern browsers. [View Fire Of London](/projects/fire) ### What drives the cost and timeline Every modernisation project quotes differently because scope varies so widely. These are the variables we weight most heavily. #### Version gap Moving up one LTS version is a fraction of the work of jumping four. Unity 2022 to Unity 6 is not Unity 2019 to Unity 6. #### Render pipeline Changing render pipeline, for example from Built-in to the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) or High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP), can mean substantial rework of shaders, materials, lighting and visual effects. We assess it separately from the Unity version upgrade. #### Third-party plugin count Every abandoned or niche plugin is a potential blocker. Fifteen plugins is a different risk profile to three. #### Platform target count Each platform needs its own build validation and testing, and mobile and console add certification: the store or platform holder's approval steps. #### Live versus dormant A live game needs parity testing (checking the modernised build behaves like the old one), staged rollouts and a rollback plan. A dormant project can move faster. #### Codebase quality Well-organised code modernises faster than code carrying years of quick fixes, known as technical debt. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about what the project was built with, what still works and where you need it to run next. Every engagement begins with a fixed-scope audit that produces a written migration plan, a risk assessment and a costed estimate for the scope identified. It is yours to keep whether or not we do the work; later changes to scope are agreed and priced separately. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions, and every engagement is led by a Unity Certified Expert. We can work alongside your own team where you have one. Production runs in agreed milestones with regular builds, parity testing against the old version, and a staged rollout for anything live. ### Start with the tools Free tools to scope the work before we talk. [Unity Migration Checker](/resources/unity-migration-checker): Breaking changes, deprecated APIs and a recommended migration sequence for your Unity version. [Porting Feasibility Checker](/resources/porting-feasibility-checker): Whether your game can move to a new platform and what that move involves. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): A ballpark budget for the full engagement. [Porting Cost Estimator](/resources/porting-cost-estimator): A cost range if a platform move is part of the work. ### Frequently asked questions #### How is a legacy game rebuild estimated? We assess the available source, playable builds, assets, dependencies and target platforms. The estimate separates investigation, rebuilding or upgrading, content recovery and testing. A scoped audit can establish the migration plan before you commit to implementation. #### Can you rebuild without the original source code? Sometimes. We first assess the published files, playable build and recoverable assets. In a previous role, David rebuilt the [Great Fire of London game in HTML5](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london), using the original Flash game as the reference. The appropriate technology and feasibility depend on your project. #### Do you support Java to Unity migrations? Yes. We rebuilt [Nub](/projects/nub) from native Java in Unity. We use the original game as a behavioural reference and adapt controls and systems for the target platforms. #### What is the difference between an upgrade and a rebuild? An upgrade retains the Unity project and adapts its code, assets and dependencies to a newer version. A rebuild recreates the experience on new foundations. We compare what can be retained, the risks and the maintenance needs before recommending either approach. #### How long does a Unity upgrade take? The version gap is only part of the work. Custom rendering, abandoned plugins, networking, save data and platform testing can all extend the timeline. We review those dependencies and provide a project-specific migration sequence and estimate. #### Can we skip Unity versions or keep our render pipeline? We assess those decisions separately. Intermediate upgrades can help isolate breaking changes across a large version gap. A render pipeline change adds its own material, shader and lighting work, so we only include it when the project requirements justify it. #### Will our existing plugins still work? We check the versions and compatibility of your actual dependencies against the target Unity release. Where a plugin is unsupported, we identify whether it can be updated, replaced or removed and include that work in the plan. #### Can you modernise a live game? Yes. We agree gameplay and save-data checks, release monitoring and rollback procedures around the live service. A staged release may be appropriate where the platform and infrastructure support it. ### Decide what to upgrade, rebuild or keep Tell us what it was built with, what still works and where you need it to run next. We can help work out what should be upgraded, rebuilt or preserved. [Describe your old project](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/legacy-modernisation#contact) --- ## Co-Development & Staff Augmentation Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/codevelopment Add senior Unity engineers to your production team or give us a defined area to deliver. We work in your codebase and sprint cycle, with direct communication and a documented handover. ### The embedded engineering team on Domi Online Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. Domi is a Unity massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) where we operate as the core development team while the client focuses on game direction and community. As part of a core team of four, we built the gameplay systems, UI, environment art and level design, and carried out the Unity version upgrades and performance work. This is the embedded model at its most involved: our engineers work in the client's repositories and sprint cycle, and the work ships under their brand. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? Co-development means different things to different studios. We are honest about which model fits your situation. #### Extra hands on your team Senior Unity engineers embedded in your standups, your Jira and your repo, scaling up for a production phase and back down afterwards with no employment commitment. [How integration works](#how-codev-works) #### A workstream owned end to end Hand us a defined area, multiplayer networking, a mobile port, a UI overhaul or performance work, with clear deliverables and handover points while your team stays on core gameplay. [Explore performance work](/services/performanceoptimization) #### A project that needs rescuing A stalled or over-budget project that has lost its original team. We start with a technical audit and an honest re-scope. [Explore project rescue](/services/project-rescue) ### How a co-development engagement works From first contact to handover, with the same visibility and control you would have over internal team members. #### Scoping call A no-commitment call to understand your project, team and needs. An NDA and intellectual property (IP) assignment are signed before any code is exchanged. #### Assessment and proposal Once the NDA is in place, we review your codebase to assess architecture, risks and integration points and estimate effort from the real state of the project, then return a detailed proposal with scope, milestones, timeline and pricing. We onboard to your tools or set up shared ones once you accept. #### Delivery and handover Milestone builds, sprint reviews or daily standups depending on the model, direct communication with the engineers doing the work, and a documented handover. Any further support period is agreed separately. ### Delivered as a co-development partner Client projects delivered through embedded engineering and defined development workstreams. #### Domi Online Embedded engineering Challenge: Serve as the core engineering team on an MMORPG while the client owns game direction. Result: Architecture, gameplay systems, environment art, level design and five Unity engine upgrades. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Nova Blast Defined development workstream Challenge: Modernise Foil Hat Games' iOS title and bring it to Android. Result: Updated SDKs, improved level tooling and an Android release alongside the existing iOS build. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) ### What an embedded team brings Practical engineering support that fits your production workflow. #### Planned onboarding We review the architecture, build process and team conventions early, then agree an initial task that establishes a useful working rhythm. #### White-label by default We work under your brand and follow your code conventions. Confidentiality, ownership of bespoke work and licences for existing tools are set out in the agreement. #### Unity depth Ten-plus years across mobile, PC and browser (WebGL), with Unity 6, Addressables, Shader Graph and the Input System, and advanced C# patterns. #### Multiplayer and networking Server-authoritative architecture, where the server decides every outcome, built on the FishNet networking library, with cheat prevention, from small lobbies to Domi Online's invitation-only closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players. #### Cross-platform iOS, Android, WebGL and PC from a single Unity codebase, with our mobile and porting services frequently delivered as workstreams inside a larger engagement. #### UK working hours We are registered in London and work on UK hours (GMT/BST). We agree meeting times and communication with your team, including overlap for international partners. ### Working together Start with a free scoping call about your existing team, your codebase and the capacity or specialist skills you need to add. We identify which model fits, embedded extension, a workstream owned end to end, full delivery or rescue, and we are honest when co-development is not the right answer for you. NDA and IP assignment are signed before any code is exchanged. The agreement sets out ownership of bespoke work and licences for any pre-existing tools. We follow your standards and deliver under your brand. You work with the engineers directly, in your sprint cycle and tools, with the same visibility you would have over internal staff. Agencies that need a white-label Unity team should see our [page for agencies](/industries/agencies). Weighing this against hiring? Consider how long you need the capacity, which skills are missing and who will own the technical decisions. We can take on a defined workstream or join your team for an agreed production phase. Co-development with a UK studio fits when you need to move fast, need specialist skills for a defined period, or cannot justify a permanent headcount. [See the full comparison](/why-ovg)[Calculate your team size](/resources/team-size-calculator) ### Start a conversation Free tools and reading before the scoping call. [Build your project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder): Capture requirements, timeline and team structure before the scoping call. [Co-Development Cost Estimator](/resources/co-development-cost-estimator): Monthly and total figures for a given team size and duration. [Team Size Calculator](/resources/team-size-calculator): Work out how many engineers your project actually needs. [Co-Dev vs Freelancers vs Hiring](/blog/posts/co-development-vs-freelancers-vs-hiring): An honest comparison of the options. ### Frequently asked questions #### How quickly can you join our team? We confirm availability and an onboarding plan after discussing your scope, codebase and production schedule. Access, build setup and understanding your conventions are part of the start of the engagement. #### Can we change priorities during the engagement? A day-rate or retainer arrangement can support changing priorities within the agreed capacity. A defined workstream can instead be scoped around milestones and deliverables. We agree the approach and how changes are handled before work begins. #### Who owns the code and IP? The agreement assigns bespoke work to your studio under the agreed payment terms. Our pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. Third-party components retain their own licences. #### Do you use our tools and development process? Yes. We can work in your repositories, task tracker, review process and sprint cycle. We agree coding conventions, access and communication with your team so responsibilities are clear. #### Which working hours do you cover? We are registered in London and work on UK hours (GMT/BST). We agree meeting times and handover expectations with international teams. The amount of live overlap depends on your location and working hours. #### What happens when the engagement ends? We plan a handover of the agreed code, documentation, build steps and outstanding issues. Any further support period, maintenance or future capacity is agreed separately. ### Add Unity engineers to your team Tell us about your existing team, codebase and the engineering capacity or specialist expertise you need to add. [Tell us the capacity you need](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/codevelopment#contact) --- ## Performance Optimisation Services Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/performanceoptimization Fix Unity frame rate, memory, loading and stability problems with targeted profiling. We measure the build on your target hardware, address the bottlenecks and show the results. ### Experience adapting RuneScape for mobile hardware Delivered during David's Technical Developer role at Jagex, 2017 to 2019. Bringing an established desktop massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) to phones introduced constraints around memory, rendering, input and screen space. David built the mobile heads-up display (HUD), converted more than 40 legacy interfaces and delivered UI-level performance work as part of the mobile team. That experience informs our performance work today: investigate the real build, understand the device constraints and check that changes preserve the intended player experience. [Read the mobile porting case study](/case-studies/mobile-game-porting-ui-optimization) ### What are you starting with? If your game struggles with frame rate, loading times, memory or thermals, we start with a real build on real hardware. Tell us what you are seeing. #### Frame rate and stutter Drops, hitches and inconsistent frame pacing. We profile CPU and GPU on device to find whether it is scripts, physics, rendering or garbage collection, the automatic memory clean-up that can pause a frame. [See the methodology](#optimisation-methodology) #### Memory and crashes Out-of-memory crashes on low-end devices, garbage collection spikes and leaks that make the game stutter every few seconds. [Explore mobile development](/services/mobile) #### Thermals and battery Devices getting hot and throttling during longer sessions, and batteries draining faster than players will accept. [Read our open-source toolkit](/open-source) ### Measurement, not guesswork We establish a baseline, identify the bottleneck and measure the effect of each change. Any trade-offs in visual quality or gameplay are discussed before implementation. #### Profile Baseline frames per second (fps), thermal behaviour and memory footprint, captured on real devices rather than the editor. #### Analyse Diagnose whether the bottleneck is CPU, GPU, physics, rendering or garbage collection. #### Fix and validate Targeted fixes to the hot path, the code that runs most often, checked against a before and after comparison. ### The optimisation methodology in full The same discipline applied to running a full MMORPG on mobile hardware, brought to your project. #### Deep profiling on real hardware Editor profiling helps investigation, but target-device measurements determine player-facing performance. We benchmark current average fps, thermal throttle rate and memory footprint on device, use hardware tools like Xcode Instruments and Snapdragon Profiler, and stress test to trigger crashes and out-of-memory errors deliberately. #### Root cause analysis With the data in hand we isolate the bottleneck: whether the lag is physics, rendering or script execution, where garbage collection spikes and memory leaks are, and whether the GPU is choked by too many materials or unbatched geometry. #### Surgical optimisation Targeted fixes to the code and assets causing most of the slowdown: rewriting expensive loops, caching component lookups, object pooling, texture compression, baked lighting, simplified shaders, and architecture changes where a project has outgrown its original design. #### Validation and regression Every change is verified. Before and after builds are compared to quantify the fps gain, visual regression checks confirm texture and level-of-detail (LOD) changes have not hurt the art, and long-play testing checks sustained performance, heat and battery use. ### Where this discipline comes from Performance work delivered by Ocean View Games and its team. #### RuneScape Mobile Delivered at Jagex Challenge: Fit an MMORPG with almost two decades of desktop interface onto mobile hardware. Result: David built the mobile HUD and delivered UI-level performance work as a Technical Developer at Jagex. A minimap toggle alone gained around 5fps on a Samsung Galaxy S9. [View RuneScape Mobile](/projects/runescape) #### Domi Online MMORPG on a lean budget Challenge: Keep a server-authoritative Unity MMORPG, where the server decides every outcome, inside an independent studio's infrastructure budget. Result: Invitation-only closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players on a single Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 cloud server, and an in-place upgrade to Unity 6.3. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) ### What we profile and tune The passes a performance engagement can cover. Which ones matter is decided from the profiling data, not assumed up front. #### CPU and GPU profiling Systematic identification of rendering bottlenecks, excessive draw calls, overdraw and CPU-heavy scripts using Unity's deep profiling tools. #### Memory and garbage collection Eliminating garbage collection spikes, reducing allocations and adding object pooling to stop stutter and crashes on constrained devices. #### Shaders and render pipeline Tuning Unity's Universal (URP) or High Definition (HDRP) render pipeline, simplifying shaders, cutting overdraw and adding LOD systems for the most visual quality at the least GPU cost. #### Battery and thermals Profiling thermal footprint, adding adaptive frame rates and reducing expensive per-frame work to keep devices cool during long sessions. #### Crash and out-of-memory resolution Reproducing and fixing the out-of-memory crashes and native exceptions that hit hardest on low-end devices. #### Ongoing monitoring Performance dashboards and automated regression tests so the gains hold as development continues. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about the platforms you are targeting and what you are seeing: frame rate, memory, crashes, thermals or loading. Most engagements begin with a profiling pass on a real build. That alone often tells you whether the problem is a few days of work or a structural one, and the findings are yours either way. David and Adam stay close to the engineering. David applied this discipline on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex, and we bring the same rigour regardless of project size. From there the work runs in agreed milestones, with before and after measurements on every change so the gains are visible and provable. Start with a profiling pass A short, scoped engagement on a real build: baseline fps, thermal and memory numbers on representative devices, the bottleneck diagnosed, and a written list of fixes ranked by impact and effort. It tells you whether the problem is a few days of work or a structural one before you commit to the fix. [Discuss your performance issue](#contact)[See our performance toolkit](/open-source) ### Related tools and reading Free resources on Unity performance. [Unity Migration Checker](/resources/unity-migration-checker): Whether a Unity upgrade is part of what your project needs. [Technical Debt Calculator](/resources/technical-debt-calculator): A rough sense of how much accumulated debt is slowing delivery. [Mobile Performance Architecture](/open-source): Our open-sourced Unity performance monitoring toolkit on GitHub. [Mobile game development](/services/mobile): When the performance problems are specifically mobile: thermals, battery, Android fragmentation. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can you investigate crashes on older phones? Yes. We reproduce the issue on an agreed device range and inspect memory use, logs and profiling data. Out-of-memory errors, resource leaks and other faults need different fixes, so we establish the cause before changing the build. #### How is performance work scoped? We start with the symptoms, affected devices and a representative build. A profiling pass can identify the main bottlenecks and produce a prioritised plan. Implementation is then estimated from the findings; see our [Unity technical audit](/services/technical-audit) for an independent review. #### Can you guarantee a particular frame rate? We agree a target and measure performance on specified hardware and gameplay scenarios. The achievable result depends on the game and device limits. We discuss any changes to visual quality or gameplay before implementing them. #### Can you help close to launch? Yes, subject to availability and scope. We prioritise the issues with the greatest effect on release readiness, then compare builds and run regression checks. A late optimisation pass still needs time for testing. #### Can you reduce battery drain and thermal throttling? We can investigate sustained CPU and GPU load, rendering, physics and other expensive work on real devices. Changes may include reducing repeated work or adjusting frame-rate and quality settings, with longer sessions used to assess the effect. #### What do we receive after optimisation? You receive the agreed code and asset changes, before-and-after measurements for the tested scenarios and notes on remaining risks. We can also help establish benchmarks for future releases so new regressions are easier to spot. ### Find out what is slowing your game down Tell us the platforms you are targeting and what you are seeing: frame rate, memory, crashes, thermals, loading or another performance problem. We reply within 1 to 2 business days, and the first call is free. [Discuss your performance issue](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/performanceoptimization#contact) --- ## Unity Technical Audit Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/technical-audit Get an independent review of your Unity codebase, performance and release risks. We explain the findings in a prioritised report that your team can use to plan the next stage. ### A codebase review before taking on Domi Online engineering Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. David was first hired to review the Domi codebase during the earliest stages of development. The audit led into full engineering ownership, but it stood on its own first. Every porting and rescue project we run opens the same way, with an audit before anyone writes a line of new code. You get that same diagnostic on its own terms, with no obligation to engage us for the fixes. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? The audit suits three situations in particular. #### A struggling build Frame drops, thermal throttling, memory spikes, crashes or quietly accumulated technical debt. You want to know what is wrong, how bad it is and what fixing it takes. [Try the debt calculator](/resources/technical-debt-calculator) #### Investor or publisher due diligence You are evaluating a studio or a title and need an independent read on whether the codebase is shippable, scalable and worth the ask, written for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. [How we work with publishers](/industries/publishers) #### Inheriting a codebase You have acquired, taken over or are about to commit to a project built by someone else, and need to know what you are taking on before building on top of it. [Explore project rescue](/services/project-rescue) ### How the audit runs From repository access to a prioritised action plan, with the access and review time agreed in advance. #### Intake A short call to agree the areas in scope and your priority order, then read-only access to the repository and a current build. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is standard and signed before access. #### Audit window We profile, review and document against the agreed areas. The engineer doing the work is the one you spoke to at intake, and we do not modify your code. #### Report and walkthrough A written report, severity-ranked and roadmapped, with the evidence behind each finding, followed by a call to talk through what to tackle first. ### Audits that became engagements Where an independent review led into the work, delivered by Ocean View Games. #### Domi Online Code review to core partner Challenge: Assess an early-stage Unity massively multiplayer online (MMO) codebase before committing to a build. Result: A review that led to David being hired as lead developer for the project. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Nova Blast Assessment before a port Challenge: Establish what modernising and porting a live iOS title to Android would actually involve. Result: A scoped plan that turned into software development kit (SDK) modernisation, new level tooling and an Android release. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) ### What the audit covers Up to five areas, scoped with you up front against the size and complexity of the project. #### Architecture and code health Coupling, separation of concerns, maintainability and structural technical debt: where the codebase will fight you as it grows. #### Performance Profiling for frame rate, CPU and GPU load, draw calls, memory and garbage collection, plus thermal and sustained-performance behaviour on mobile. #### Build and asset pipeline Build configuration, asset import settings, Addressables (Unity's on-demand content loading), bundle sizes and the pipeline health that sets your iteration speed. #### Stability and crashes Crash and Application Not Responding (ANR) analysis, error handling and the failure modes most likely to surface in production. #### Platform and store readiness Compliance against current Apple, Google and where relevant console requirements. #### The deliverable An executive summary in plain language, severity-ranked findings with evidence, per-area detail with file and system references, and a prioritised remediation roadmap that is yours to keep. ### Tiers and pricing We scope audits around the size, complexity and condition of the project. Choose the tier that matches your situation and we confirm scope at intake. Every tier is delivered as the same prioritised written report. #### Rapid Audit £1,250 fixed A fixed fee covering 2 working days. A focused review of one priority area, usually performance or a single problem build. #### Deep Audit £750 / day Typically 4 to 6 days, so £3,000 to £4,500. Full review across all areas with a costed remediation roadmap. #### Due Diligence Audit £750 / day Expedited, typically 2 to 4 days, so £1,500 to £3,000. Independent assessment for investors, publishers and acquirers against a deal timeline. Prices exclude VAT; UK clients add 20% VAT. A billable day is 7 hours. If you engage us for the fixes within 30 days, the audit fee is credited against the first month of remediation. ### Working together Start with a short call about what you want to understand: the codebase, performance, architecture or ship-readiness. We recommend an audit scope from there. The audit is read-only and runs without disrupting your team. You discuss findings and priorities directly with the senior engineer conducting the audit. The report is yours. Hand it to your internal team, another studio, or ask us to execute the roadmap. If you want us to do the fixes, we scope that separately through our performance, modernisation or rescue services. The audit carries no obligation. ### Assess your project Free self-assessment before booking an audit. [Technical Debt Calculator](/resources/technical-debt-calculator): A free self-assessment of how much debt is slowing you down. [Unity Migration Checker](/resources/unity-migration-checker): Whether your project needs a version migration and what risks to expect. [Performance Optimisation](/services/performanceoptimization): Acting on performance findings. [Project Rescue and Takeover](/services/project-rescue): Acting on findings that point to a bigger recovery. ### Frequently asked questions #### What access do you need for a Unity audit? We normally need read-only access to the Unity project, a current build and steps to reproduce the issues you want investigated. We agree confidentiality, access controls and handling of project files before sharing begins. #### What do we receive? A written report with a plain-language summary, evidence for the findings and prioritised recommendations. The agreed scope determines which systems we review. We walk you through the report and explain the next steps. #### Do you change the production code during the audit? The audit is an assessment, with changes and remediation scoped separately. We agree any diagnostic build or profiling access needed to investigate the project before starting. #### Can our own team carry out the fixes? Yes. The report is a standalone deliverable for your team or another studio to use. If you ask us to implement the recommendations, we provide a separate proposal. #### Can you review an older Unity version? Yes. Share the project version and dependencies when we scope the audit. Where the tooling or build environment requires recovery before review, we identify that work first. #### Do you audit Unreal, Godot or Roblox projects? Our technical audit service focuses on Unity, where our engineering experience is strongest. We will say at the first conversation if a different specialist is needed. ### Get an independent read on your Unity project Tell us what you want to understand about the codebase, performance, architecture or ship-readiness and we will recommend an audit scope. We reply within 1 to 2 business days. [Discuss a technical audit](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/technical-audit#contact) --- ## Research and Grant-Funded Projects Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/research-grant-projects For universities, research teams, museums, heritage organisations and charities building an app, game or interactive resource as part of a funded project. ### A technical partner for your funded project If your project includes an app, game or interactive resource, the funder will want to see that it has been costed properly and that someone credible will build it. We provide the costed outline, the letter of support and the technical approach for your bid, then deliver the work once the award is confirmed. Before founding Ocean View Games, our team built educational games at a previous agency, including the Great Fire of London interactive for London Museum and Navigo, developed within the EU Horizon 2020 iRead research consortium. That work was delivered there, not as Ocean View Games projects. [Read the Great Fire of London case study](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london) ### Who we work with Most enquiries come from an organisation preparing a bid, or one that already holds an award and needs a delivery partner. We are also the industry partner on a final-year games module at the University of Roehampton. #### Research teams and principal investigators Principal investigators (PIs) and research teams applying to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) councils such as AHRC, ESRC and EPSRC, to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and to similar funders, where a digital output is part of the proposal. [What we provide at bid stage](#bid-support) #### Museums and heritage organisations Museums, archives and heritage organisations planning an interactive, including projects supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Our team rebuilt London Museum’s Great Fire of London interactive at a previous studio. [See the Fire of London rebuild](/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london) #### Education organisations and charities Education organisations and charities that hold the subject expertise and the audience, and need a team to design and build the resource around them. [See the Vocab Builder project](/projects/stoneyvocabbuilder) ### What we provide at bid stage There is no charge for any of this. Send us your deadline and an outline of the digital output, and we will tell you what else we need. #### Costed outline An outline of the digital output with an indicative budget, broken down so it can go into your costings. #### Letter of support A letter confirming our involvement as the technical partner, written for your funder and your call. #### Technical approach A short technical approach section for your case for support, covering platform, architecture and delivery. #### Sustainability and maintenance Input on the sustainability and maintenance plan, so the output has a costed life after the grant ends. ### Paid pre-award work Some bids need more than an outline. This work is charged, and universities can often fund it through pump-priming or Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) budgets. #### Detailed specifications A full specification of the digital output, where the funder or your own review panel expects one before a decision. #### Prototypes and demos A playable prototype or a demo to include in the bid, showing reviewers what the finished output will do. #### Scoping workshops Workshops with your research team and partners to agree the audience, the content and what the output must achieve. ### How we structure projects Funded projects have fixed budgets, fixed dates and reporting obligations. We plan the work around them from the start. #### Paid scoping at the start of the award The project opens with a paid scoping phase that confirms the scope, the content plan and the technical approach before the build begins. #### Milestone-based build The build runs in agreed milestones, each with something your team can review, which also gives you clear points to report against. #### Hosting and maintenance Hosting and maintenance are priced across the full grant and sustainability period, not left as an open question for the final year. #### Platform chosen for the audience The audience drives the platform. A resource for schools is often browser-based, because locked-down devices and app store restrictions are common there. #### Accessibility Accessibility to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA is built in from the start, not tested for at the end. #### Data protection for young users Where the audience includes children, we design for UK GDPR and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Children’s Code from the first specification. ### Typical timeline Funding calls move slowly and then quickly. Getting in touch early gives us time to cost the work properly. #### Bid support You send your deadline and outline. We provide the costed outline, the letter of support and the technical approach in time for submission. #### Funding decision The funder assesses the bid. A decision often takes 4 to 9 months, and nothing is needed from us while you wait. #### Project start Once the award is confirmed we agree dates and begin the paid scoping phase, followed by the milestone-based build. ### Relevant experience Educational projects delivered at Ocean View Games and during our team’s previous employment. #### Navigo Delivered during previous employment Challenge: Turn pedagogical research from the EU Horizon 2020 iRead consortium into activities for young learners. Result: 15 mini-games across four languages, built at a previous agency. Adam led the project, which received a Serious Games Society award. [View Navigo](/projects/navigo) #### Vocab Builder Freelance work Challenge: Turn The Language Conservancy’s vocabulary research for endangered indigenous languages into a playable learning experience. Result: Nine vocabulary mini-games for iOS and Android, used across 14 published language apps. [View Vocab Builder](/projects/stoneyvocabbuilder) For a content library designed to keep growing after launch, read the [Bookwood content architecture case study](/case-studies/bookwood-addressables-content-delivery). We’re also the industry partner on a final-year games module at the [University of Roehampton](/partnerships/university-of-roehampton). ### Working together Start by sending us your funder, your deadline and an outline of what you want to build. An unfinished idea is fine. We will reply with questions and tell you what we can provide in the time available. We can be named in your bid as a subcontractor or supplier, and we can provide what your university procurement team needs to set us up. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and technical decisions throughout. We work alongside your researchers and subject experts, who keep ownership of the content. ### Draft your budget before we talk Free tools to put a first figure on the digital output while you prepare the bid. [Grant budget spreadsheet](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): Estimate the build in the cost estimator, then download an Excel budget broken down by role, month and cost category. [Estimate your timeline](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator): See how long the build takes phase by phase, so the work fits inside your funding period. [Build your project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder): Capture the audience, platforms and requirements in a structured brief you can send with your deadline. [Commissioning an educational game](/resources/how-to-commission-an-educational-game): What to decide before you commission a learning game, from audience to accessibility. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do you charge for help with our grant application? A costed outline with an indicative budget and a letter of support are free. So is a short technical approach for your case for support. Detailed specifications, prototypes or demos for the bid, and scoping workshops are paid work. Universities can often fund these through pump-priming or IAA budgets. #### Can I draft a budget before contacting you? Yes. Our [cost estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator) gives a cost range and timeline for the build, and exports a grant budget spreadsheet in Excel, broken down by role, month and cost category. It is a starting point, not a quote. Send it to us with your deadline and we will turn it into the costed outline your bid needs, at no charge. #### Can you be named in our bid? Yes. We can be named as a subcontractor or supplier, and we can provide what your university procurement team needs to set us up. #### How do you handle maintenance after the grant ends? We price hosting and maintenance up front and structure them to fit the funding period, including the sustainability period your funder expects. You know the cost of keeping the output available before you submit, so it can go into the bid. #### Who owns the IP? You own the bespoke work we create for your project, assigned to you upon final payment. Pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. We do not hold your code hostage. We only reserve the right to display the work in our [portfolio](/projects) (unless we have signed a strict NDA). #### Can you help me get a grant for my own app idea? Usually not directly. Most funders require a registered organisation, match funding and a track record or prototype, so individuals are rarely eligible. We offer a paid idea review covering scope, a rough budget and an honest funding assessment. It tells you what the idea would take to build and whether a grant is a realistic route. ### Plan the digital output for your bid Send us your deadline and an outline of the digital output. Use the form below, or book a call with David if you would prefer to talk it through. [Send us your deadline and outline](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/research-grant-projects#contact) --- ## Rapid Prototyping and MVP Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/rapid-prototyping Test your game idea or technical approach with a focused Unity prototype. We agree what the build needs to demonstrate, put it in reviewers' hands and use the findings to plan what comes next. ### Proving the foundation for Bookwood Developed by Ocean View Games with GamerCat Studio. Bookwood is an interactive fiction platform for iOS, Android and Steam, built to hold a growing library of stories rather than ship as one linear game. GamerCat Studio brought us in early to prove the technical foundation before that library scaled. We built the content pipeline around Unity Addressables and Cloud Content Delivery, so new books can be added and updated without rebuilding the app or growing the base install. That architecture was validated before full production, not after. [See the Bookwood project](/projects/bookwood) ### What are you starting with? Rapid prototyping serves different needs depending on where you are in your journey. #### Startups and founders You have a concept that needs a playable build to pitch investors, and may not have an internal team yet. A playable build can demonstrate the concept and support conversations with investors. [Work with startups](/industries/startups) #### Publishers evaluating concepts You have multiple concepts and need rapid prototypes to decide which to greenlight. We can build several in parallel, each testing a different mechanic or market hypothesis. [Work with publishers](/industries/publishers) #### Studios testing new directions Your core team is busy on the main title but you want to explore a new genre, platform or mechanic without pulling engineers off production. [See how it works](#prototyping-process) ### From concept to playable build The process is built to answer your most important question as fast as possible. #### Discovery We define the core mechanic, the target platform and the success criteria. What question does this prototype need to answer, and what outcome counts as a pass? #### Build and test Rapid development using our framework modules, with a playable build at each agreed milestone, then structured playtests and on-device profiling until the core mechanic feels right. #### Assess An honest review of what the prototype proved and what questions remain, with a costed production roadmap and a clear proceed, pivot or stop recommendation. ### Prototypes that went further Validation work delivered by Ocean View Games. #### Domi Online Early build to backed MMORPG Challenge: Turn an early-stage massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) concept into a playable game with a very small team. Result: A playable MMORPG built by a core team of four, which secured backing from investment partners including Avalanche. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Pocket Factory Framework to client launch Challenge: Build a casual merge game for Mojo Games quickly, without starting the common mobile systems from scratch. Result: Built in two months on our reusable Unity framework, from the merge loop to ads, in-app purchases, mediation and analytics, then launched on iOS and Android. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) ### Three scopes, three questions Each scope is sized to answer a specific question before you commit further. #### Playable prototype Core mechanic, playable and polished, with basic UI, a single-platform build and placeholder art. Answers: does this game feel good to play? #### Minimum viable product Core loop complete with basic progression, monetisation hooks, analytics and a multi-platform, soft-launch-ready build. Answers: will players come back? #### Vertical slice A complete polished section at final quality, with full art, audio and UI, for publisher pitches, funding rounds and greenlight decisions. #### Pre-built framework modules Input, cameras, UI scaffolding, analytics, ad mediation and monetisation hooks, all production-grade, plugged in as your prototype needs them. #### Cross-platform from the start Mobile, PC or WebGL, with WebGL often fastest for sharing since reviewers play in a browser with nothing to install. #### Built to evolve Reusable systems can carry into production. Experimental code may need replacing once the prototype has answered its question; we explain that at handover. ### Working together Start with a conversation about what the prototype needs to demonstrate, who it is for and which questions it has to answer. Discovery settles the single core mechanic and the success criteria, so the build stays focused on proving one thing well. David and Adam stay close to the engineering. We reuse suitable framework modules and identify which experimental parts need further work before production. You get a playable build at each agreed milestone, and an honest assessment at the end with a costed roadmap for full production. ### Explore prototyping Case studies and estimators. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): A ballpark figure for a prototype or MVP. [Timeline Estimator](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator): How long a prototype or full build will take. [Full game development](/services/gamedevelopment): Taking a proven prototype through to production. ### Frequently asked questions #### What is the difference between a prototype, MVP and vertical slice? A prototype tests a specific mechanic or technical question. An [MVP](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-minimum-viable-product-mvp) includes the minimum connected systems needed to test the experience with users. A vertical slice demonstrates a small section at the intended production quality. We choose the scope around the decision you need to make. #### Can the prototype code become part of the full game? Suitable framework modules and tested systems can carry forward. Experimental code may need replacing or hardening for production. We identify those parts at handover so the next phase can be scoped realistically. #### Can we provide our own art assets? Yes. We review the available assets and use them where they help answer the prototype's question. Otherwise, placeholder art can keep the build focused while final art production is planned separately. #### Can you prototype multiplayer? Yes. We narrow the prototype to the networking behaviour or player interaction that needs testing. Player numbers, authority and hosting requirements affect the scope, so we agree them before implementation. #### Which platforms can you prototype for? We can target iOS, Android, PC or browsers. A browser build can make sharing easier, while device-specific controls or performance questions may need a native build on the actual hardware. #### How do you estimate a prototype? We agree the core question, playable scope, target platform, assets and review process. Keeping the experiment focused helps control the work. Any further production is estimated separately from the findings. #### Can you sign an NDA before we share the idea? Yes. We can agree confidentiality before you share private design documents or technical details. ### Prove your idea before full production Tell us what you need the prototype to demonstrate, who it is for and which questions you need it to answer. [Tell us what to prove](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/rapid-prototyping#contact) --- ## 2D Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/2d-game-development Build a 2D game in Unity for mobile, PC or browsers. We develop responsive controls, gameplay systems, animation and interfaces around your art style, audience and content. ### A 2D language-learning game for Cambridge University Press Delivered during our team's previous employment. Word Fun World is a mobile English-learning game for young children, built in Unity and published on iOS and Android. Vocabulary practice is embedded in the core mechanics rather than bolted on as quizzes. It is a mobile-first, curriculum-aligned 2D title with multi-language support: the kind of tight, UI-heavy, content-driven 2D game Unity handles well. [See the Word Fun World project](/projects/wordfunworld) ### What are you starting with? We build 2D games around the mechanics, art style and devices that suit your audience. These are common starting points. #### Platformers and action Side-scrolling, physics-driven, tight controls. Tile-based, procedural or hand-crafted levels, with the game feel that makes a platformer satisfying. [See how a project runs](#2d-process) #### Puzzle, casual and hyper-casual Match-3, word and logic puzzles, idle and clicker mechanics, and quick-to-market ad-funded titles built on our reusable framework. [Explore rapid prototyping](/services/rapid-prototyping) #### Educational, card and narrative Interactive learning experiences, digital card and board games and branching visual novels, often UI-heavy and state-driven. [Explore educational games](/services/educationalgames) ### How a 2D project runs A structured process that gets to a playable build quickly, validates the core loop early and avoids surprises in the final stretch. #### Concept and scoping We define the core loop, target platforms and art style, advising on art direction that looks polished without a large art team. #### Prototype the core loop A playable greybox of the core mechanics, using placeholder shapes in place of final art, within two to four weeks, tuning controls, timing and feedback until it feels right, before full art and content production. #### Production and launch Gameplay systems, UI, audio, analytics and monetisation with weekly builds, then sprite atlas optimisation, device testing and store submission. ### Our 2D work 2D projects delivered by Ocean View Games. #### Pocket Factory Casual 2D merge game Challenge: Build a 2D factory merge game for Mojo Games on iOS and Android. Result: Built in two months: the merge loop, offline earnings, ads, in-app purchases, ad mediation and analytics, launched on both stores from one Unity project. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) #### Empires Rise Systems-heavy 2D and 2.5D Challenge: Build a 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) strategy game with procedural maps and AI opponents for mid-range mobile. Result: Procedural maps, gameplay systems and AI opponents developed for a mobile strategy game. [View Empires Rise](/projects/empiresrise) ### What we bring to a 2D build The technical depth behind a shipped 2D game, beyond the standard Unity 2D workflow. #### Unity's 2D toolset is production-ready Tilemap, 2D Physics, Sprite Atlas, 2D Animation and the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) 2D renderer are mature and used in thousands of shipped titles, deploying to iOS, Android, PC, WebGL and console from one codebase. #### Rendering and performance Sprite Atlas packing and runtime atlas management for mobile memory, the URP 2D renderer for lighting and post-processing, and draw-call batching for consistent frame rates on budget devices. #### Animation and polish Spine and Unity 2D Animation for skeletal animation, DOTween for smooth transitions, and TextMeshPro for crisp scalable text at every resolution. #### Systems and content Addressables for on-demand loading in sprite-heavy games, localisation pipelines for multi-language titles, and Box2D physics for platformers and physics puzzles. #### 2D and 3D can coexist 2.5D perspectives, 3D environments with 2D characters or parallax with depth, all within a single Unity project without switching engines. #### No custom engine needed Unity provides a shared foundation for deployment and gameplay. We configure the packages, content pipelines and maintenance approach your project needs. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about the concept, the platforms and any content you already have, and where you need design or development support. If the concept is clear we can scope development directly. If it needs proving, a short prototype validates the core loop before full production. David and Adam stay involved in the engineering, from responsive input and gameplay rules to content loading and performance. Production runs in agreed milestones with weekly builds, device testing across screen sizes and performance tiers, and store submission. 2D, 3D or 2.5D? 2D is typically faster and cheaper: less art production, simpler pipelines, fewer rendering complexities, and broader device support. It suits mobile, educational and UI-heavy games. 3D earns its cost for first-person, spatial exploration and depth-dependent play. 2.5D, 3D environments with 2D gameplay or 2D art with parallax depth, is often the sweet spot. If you are unsure, we can prototype both. [Talk through your concept](#contact)[Compare game engines](/resources/game-engine-comparison) ### Explore related services Where 2D work connects to the rest of what we do. [Full game development](/services/gamedevelopment): Full-cycle Unity development for larger 2D and 3D projects. [Educational and serious games](/services/educationalgames): 2D learning experiences for schools, museums and publishers. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): A ballpark budget by genre, platform and scope. [Compare game engines](/resources/game-engine-comparison): How Unity compares for a 2D project. ### Frequently asked questions #### What affects the cost of a 2D game? Gameplay systems, animation, content volume, platforms, multiplayer and testing all affect the scope. Existing artwork can help, but it still needs a suitable technical pipeline. We provide an estimate after reviewing the concept and available assets. #### Why use Unity for a 2D game? Unity provides tools for sprites, tilemaps, physics, animation and deployment to multiple platforms. It suits our team's engineering experience and can support both 2D gameplay and more complex systems. The right choice still depends on your project requirements. #### How long does 2D game development take? A focused prototype is a smaller engagement than a game with a full content library, progression and several release platforms. We estimate the stages from your design and assets, with playable milestones and time for feedback and testing. #### Can you work with artwork we already have? Yes. We can integrate sprites, animations and UI designs supplied by your artists. We review resolution, animation setup, atlas packing and usage rights with your team before relying on the assets in production. #### Can you build a 2D browser game? Yes. We can scope a Unity browser build around the target devices, loading requirements and deployment environment. Browser memory, input and download size need testing as part of the project. #### Is 2D always cheaper than 3D? No. A simpler visual approach may reduce some art and rendering work, but detailed animation, large content volumes or complex game systems can still require substantial production. We compare the options against your concept and audience. ### Plan your 2D game with us Tell us about the concept, platforms and content you already have, and where you need design or development support. [Describe your concept](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/2d-game-development#contact) --- ## Game Design Services Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/gamedesign Turn an idea into a game your team can build. We shape mechanics, progression and player journeys, document the design and test the important interactions in Unity. ### Designing procedural generation into Time Runner Internal IP, designed and built by Ocean View Games. Time Runner is a self-published endless runner we built to test a design question: is procedural level generation from pre-compiled assets worth the investment against hand-curated levels? The answer was yes, but only when procedural generation is treated as a core part of the design from the outset rather than bolted on later. We layered rigid-body physics over that structure to add surprise without destabilising the carefully paced core loop, and the payoff from the procedural system grew as the content library did. [See the Time Runner project](/projects/timerunner) ### What are you starting with? You do not need a finished concept. We can join at the idea stage, work from existing content or validate a design that is already on paper. #### Shape a concept Start with an idea, a market and an audience. We define the core loop, pressure-test it against session expectations and turn it into a GDD a team can build from. [How the process works](#game-design-process) #### Turn content into a game Bring a curriculum, research or a body of material. We work alongside your subject experts to design mechanics that carry the learning rather than bolt a quiz onto a game shell. [Explore educational design](/services/educationalgames) #### Validate a design You have a design and need to know whether it plays. We build a Unity greybox prototype, with placeholder shapes in place of final art, and iterate on game feel before anyone commits to art production. [Explore rapid prototyping](/services/rapid-prototyping) ### Our game design process Concept, documentation and a playable prototype. Each stage checks the design against the market and the player before the next one adds cost. #### Concept and market strategy Define the core loop, profile the target audience and identify what makes the game different in a crowded market, so the design has a clear identity and a viable audience before detailed work begins. #### The Game Design Document Translate the validated concept into a living document covering mechanics, controls, UI flows, economy and technical specs, structured so a development team can work from it directly. #### Prototype and iterate Build a Unity greybox to test the core mechanics in real time, tune controls, camera and feedback until the loop feels right, then balance the systems with structured playtests and spreadsheet models. ### Our design track record Games designed across genres, platforms and audiences by Ocean View Games and its team. #### Domi Online MMORPG systems design Challenge: Design skill progression for a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) across 20-plus disciplines that rewards long-term investment without alienating new players joining an established world. Result: Interlocking skills where one feeds another, a player-driven economy with server-authoritative validation, where the server checks every transaction, and social systems for guilds, trading and chat. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Pocket Factory Idle and tycoon design Challenge: Create long-term depth in a genre where most titles turn repetitive within hours. Result: Layered progression across factory expansion, product unlocks and prestige resets, with monetisation that complements the core loop rather than gating it. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) Through previous employment, our team contributed to educational titles for Cambridge University Press and the BBC. That cross-audience design experience, from preschool learning apps to complex MMORPGs, informs the work today. [See our educational game work](/services/educationalgames). ### The design disciplines we work across Game design is a set of interconnected disciplines, each with its own methods and outputs. We treat every one as a distinct workstream. #### Core loop design The sequence players repeat most often. We define it first, map it against your audience's session length and make sure it delivers a sense of completion inside that window. #### Systems design Combat, economy, progression, social and crafting systems, designed to be modular and scalable so content can be added post-launch without redesigning core mechanics. #### Economy design Currency flows, earn rates, sinks and sources modelled so free players stay engaged and paying players feel their purchase was worthwhile, with analytics hooks for tuning after launch. #### Level and content design Difficulty curves, tutorial design that teaches through play, and advice on where procedural generation earns its place against hand-crafted content. #### UX and UI design Game UI is not web UI. Heads-up displays (HUDs) that communicate state without obscuring the action, menus navigated under time pressure, and feedback that makes interactions feel responsive. #### What you receive A GDD, core loop and systems diagrams, wireframes, working economy spreadsheets and playable prototype builds, handed over for use with any development team. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about what you have so far, the player experience you want and where you need help turning it into a workable design. For an early idea, the work usually starts with concept and market validation, then moves into the Game Design Document. For an existing design, a prototype may be the useful first step. David and Adam stay close to the design and technical decisions, and we bring in trusted specialists for art, audio or research where a project needs them. Where gameplay assumptions need testing, a Unity prototype helps us gather feedback before expanding the design. Playtesting informs the next step; it does not guarantee commercial success. Documentation package Agree the documentation your development team needs: mechanics, player flows, systems diagrams and production assumptions. Prototyping and full development can be scoped separately. Scope depends on the number of systems, the platforms and how much prototyping the design needs. We set out the assumptions in your proposal. [Discuss your project](#contact)[Start with a project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder) ### Plan your project Free interactive tools to help you scope the design before we talk. [Build your project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder): Capture your concept, platforms and requirements in a structured brief. [Get a cost estimate](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): See how design and systems complexity affect your project budget. [Compare game engines](/resources/game-engine-comparison): See how Unity, Unreal, Godot and others compare for your project type. [Read: infinite progression systems](/blog/posts/building-infinite-progression-systems-unity): A technical breakdown of the progression design behind Domi Online. ### Frequently asked questions #### How is game design work scoped? We agree the decisions and documents your team needs: core mechanics, player flows, progression, economy design or a playable prototype. The number of systems and the depth of testing shape the estimate. We set out deliverables and assumptions before work begins. #### Do we own the game design documents and prototype? Once payment is complete, you own the bespoke documentation and deliverables created for your project under our agreement. Pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. #### Can you work from an idea rather than a finished brief? Yes. Bring the audience, platforms and experience you have in mind, along with any references or constraints. We can help define the [core loop](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-core-loop), which is the set of actions players repeat, and turn it into a design your team can build. #### How do you test a game design? We use playable Unity prototypes, structured feedback and systems models to test specific assumptions. For example, a prototype can reveal whether controls are understandable or a gameplay loop holds interest. The findings guide revisions before full production. #### Can another studio build from your design? Yes. We agree a handover that can include the [game design document](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-game-design-document-gdd), wireframes, systems diagrams, economy spreadsheets and prototype builds. We can also walk the receiving team through the decisions and unresolved questions. #### Can you design educational games? Yes. We work with your subject experts to connect gameplay with learning objectives. See our [educational game development service](/services/educationalgames) for examples and our approach to content review. ### Shape your idea into a workable design Tell us what you have so far, what you want the player experience to be and where you need help turning it into a workable game design. [Share your idea](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/gamedesign#contact) --- ## Unity Project Rescue and Takeover Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/project-rescue Get a stalled or inherited Unity project moving again. We assess the codebase, stabilise the build and agree a recovery plan based on what can be retained and what needs changing. ### From code review to ongoing engineering on Domi Online Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. Our involvement in Domi, a Unity massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), began with a technical code review during the earliest stages of development. David was then hired as lead developer, with the team going on to build the gameplay systems, UI, environment art and tooling. That progression from assessment to technical ownership informs our recovery work: understand the existing systems, agree the next milestone and make changes in a controlled sequence. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? If any of these describes your situation, the diagnostic is the right first step. We do not need a polished brief or a tidy repo to start. #### Your previous studio went quiet Missed milestones, went dark or shut down, and you are holding a codebase you cannot fully account for. [Book a diagnostic](#contact) #### Nobody can compile the project The original lead left, the build works on one machine and nowhere else, or dependencies have gone missing. [Start a project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder) #### You need a build for a pitch There is a publisher pitch or funding milestone coming and the codebase is not in a state to demo. [Explore co-development](/services/codevelopment) ### How project rescue works Three phases. The first is a fixed price and a fixed deliverable. The second and third only happen if the diagnostic recommends them and you agree to proceed. #### Diagnostic week David personally audits the codebase, runs profiling, identifies the critical risks and produces a written diagnostic with three options, finish, refactor or rebuild, and honest cost estimates for each. The diagnostic is scoped separately, with no obligation to commission the recovery. #### Stabilisation Work towards a build that the team can develop reliably: the build fixed across machines, lost dependencies restored, critical performance regressions addressed and the systems documented. #### Forward delivery A standard co-development engagement scoped to whatever is left to ship: agreed milestones, weekly demos, paid in arrears. ### Experience with existing Unity projects Assessment, modernisation and continued development delivered by Ocean View Games. #### Domi Online Lead development on an MMORPG Challenge: Own architecture and delivery on a server-authoritative Unity MMORPG, where the server decides every outcome, with a core team of four. Result: A code review followed by lead development across gameplay systems, UI, environment art and engine upgrades. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Nova Blast Live title, no schedule disruption Challenge: Modernise software development kits (SDKs) and add an Android build to Foil Hat Games' live iOS title without breaking their release cadence. Result: Updated libraries, new level tooling and an Android release alongside the existing iOS build. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) ### What we establish before recovery begins A recovery plan needs to account for the code, the remaining work and the people who know the project. #### A reproducible build Identify the Unity version, dependencies, missing assets and build steps so the project can run on the agreed development machines. #### What can be retained Assess working systems and incomplete features. We explain where a focused fix, refactor or rebuild is justified, with the evidence behind the recommendation. #### Release priorities Separate blockers from improvements that can wait. Agree what a usable milestone contains and which features need to be deferred or reconsidered. #### Handover from the previous team Where possible, review the project with the people who built it. Capture design decisions, deployment steps and known issues before that knowledge is lost. #### Technical ownership You work directly with David and Adam on the engineering decisions. We agree responsibilities and review points with your team before implementation. #### Access and confidentiality Agree confidentiality, repository access and the materials needed for the diagnostic before sharing the project. ### Working together Start with a conversation about what has gone wrong, what state the project is in and what still needs to ship. The diagnostic week is the real first step. It is fixed price, delivered by the engineer who would lead the recovery, and it ends with a written recommendation you can act on with or without us. From stabilisation onward it looks like any co-development engagement: agreed milestones, weekly demos, paid in arrears, senior engineers only. You speak to David and Adam directly throughout, with technical decisions and progress reviewed together. ### Before you book the diagnostic Tools to give the diagnostic a head start. [Unity Migration Checker](/resources/unity-migration-checker): If the project is on Unity 2019, 2020 or 2021, this maps the breaking changes on the way to Unity 6. [Build a project brief](/resources/game-development-brief-builder): Capture what you know about the project, the previous team and what needs to ship. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): Ballpark scoping before the diagnostic. [Porting Feasibility Checker](/resources/porting-feasibility-checker): If a platform move is part of what needs to happen. ### Frequently asked questions #### How quickly can you start a project rescue? We confirm availability after an initial conversation and review of the access required. The first stage is a separately scoped diagnostic of the Unity project. You receive a written recommendation before committing to stabilisation or further development. #### What if a rebuild is outside our budget? The diagnostic explains which work is essential and whether a smaller release or phased recovery is practical. If the available budget cannot support a viable recovery, we say so. You can keep the report and use it to plan a later stage or brief another team. #### Can the original developers stay involved? Yes, where that helps the project. We can arrange a technical handover, work alongside the existing team or take over agreed responsibilities. Access, decision-making and ownership of each area are established before recovery begins. #### Do you sign an NDA before reviewing the code? Yes. We agree confidentiality before code or private project material is shared. We can review your NDA template or provide our own. #### Do you rescue projects built in other engines? Our project rescue service focuses on Unity. If the game uses another engine and needs rebuilding in Unity, our [legacy modernisation service](/services/legacy-modernisation) may be more appropriate, subject to a feasibility review. #### Who leads the engineering? David Edgecombe and Adam Kaye stay involved in technical decisions and delivery. David is a Unity Certified Expert and previously worked as a Technical Developer on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex. You can read their individual experience on our [team page](/team). ### Get your stuck Unity project moving again Tell us what has gone wrong, what state the project is in and what still needs to be delivered. We reply within 1 to 2 business days with a sensible next step. [Tell us what went wrong](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/project-rescue#contact) --- ## Multiplayer & Network Engineering Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/network-engineering Build or improve online play in Unity. We develop multiplayer architecture, synchronisation and backend systems around your game, target platforms and expected player numbers. ### A server-authoritative MMO backend for Domi Online Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. Domi is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game designed around a persistent player economy and a large multiplayer world. Gameplay is server-authoritative, so the server decides every outcome and players cannot fake results. It runs on FishNet, a networking library for Unity. Networking was led by Brinca, the project's network engineer. All four closed alpha stress tests, invitation-only tests with up to 500 players, ran on a single Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 cloud server, keeping operating costs practical for an independent studio, which is the balance most multiplayer projects actually have to strike. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? Multiplayer architecture is genre-dependent. Tell us the game, the expected player scale and the problem you need solved. #### Building multiplayer from scratch A co-op lobby, a competitive shooter or a persistent world. We define the topology, authority model and bandwidth budget before writing netcode, the code that keeps players in sync. [See the process](#network-process) #### Scaling an existing game Your multiplayer works at small scale but server bills, desync (players seeing different game states) or launch-day spikes are a risk. We profile the netcode and infrastructure and re-architect where needed. [Explore performance work](/services/performanceoptimization) #### Backend and infrastructure only Matchmaking, player profiles, leaderboards and auto-scaling server fleets on AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, with PlayFab, Microsoft's managed game backend, where it fits. [Explore PlayFab](/technologies/playfab) ### How we build a multiplayer backend Agree the player experience, authority model and expected load early. These decisions guide implementation, infrastructure and testing. #### Architecture and protocol design Before any netcode, we choose the topology, define what the server validates versus what the client predicts, and calculate packet sizes and tick rates (how often the server updates) against your latency and platform requirements. #### Netcode and backend implementation State synchronisation on reliable and unreliable channels, client-side prediction with server reconciliation, lag compensation, plus matchmaking, database architecture and auto-scaling server fleets. #### Stress testing and launch Load testing against agreed player scenarios, deployment in the regions your audience needs, and monitoring and release procedures for ongoing support. ### Multiplayer work High-concurrency engineering delivered by Ocean View Games and its team. #### Domi Online MMO-scale architecture Challenge: Build a server-authoritative Unity MMO around uncapped progression and a persistent economy on an independent budget. Result: Server-authoritative FishNet gameplay and closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players on a single AWS EC2 server. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### RuneScape Mobile Live environments at scale, at Jagex Challenge: Contribute to a live MMO role-playing game (MMORPG) with almost two decades of content while it was adapted for mobile. Result: David worked on live RuneScape updates, then built the mobile heads-up display (HUD) and converted more than 40 legacy interfaces on the mobile team at Jagex. [View RuneScape Mobile](/projects/runescape) ### What the architecture has to get right The decisions that make or break a multiplayer game, agreed against your genre and player scale before implementation. #### Authority and cheat prevention Server-authoritative logic so the client cannot dictate outcomes, protecting competitive integrity and the in-game economy. #### Latency handling Client-side prediction, reconciliation and lag compensation so the game feels responsive without giving up server authority. #### Bandwidth budget Packet sizes and tick rates tuned so the game runs on mobile data, not just a wired connection. #### Cost of scale Server fleets that scale up for peak hours and down overnight, so you are not paying for idle compute. #### Matchmaking and persistence Skill or region-based matchmaking, and low-latency reads with atomic writes for profiles, inventories and leaderboards. #### Launch day Load testing to find bottlenecks before players do, and regional deployment to keep global latency down. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about the game, the expected player scale and the networking or architecture problems you need to solve. For a new build, an architecture and protocol design phase settles the topology and authority model before implementation. For an existing game, a profiling pass on the netcode and infrastructure comes first. David and Adam stay close to the engineering, with MMORPG experience from Domi Online and RuneScape behind the multiplayer work. Production runs in agreed milestones, with load testing and regional deployment before launch and monitoring in place from the first live build. ### Related services and technologies Where multiplayer work connects to the rest of what we do. [FishNet](/projects/domi): The networking library behind our server-authoritative architecture. [PlayFab](/technologies/playfab): Matchmaking, player profiles and analytics as a managed backend service. [Performance Optimisation](/services/performanceoptimization): Profiling and tuning when multiplayer performance or server cost is the problem. [LiveOps](/services/liveops): Keeping a live multiplayer game stable and updated after launch. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can you add multiplayer to an existing single-player game? Potentially, but it can require changes to gameplay state, saving, input and scene architecture. We review the codebase and intended online experience before estimating the conversion. #### Do you work with peer-to-peer and dedicated servers? We assess the authority model and hosting approach against the genre, player count, latency, security needs and running costs. [Dedicated servers](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-dedicated-server), relay services and peer-hosted approaches have different trade-offs. #### How do you choose a networking library? We review the game requirements, existing code and team needs. Our work includes FishNet architecture on Domi Online, and we can assess other Unity networking options where appropriate. See our [FishNet work](/projects/domi). #### How do you test multiplayer capacity? We agree expected sessions and player behaviour, then use repeatable load scenarios to measure server, network and persistence bottlenecks. Test results apply to the measured configuration; a player count from another game is not a capacity guarantee. #### Can you provide support after launch? Yes. We can scope monitoring, updates and incident investigation through our [LiveOps service](/services/liveops). Coverage hours, response targets and any on-call support are agreed separately. ### Get your multiplayer architecture right before launch Tell us about the game, expected player scale and the networking or architecture problems you need to solve. [Describe your multiplayer game](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/network-engineering#contact) --- ## Unity Game QA and Testing Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/qa-testing Understand what is ready to ship and what still needs attention. We test Unity gameplay, performance and device compatibility, with reproducible reports your developers can act on. ### Device-matrix testing on Empires Rise Developed by Ocean View Games. Empires Rise brings procedural maps, AI opponents and strategy systems to mobile. Testing needs to cover both the rules of the game and how those systems behave together during play. For a game like this, we plan checks around map generation, gameplay state and performance on representative devices. Longer sessions help reveal issues a brief check of the opening scene can miss. [See the Empires Rise project](/projects/empiresrise) ### What are you starting with? External QA is not always necessary. These are the situations where it clearly adds value. #### Approaching a submission deadline A concentrated test pass with fresh eyes before an App Store, Google Play or console submission, where review issues can delay release. [Check platform readiness](/resources/platform-readiness-checklist) #### Porting to a new platform Every new platform multiplies the testing surface: device compatibility, input adaptation, performance on new hardware and platform certification. [Explore game porting](/services/game-porting) #### No dedicated QA in-house Add structured testing alongside your developers' own checks. We agree coverage, report reproducible issues and verify fixes as builds change. [See the testing types](#testing-disciplines) ### How we test The biggest QA mistake is leaving it until the end. Testing is integrated throughout development so bugs are caught while they are cheap to fix. #### QA from day one Test plans written during pre-production alongside the design document, automated tests set up early and run through continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), and a QA pass on every milestone build. #### Tracking and triage Structured bug reports with reproduction steps, severity classification and evidence, in your bug tracker, with daily triage alongside the development team. #### Reporting and readiness Regular reports on tests executed, pass rates and open bugs by severity, plus a clear yes or no release-readiness recommendation before each milestone or submission. ### The testing disciplines we cover We agree the testing disciplines, target devices and release criteria before work begins. #### Functional testing Systematic gameplay testing across every feature and system, edge and boundary cases, save and load integrity, and for multiplayer: connection handling, desync detection and host migration. #### Platform compliance Checks against the relevant App Store, Google Play or Steam requirements. Console requests are assessed separately, including access to platform documentation, hardware and specialist support. #### Performance testing Frame rate profiling across real gameplay, memory monitoring over long sessions, loading times, thermal behaviour and battery drain, all on minimum-spec devices as well as flagships. #### Compatibility testing A device matrix across iOS, Android and PC, OS version coverage, screen and aspect-ratio handling including notches and foldables, and controller and browser coverage for WebGL. #### Regression and automation A regression suite that grows a test case per fixed bug, plus Unity Test Framework EditMode and PlayMode tests, automated UI and performance benchmarks, and CI/CD integration on every commit. ### QA in practice Testing as a core part of delivery, not an afterthought. #### Domi Online Multiplayer stress testing Challenge: Test builds of a Unity massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with a player-driven economy ahead of each invitation-only closed alpha test. Result: Multiplayer edge-case coverage, exploit detection, regression across builds and four closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Empires Rise Device matrix testing Challenge: Verify playable performance for a mobile 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) strategy game across a wide hardware range. Result: A mobile strategy game bringing procedural generation, AI and gameplay systems together in one build. [View Empires Rise](/projects/empiresrise) ### Testing informed by Unity engineering We are a Unity development studio first, so QA reads the code as well as the build. #### White-box insight When source access is available, we can trace a gameplay fault to the relevant scene, component or Prefab and include those findings in the report. #### Integrated workflow We plug into your Jira, Linear or GitHub Issues, attend standups and verify fixes in real time rather than emailing a spreadsheet once a month. #### Real devices, not simulators Simulators miss thermal throttling, real memory pressure, GPU driver differences and touch precision. We test on a device matrix across minimum-spec, mid-range and flagship tiers. #### Release preparation Our release experience covers mobile and PC. We have not shipped a console title, so console certification work requires a separate assessment of fit and specialist support. #### Live-service discipline We test updates against the existing game and agree release and rollback checks. David also brings experience from the RuneScape Mobile team at Jagex. #### Flexible scope A focused check before submission or ongoing testing through development. We confirm coverage, access, availability and the engagement terms during scoping. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about what you are preparing to ship, your target platforms and where you need additional testing or technical validation. For an upcoming submission, we focus on release risks and review requirements. For ongoing development, we agree a testing cadence that fits your sprints. David and Adam stay close to the engineering, and the testers are Unity engineers who read your codebase, run the Profiler and reproduce issues at the component level. You get structured bug reports in your own tracker, daily triage with your team, and a release-readiness call before every milestone. ### Plan your testing Free tools and reading to scope a test pass. [Platform Readiness Checklist](/resources/platform-readiness-checklist): Check whether your game meets platform requirements before submission. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): A ballpark figure for QA based on your project scope and platforms. [Platform Readiness Before Launch](/blog/posts/platform-readiness-before-launch): Common failure points in App Store, Google Play and console submissions. [Performance Optimisation](/services/performanceoptimization): For fixing the performance issues a test pass turns up. ### Frequently asked questions #### How is a game QA engagement scoped? We agree the build, features, target devices, testing depth and release window. You receive a test plan with the expected coverage and reporting. A focused release check and ongoing testing through production have different requirements. #### What devices do you test on? We agree specific iOS, Android, Windows or browser coverage during scoping. The list should represent your target audience and minimum requirements. Any specialist hardware or devices you need to supply are identified before work begins. #### Do you need source code to test a game? Some functional and compatibility checks can run against a build. Source access allows deeper Unity profiling, component-level investigation and automated tests. We agree access according to the testing work required. #### How long does a QA pass take? It depends on the feature set, [device matrix](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-device-matrix), number of builds and time needed to verify fixes. We estimate the pass from a test plan and allow for retesting, rather than assuming every mobile game needs the same number of days. #### Do you cover store submission requirements? We can check relevant mobile and PC release requirements and help with submission preparation. We have not shipped a console title; console certification requests need a separate assessment and may require a specialist partner. #### Can you set up automated tests? Yes. We can add Unity tests and build checks for repeatable risks such as saving, loading and core systems. Automation complements manual gameplay and real-device testing, with scope based on the project. #### What does the QA report include? Reproduction steps, the build and device tested, expected and actual behaviour, severity and supporting evidence where available. We also summarise coverage, unresolved issues and the risks relevant to your release decision. ### Ship your Unity build with fewer surprises Tell us what you are preparing to ship, your target platforms and where you need additional testing or technical validation. [Tell us what you are shipping](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/qa-testing#contact) --- ## Game LiveOps and Post-Launch Support Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/liveops Keep your released Unity game maintained as platforms and player needs change. We support bug fixes, content updates, server work and ongoing development within an agreed support scope. ### Long-term engineering on Domi Online Developed by Ocean View Games as the client's core technical partner. We have led development of Domi, a Unity massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built on the FishNet networking library, since 2021. That has meant keeping a large codebase healthy over several years: four invitation-only closed alpha stress tests, performance work and continuous feature development. It also includes in-place Unity upgrades through every long-term support (LTS) release from 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3. The same engineers, tools and processes are available for your live game. [Read the Domi Online case study](/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo) ### What are you starting with? There are a few common situations where outsourcing LiveOps, the ongoing engineering that keeps a released game running, makes more sense than building an internal team. #### Your core team has moved on The developers who built the game are on the next project and nobody is left to maintain the live one. Bugs pile up and platform requirements drift. [See how it works](#liveops-process) #### A portfolio of live titles You are a publisher with several live games that each need part-time engineering attention rather than a full-time hire. [Explore co-development](/services/codevelopment) #### Revenue, but not enough for full-time staff The game earns but cannot justify full-time maintenance staff, or it is near end-of-life with a loyal player base that deserves continued support. [Estimate a retainer](/resources/co-development-cost-estimator) ### How a LiveOps engagement works We integrate with your team and tools, then provide support that scales with the game's needs. #### Assessment and onboarding We audit the codebase, infrastructure and live metrics to find the highest-impact priorities, then integrate with your tools and set up monitoring, reporting and escalation paths. #### Ongoing support We work the maintenance backlog, content updates and performance improvements on a prioritised rolling basis, with a consistent release cadence aligned to your roadmap. #### Scaling up and down We flex capacity for major updates, seasonal events and marketing pushes, then scale back during quieter periods without losing project knowledge. ### LiveOps in practice Ongoing engineering for a game with real players and real revenue. #### Domi Online Long-running MMORPG Challenge: Keep a multi-year Unity MMORPG stable, current and growing while the client focuses on direction and community. Result: Five in-place Unity upgrades, four closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players and continuous feature development. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Nova Blast Live title maintenance Challenge: Modernise a live iOS game's software development kits (SDKs) and add an Android build without disrupting the release schedule. Result: Updated libraries, new level tooling and an Android release alongside the existing iOS build. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) ### What a LiveOps retainer covers Maintenance and development selected around your game, release schedule and player feedback. #### Technical maintenance Bug fixes, Unity upgrades, SDK updates, server monitoring and platform compliance. #### Content updates New levels, items, characters, seasonal events, balance patches and UI improvements to keep players engaged. #### Performance Ongoing profiling, memory leak detection, frame rate and thermal work and load-time improvements. #### Multiplayer operations Server scaling, matchmaking tuning, anti-cheat monitoring and network performance for live multiplayer games. #### Analytics and retention Daily and monthly active user (DAU and MAU) tracking, funnel analysis, A/B testing, monetisation monitoring and churn analysis to inform the roadmap. #### Platform compliance App Store and Google Play policy updates, certification maintenance and store listing management. #### Support hours and escalation Agree response targets, support hours, escalation contacts and any out-of-hours cover before launch. Monitoring and on-call engineering are scoped separately. ### Working together Start with a conversation about what is already live, what your internal team needs to stay focused on and which ongoing work you want help owning. We begin with a paid onboarding audit of the codebase, infrastructure and live metrics, so the retainer scope is realistic before either side commits. David and Adam retain technical oversight. We agree the people involved and any specialist support as part of the engagement. We agree capacity, review dates, notice periods and support hours in the retainer. Any on-call cover or additional capacity for major updates is arranged separately. ### Explore LiveOps Related services and a retainer estimate. [Co-Development Cost Estimator](/resources/co-development-cost-estimator): Set your days per week and see monthly and total retainer figures. [Performance Optimisation](/services/performanceoptimization): Ongoing profiling and optimisation for live games. [Network Engineering](/services/network-engineering): Multiplayer infrastructure, server scaling and matchmaking. [Co-development](/services/codevelopment): Embedded engineering beyond maintenance work. ### Frequently asked questions #### What does game LiveOps support include? An agreed mix of maintenance and ongoing development, such as bug fixes, [SDK](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-sdk-software-development-kit) updates, content releases, server work, performance investigation and events. We prioritise the backlog with your team and review it against the available capacity. #### How is ongoing support priced? We scope support around the codebase, infrastructure, release cadence, expected workload and coverage hours. An onboarding review helps establish the capacity required. Our [co-development cost estimator](/resources/co-development-cost-estimator) provides indicative budget guidance. #### Can you maintain a game built by another studio? Yes, following an onboarding review. We assess the build process, dependencies, infrastructure and existing issues before agreeing a support plan. A technical handover from the original team is helpful where possible. #### Do you provide 24-hour support? Coverage hours, response targets and escalation procedures are agreed in the support contract. Monitoring does not automatically include continuous engineer availability. Any out-of-hours or on-call cover is scoped separately. #### Which platforms can you support? Our delivery experience covers iOS, Android, PC and browser games. Console requests are assessed separately because we have not shipped a console title and would need to establish the platform access and specialist support required. #### Do you manage the community? Our focus is engineering and content implementation. Your community team or specialist partner normally handles moderation, player communication and customer support. We can work with them to investigate reported issues and prepare updates. #### Can support capacity change over time? We review planned releases and maintenance needs with you. Changes to capacity, notice periods and any additional specialists are agreed in advance, including preparation for major updates. ### Keep your live game moving while your team builds what is next Tell us what is already live, what your internal team needs to stay focused on and which ongoing development work you want help owning. [Tell us what is live](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/liveops#contact) --- ## App Store Launch Support Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/appstorelaunch Take your Unity game through the technical steps towards an App Store or Google Play release. We help with builds, store listings, beta testing, submission and review feedback. ### Taking Pocket Factory to iOS and Android Developed by Ocean View Games for Mojo Games. Pocket Factory was a casual merge game developed for Mojo Games. Our work covered the core gameplay, monetisation and release on iOS and Android. Preparing a release brings the build, purchase flows, store information and testing together. We use that delivery experience to help teams work through their own submissions. [See the Pocket Factory project](/projects/pocketfactory) ### What are you starting with? Getting the game built is only half the battle. Getting it approved, optimised and visible is where projects stall. Tell us where you are. #### Getting a build through review We review the build, store information and test results against the relevant requirements, then help resolve issues before submission. The platform makes the approval decision. [Run the readiness checklist](/resources/platform-readiness-checklist) #### Already been rejected Privacy manifest errors, data safety mismatches, Apple's guideline 4.3 on spam and copycat apps, login walls. We interpret the specific rejection code, implement the required fix and handle the resubmission. [Common rejections and fixes](#launch-rejected) #### Live but not converting Review your store copy, screenshots and available conversion data to identify changes worth testing. We help the listing explain the game clearly to the intended audience. [Explore monetisation](/services/monetization) ### Our launch and submission lifecycle Check the build, prepare the listing and work through submission feedback. Store approval and review timing remain with the platform. #### Technical compliance audit Check the build before the store page: the technical requirements each store sets (64-bit support and the target application programming interface (API) level, the Android version the game is built for), Apple privacy manifests and tracking declarations, and file size so users can actually download the game. #### App store optimisation (ASO) and asset production Treat the store page as a sales funnel. Keyword research for genre, mechanic and comparison terms, gameplay-first screenshots, and video previews where they help explain the experience. #### Submission and review resolution Age ratings, content declarations and export compliance, then direct communication with the review teams, interpreting rejection guidelines and turning around fixes so you do not have to. ### Store launches we have run Games taken through store submission and release by Ocean View Games. #### Pocket Factory Dual-store launch Challenge: Ship a casual merge game to the App Store and Google Play for Mojo Games. Result: Both submissions taken through review to release alongside the core game build. [View Pocket Factory](/projects/pocketfactory) #### Nova Blast Adding a store without disrupting one Challenge: Bring Foil Hat Games' live iOS title to Google Play without breaking the existing release schedule. Result: A Google Play submission and Android release alongside the existing iOS build. [View Nova Blast](/projects/novablast) ### What the launch service covers The whole pipeline, from the store listing to the weeks after launch. The rejection patterns below are the ones we design submissions to avoid. #### Store listing and ASO Title and keyword optimisation, screenshot design that shows gameplay in the first two frames, video previews, and localised listings for target markets. #### Privacy and compliance Review what data third-party software development kits (SDKs) collect, required privacy declarations, tracking permissions and content ratings with the people responsible for your privacy policy and store accounts. #### Submission management Binary upload and build configuration, setting up in-app purchase (IAP) and subscription products with review screenshots, writing review notes, providing demo accounts, and managing resubmissions. #### Launch day and beyond Staged and percentage rollouts, launch-day monitoring of crash, Application Not Responding (ANR) and review sentiment, and a hotfix submission process established before launch, with review timing controlled by the store. #### Common Apple rejections Review feedback can concern privacy declarations, purchase flows, launch crashes, app functionality or incomplete metadata. We investigate the specific notice against the submitted build. #### Common Google Play rejections Review feedback can concern data safety, target API requirements, audience settings, permissions or build configuration. We check the requirements that apply to your submission. ### Working together Start with a conversation about what you are launching, which stores you are targeting and where you need help getting the build through the final requirements. If you have already been rejected, send us the rejection notice. Most are one of a handful of patterns, and we can usually tell you quickly what the fix involves. David and Adam stay close to the technical and submission work. We communicate with the review teams directly, so you are not interpreting cryptic rejection codes. After release, we can help monitor crashes, prepare updates and review store feedback. The support period and responsibilities are agreed before launch. Already been rejected? Share the rejection notice, submitted build version and any review correspondence. We can assess the issue, explain the options and scope the changes needed for resubmission. [Discuss your launch](#contact)[Run the readiness checklist](/resources/platform-readiness-checklist) ### Plan your launch Free tools and guides to check readiness before we talk. [Platform Readiness Checklist](/resources/platform-readiness-checklist): Check whether your game meets App Store and Google Play requirements before submission. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): A ballpark for launch support based on your platforms and submission scope. [Read: platform readiness before launch](/blog/posts/platform-readiness-before-launch): The technical and store requirements that stall submissions. [Mobile development](/services/mobile): The development side, if the build itself still needs work. ### Frequently asked questions #### My game was rejected. Can you help? Yes. Share the rejection notice, build version and review correspondence. We assess the stated issue, explain the changes required and scope the fixes and resubmission work. Approval and review timing remain with Apple or Google. #### How is launch support scoped? The estimate depends on the stores, build condition, purchase systems, listing assets and any unresolved review issues. We agree who supplies the copy, artwork and declarations, and which submission and post-launch tasks are included. #### Do you help with app store optimisation? Yes. We can help with relevant keywords, store descriptions, screenshots and previews, using available listing data to identify changes worth testing. [App store optimisation](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-app-store-optimisation-aso) can improve how clearly a listing presents the game; it cannot guarantee a ranking or number of downloads. #### Who owns the store accounts? Your organisation should own the developer accounts and store listings. You grant the access needed for the agreed work, retain control of the release and provide the business and policy information required for submission. #### Can you manage TestFlight and Google Play test releases? Yes. We can configure test tracks, distribute builds and help collect and prioritise feedback before submission. We agree the testers, devices and acceptance criteria with your team. #### What do you need before submission? We start with the build or source project, target stores, account access and release plan. We also review the available icons, screenshots, descriptions, privacy policy, audience information and purchase details, then identify anything missing. #### Can you help with a Steam release? We can scope Steam build preparation and store setup separately from mobile submission. Tell us what is already configured and whether you need technical release support, listing assets or both. ### Get your game through store review Tell us what you are launching, which stores you are targeting and where you need help getting the build through the final technical and submission requirements. [Discuss your launch](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/appstorelaunch#contact) --- ## Game Monetisation Services Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/monetization Implement in-app purchases, advertising and virtual economies that fit your game. We help choose the model, integrate the systems and test the purchase and player experience. ### Monetising Pocket Factory without breaking the loop Developed by Ocean View Games for Mojo Games. Pocket Factory was a casual merge game for iOS and Android. We built interstitial (full-screen) ads and in-app purchases (IAP) into the game's flow at natural pauses, with a mediation software development kit (SDK) serving ads from multiple networks. Analytics were built in from the start. After launch, the data showed where players got stuck or dropped out of the flow, and we fixed those points in later updates. [Read the Pocket Factory case study](/case-studies/pocket-factory-mobile-strategy-design) ### What are you starting with? The right approach depends on your audience, game design and business model. We can help with strategy, implementation or an existing integration. #### Choosing a model Free-to-play with ads, IAP, hybrid (a mix of both), premium (a paid game) or subscription. Each needs different SDKs, server infrastructure and compliance checks. We help you pick the one that fits the game. [Find your monetisation model](/resources/game-monetisation-strategy) #### Designing the economy Currency sinks and sources (how players earn and spend currency) and pricing, modelled with numbers so free players stay engaged and hard currency, the kind players pay for, keeps its value. [How implementation works](#monetisation-process) #### Compliance for younger audiences COPPA (the US children's online privacy law), GDPR-K (the GDPR's rules on children's data) and the UK Age Appropriate Design Code shape what monetisation is allowed. We build the technical implementation around the requirements confirmed for your project. [Explore educational games](/services/educationalgames) ### How we implement monetisation We build sustainable economies rather than switching on ads. The process balances revenue targets against retention, measured on real player data. #### Economy design and strategy Map how value moves through the game, balance sinks and sources (what players spend against what they earn) so currency keeps its worth, and identify clear, optional purchase or rewarded-ad opportunities that fit the flow of play. #### Technical integration Ad mediation, so ad networks compete for each ad slot and you earn more per view, server-side receipt validation, which checks every purchase on a server to prevent fraud, and purchase flows that meet Apple and Google review guidelines. #### Testing and optimisation Launch with several versions of pricing, ad frequency and offer timing, then use cohort analysis, comparing how groups of players respond, to tune for lifetime value without wearing players out. This continues as live work. ### Our monetisation track record Revenue systems shipped across mobile, PC and MMO titles by Ocean View Games. #### Domi Online Server-authoritative economy Challenge: Validate every transaction in a player-driven massively multiplayer online (MMO) marketplace where item duplication or currency manipulation would destroy the game. Result: Server-side validation on player-to-player trading, auctions and crafting, using authoritative game state rather than trusting the client. [View Domi Online](/projects/domi) #### Empires Rise 4X resource balancing Challenge: Keep players of a 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) strategy game engaged across weeks of play without progression walls or the feeling of being pressured into spending. Result: Resource generation curves, upgrade cost scaling and time-gate mechanics tuned against session pacing. [View Empires Rise](/projects/empiresrise) ### What a monetisation engagement covers The full stack, from strategy through SDK integration to server-side validation and post-launch tuning. Which parts apply is scoped around your game. #### Ad integration and mediation All major ad networks, with waterfall and in-app bidding set up so networks compete for each ad slot, raising fill rates and eCPM (revenue per thousand ad impressions). Rewarded, interstitial, banner and native ads are placed at natural break points. #### In-app purchase systems Unity IAP and RevenueCat for cross-platform receipt validation, a full product catalogue of consumables (repeatable purchases) and non-consumables (one-time unlocks), and regional pricing for each store. #### Subscription models Apple StoreKit 2 and Google Play Billing for auto-renewing subscriptions, handling free trials, grace periods, billing retries for failed payments and entitlement management, which tracks what each subscriber has access to. #### Virtual economy design Dual-currency systems with earned and paid currencies, balanced sinks and sources, anchor pricing that makes offers easy to compare, and first-purchase bonuses, each A/B tested with your own player cohorts. #### Analytics and A/B testing Conversion funnels showing where players drop off before buying, cohort analysis of how groups of players behave over time, and monetisation key performance indicators (KPIs), with pricing, ad placement and offer timing tested rather than assumed. #### Compliance and privacy Loot box probability disclosure, age gating and consent flows, and children's market measures built around the project's confirmed COPPA and GDPR-K requirements. ### Working together Start with a free conversation about the game, the audience and the business model you are considering, and where you need design or implementation support. For an early concept, the work usually starts with economy design and a model recommendation. For a live game, it often starts with an analytics review of what the current monetisation is doing. David and Adam stay close to the engineering and the economy decisions, and we work alongside your own design and data teams where you have them. Every implementation is instrumented, so pricing, drop rates and ad frequency can be tuned on real player data after launch rather than guessed at. ### Plan your monetisation Free tools and guides to scope the work before we talk. [Find your monetisation model](/resources/game-monetisation-strategy): Answer a few questions and get a personalised recommendation for your game. [Game Development Cost Estimator](/resources/game-development-cost-estimator): See how monetisation complexity affects your project budget. [Read: monetise your game](/blog/posts/monetise-your-game): Our guide to the models, the trade-offs and the implementation. [Full game development](/services/gamedevelopment): Monetisation designed in from the start of a new build. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can you add monetisation to an existing Unity game? Yes. We review the current build, audience, purchase flows and any available analytics before proposing changes. The work may involve [in-app purchases](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-in-app-purchases-iap), advertising, subscriptions or updating an existing SDK integration. #### Will advertising affect player retention? It can. Placement, frequency, rewards and audience expectations all matter. We agree a starting approach and use available player data to review it. [Rewarded ads](/resources/game-development-glossary#term-rewarded-video) give players a choice, but still need testing within the game. #### Do you take a share of the game revenue? We charge for development or ongoing support rather than taking a revenue share. Store commissions, advertising network terms and third-party service charges are separate from our fees. #### How do you choose a monetisation model? We look at the genre, audience, platforms, content plans and business goals. Premium purchases, in-app purchases, ads and subscriptions each have different design and implementation needs. Our [monetisation strategy tool](/resources/game-monetisation-strategy) can help you explore the options before we talk. #### What purchase flows do you test? We scope checks for successful and failed purchases, interrupted transactions, restoring purchases, entitlement changes and receipt validation. Subscription testing can also cover renewals and expired access where the project requires it. #### Can you work on games for younger audiences? We first agree the audience, data requirements and permitted monetisation approach with your team. We implement and test the technical measures specified for the project, working with your legal or safeguarding advisers where needed. ### Work out how your game should earn Tell us about the game, audience and business model you are considering, and where you need design or implementation support. [Describe your game and audience](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/monetization#contact) --- # Case Studies ## Building an MMORPG With a Core Team of Four Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/domi-online-unity-mmo *How we led development of Domi Online, a soulslike MMORPG with no level caps, handling everything from 64-bit progression and server-authoritative gameplay to combat, quests and environment art.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Domi Online - **Timeline:** 2021 onwards - **Platform:** Windows (Via the Domi launcher) Tags: MMORPG, Full-Cycle Development, Multiplayer, Environment Art ### Building an MMORPG With a Core Team of Four Domi Online is a soulslike massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with no level caps and no skill caps, set in a large open world where progression never stops. It combines the long-term grind of classic MMORPGs with harsh, high-stakes combat, and it needed to be built by a very small team. David was hired first as lead developer, after an initial code review impressed the founders. Adam joined as a senior Unity developer, and Brinca led networking as the project's network engineer. All three were part of the core team of four that built the game, with a scope that would normally call for a much larger studio. Nobody on a team that size gets to be just a programmer. David and Adam built the user interface (UI), combat, quests and skilling systems, and also created the environment art and designed the levels. Domi Online secured backing from investment partners including Avalanche. We also sat down with the Domi team for an [in-depth interview about the project](/blog/posts/beam-interview). David was hired as lead developer in 2021 and later became a director and shareholder of Domi Online. The challenges Domi Online set, and how the team met themAreaThe challengeWhat we builtProgressionNo level or skill caps, so values grow without limit64-bit values end to end, from client to server to databaseNetworkingA competitive economy that cannot trust the clientServer-authoritative gameplay with FishNetRunning costsA long pre-revenue period with servers always onThe full closed alpha ran on a single AWS EC2 server in IrelandEnvironmentsDense forests where every tree can be chopped10,000+ GPU-instanced trees, swapped for interactive stumps on demandEngineA multi-year project on an ageing Unity versionUpgraded through every Long Term Support (LTS) release, from Unity 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3TeamMMORPG scopeA core team of four ### Progression Without Limits With no level or skill caps, player numbers keep growing for as long as people play. A single 32-bit value anywhere in the pipeline would eventually break. - **64-Bit End to End.** Stats, experience and other player values use 64-bit integers throughout the client, server and database, so no value is lost or wrapped by a 32-bit limit anywhere along the way. - **Built for the Long Grind.** Players can progress indefinitely without the maths overflowing, keeping the leaderboards meaningful for years rather than months. - **Bandwidth Kept in Check.** Wider values mean more data to send. Network messages were kept lean so 64-bit progression did not inflate bandwidth costs. ### A Lean, Server-Authoritative Backend Domi's economy depends on players not being able to cheat, and its budget depends on servers that do not cost a fortune to keep running. - **Server-Authoritative With FishNet.** Gameplay runs on the server, not the client, so players cannot fake results. Networking was led by Brinca, the project's network engineer, who recommended FishNet for the job. - **One Server, Full Alpha.** All four closed alpha stress tests, with up to 500 players, ran on a single AWS EC2 server in Ireland. - **Running Costs First.** An MMORPG's servers run constantly, long before it earns money. Keeping the infrastructure small and bandwidth lean meant budget went into the game rather than hosting. ### Building the World David and Adam did not just write the code. They built the world players explore. - **10,000+ Interactive Trees.** Forests use GPU instancing, and each tree swaps to an interactive stump only when a player chops it. The result runs at 100fps or more on ultra settings on an RTX 3090 and an RTX 4070. - **Environment Art and Level Design.** Biomes, from dense forests to deserts and snowfields, were built and laid out by the development team itself. - **Gameplay Systems.** UI, combat, quests and skilling were all designed and built in-house by the same small team. ### Keeping a Long-Running Project Current A multi-year project cannot stay frozen on the Unity version it started on. - **Unity 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3.** The project was upgraded through every LTS release, from 2020 LTS, 2021 LTS and 2022 LTS to Unity 6 and Unity 6.3. - **Upgrades Without Restarting.** Each upgrade was done in place on a live, growing codebase. Nothing was rebuilt from scratch. - **Lessons for Client Work.** The same upgrade experience now informs our [legacy modernisation](/services/legacy-modernisation) work for clients. ### Results - **500 Players on One Server:** Four closed alpha stress tests, with up to 500 players, ran on a single EC2 server in Ireland. - **10,000+ Trees at 100fps+:** Dense, fully interactive forests on ultra settings, on an RTX 3090 and an RTX 4070. - **Five Engine Upgrades:** The project moved from Unity 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3 without a rebuild. Building an MMORPG with four people meant learning to do everything, from networking to environment art. We bring that range to every client project, whether the game is tiny or huge. ### Tech Stack Unity, C#, FishNet, AWS EC2 --- ## From Unity 2018 to Unity 6: Preparing a Physics Puzzler for PC and Mobile Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/when-ski-lifts-go-wrong-unity-6-port *Three months of engine migration, mobile adaptation and store integration for Hugecalf Studios, ahead of a planned October release on the Epic Games Store.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Hugecalf Studios - **Timeline:** 2026 (3 months) - **Platform:** Windows, iOS, Android (Epic Games Store versions, planned) Tags: Engine Migration, Cross-Platform Porting, Epic Games Store ### Bringing an Established Game to New Platforms When Ski Lifts Go Wrong is Hugecalf Studios' physics-based construction puzzler. Players build ski lifts, bridges and jumps, then see whether their structures carry passengers safely across the mountains. The existing Steam and Nintendo Switch versions were built with Unity 2018. After Epic Games approached Hugecalf about bringing the game to its store, Hugecalf commissioned Ocean View Games to prepare Windows, Android and iOS releases together. Over three months, we migrated the game to Unity 6, a Long Term Support (LTS) release, adapted its controls and interface for mobile, optimised the mobile builds and handled store integration. Quality assurance (QA) was handled separately. The main engineering challenges were deprecated code, ageing packages and software development kits (SDKs), and supporting the different platforms from one shared repository. The legacy Steam integration was retained, but this engagement did not produce a new Steam or Nintendo Switch build. Release on the Epic Games Store is planned for October. The starting point and completed development work for When Ski Lifts Go WrongAreaBeforeAfter developmentEngineUnity 2018Unity 6 LTSRelease scopeSteam and Nintendo SwitchEpic Games Store on Windows, Android and iOS, planned for OctoberMobile inputNo mobile versionTap-and-drop construction and on-screen controlsMobile build sizeAround 500MB before optimisation150MBMobile performanceNo mobile version60fps on the phones and tablets testedGameplay consistencyOriginal Unity 2018 versionChecked through side-by-side play comparisons; no physics retuning required ### Updating the Engine and Its Dependencies Moving from Unity 2018 to Unity 6 meant working through deprecated code and older dependencies as well as upgrading the engine. The new builds use Unity 6000.0.73f1 LTS. - **Deprecated Code and APIs.** We updated code that relied on deprecated application programming interfaces (APIs) and resolved compatibility issues introduced by the engine migration. The work also included moving the mobile builds to IL2CPP. - **Odin Inspector.** Odin Inspector needed updating, along with code changes to account for API changes. Updating the package alone was only part of the migration work. - **Custom Blood-Splatter Shaders.** We fixed compatibility issues in the custom shaders used for the cartoon blood-splatter effects as part of bringing the existing visuals across to Unity 6. - **Retaining the Steam Integration.** The shared repository retained the legacy Steam SDK integration. The work focused on the new Epic Games Store versions and did not result in a new Steam build. ### Supporting Windows, Android and iOS Together All three Epic Games Store versions were part of the brief from the start. We maintained one shared repository while separating the code needed by each platform. - **Platform-Specific Code.** We used preprocessor directives and assembly definitions to separate platform-specific code within the shared repository, supporting the different SDKs and build targets. - **Epic Games Store Integration.** We handled Epic Games Store integration for Windows, Android and iOS, including Epic Online Services. The three releases are planned for October. ### Adapting Gameplay for Touch The desktop controls used the mouse to place and connect structures, with keyboard controls for camera movement, vehicles and shortcuts. We adapted those interactions for phones and tablets, with Adam Kaye leading the gameplay adaptation. - **Tap-and-Drop Construction.** Building and connecting structures moved to a tap-and-drop model, replacing the desktop click-and-drag interaction. - **On-Screen Controls.** Keyboard shortcuts became on-screen heads-up display (HUD) buttons, and vehicles received touch controls so players could access those actions without a keyboard. - **Touch Targets and Safe Areas.** We enlarged interactive elements for finger input and adapted the interface to respect device safe areas. - **A Mobile Tutorial in Every Supported Language.** We created a mobile-specific tutorial and updated the control terminology across every supported language to describe touch interactions. ### Optimising Mobile Builds and Checking Gameplay The mobile adaptation needed to fit the target devices while preserving the original gameplay. Our development checks included playing the original and ported versions side by side; QA was handled separately. - **From Around 500MB to 150MB.** Audio and texture optimisation reduced the mobile build to 150MB. This included compressed Wwise sound banks for mobile, texture sizing and texture compression. - **60fps on Tested Devices.** The mobile builds reached the 60fps target on the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and Galaxy S25, the iPad Air (2020) and the iPad Pro (M1). - **Side-by-Side Gameplay Comparisons.** We played the original Unity 2018 version and the new platform builds side by side to check that they played the same. The physics behaviour carried through without retuning. ### Results - **Three Months of Development:** Completed the Unity 6 migration, mobile adaptation, optimisation and store integration for the planned Epic Games Store releases on Windows, Android and iOS. Release is planned for October. - **Original Gameplay Preserved:** Side-by-side play comparisons with the original version confirmed gameplay consistency without physics retuning. - **150MB and 60fps on Mobile:** Reduced the mobile build from around 500MB to 150MB and reached 60fps on the tested Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and Galaxy S25, iPad Air (2020) and iPad Pro (M1). ### Tech Stack Unity, C#, Epic Online Services --- ## Scaling Bookwood to Support Hundreds of Interactive Stories Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/bookwood-addressables-content-delivery *Designing a content architecture around Unity Addressables and Unity Cloud Content Delivery so a growing library of books never becomes part of the application build.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** GamerCat Studio - **Timeline:** 2026 (In development, 2027 release) - **Platform:** Steam, iOS, Android Tags: Interactive Fiction, Content Architecture, PC & Mobile ### Designing a Content Architecture That Can Grow With the Platform Bookwood is an interactive fiction platform from GamerCat Studio, designed to host a growing library of choice-driven stories across Steam, iOS and Android. Unlike a conventional game with a largely fixed set of content, Bookwood needs to support new books being added continuously over time. Ocean View Games was brought into the project to help establish the technical foundations needed to make that possible. **The challenge:** a straightforward approach would be to package every story, image and other piece of content directly inside the application. That works when a project is small. It becomes much less practical when the goal is to support hundreds of books. As the library grows, application builds become larger, updates become heavier, and publishing a new story can require rebuilding and redistributing content that has not changed. We needed an architecture where Bookwood's application and its library of stories could evolve independently. **Separating the application from the content:** we designed Bookwood's content system around **Unity Addressables and Unity Cloud Content Delivery**. Instead of treating every book as part of the core application, story content and its associated assets can be packaged separately and loaded when required. This gives GamerCat Studio much more flexibility as the library grows. New books can be introduced without bundling the entire catalogue into every application build, while existing content can be updated without unnecessarily redistributing unrelated assets. It also keeps the core application focused on the systems responsible for presenting and running the stories rather than carrying every piece of published content itself. **Designing for scale from the beginning:** the important part of the work was not simply integrating Addressables. We needed to decide how Bookwood's content should be structured, packaged, identified and loaded so that the system remained manageable as the number of stories increased. That meant designing around the future shape of the product rather than only the content available during development. The architecture had to accommodate a growing catalogue while remaining understandable for the development team maintaining it. **Building the content pipeline:** we established the foundations for a workflow where books can be prepared as independently deliverable pieces of content. The system uses Unity Addressables to organise and reference assets, with Unity Cloud Content Delivery providing remote distribution. This allows the application to retrieve the content it needs while keeping the underlying delivery process separate from the main game build. The result is a content pipeline designed around [Bookwood](/projects/bookwood) being a long-term platform rather than a single-release title. ### Our Contributions - **Application and Content Separated.** Story content and its assets are packaged apart from the core application, so a book can be added or updated without the entire catalogue being bundled into every build. - **Addressables and Cloud Delivery Pipeline.** Unity Addressables organises and references assets while Unity Cloud Content Delivery handles remote distribution, giving the application a consistent way to retrieve only the content it needs. - **Structure Designed for a Growing Catalogue.** How content is structured, packaged, identified and loaded was decided around the future size of the library, not the handful of stories available during development. ### Results - **Foundation for a Larger Library:** Bookwood has a technical foundation capable of supporting a significantly larger content library than the initial release alone. - **Builds Decoupled From Catalogue Size:** New stories can be developed without the application's architecture becoming increasingly tied to the size of its catalogue. - **Solved Before It Became Expensive:** Addressing content delivery early lets the team concentrate on expanding Bookwood rather than redesigning its fundamental architecture later in production. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Building Bookwood's Technical Foundations Around a Creative Team Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/bookwood-codevelopment-creative-team *Helping a multidisciplinary studio of writers, artists, musicians and developers turn creative requirements into maintainable Unity systems.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** GamerCat Studio - **Timeline:** 2026 (In development, 2027 release) - **Platform:** Steam, iOS, Android Tags: Co-Development, Interactive Fiction, PC & Mobile ### Turning Creative Requirements Into Maintainable Game Systems Bookwood is being created by a multidisciplinary team of writers, artists, musicians and developers. For a project driven heavily by story and content, the technology needs to support the people creating that content rather than becoming an obstacle to production. GamerCat Studio brought Ocean View Games into the project to help shape Bookwood's technical foundations and provide additional engineering experience alongside its existing developer. **The challenge:** Bookwood is not simply a collection of static stories. Its books contain interactive choices, artwork, relationships and branching content, all of which need to be represented reliably inside the game. At the same time, many of the people creating Bookwood are specialists in writing and visual content rather than software development. That creates an important engineering requirement: systems cannot only work technically, they also need to support the way the wider team actually produces the game. Poor technical decisions early in development could easily create increasingly complicated workflows for writers and artists as Bookwood's library grows. **Turning creative needs into technical systems:** our role included working through how Bookwood's creative requirements should be represented within Unity and helping establish the core systems that support the project. Rather than approaching each requirement as an isolated feature, we looked at how the systems would be used repeatedly throughout production. That included considering how content would be structured, how interactive stories would be represented, and how those systems would fit into the wider application architecture. The goal was to make future development easier rather than simply complete the next immediate task. **Working alongside the existing developer:** Ocean View Games joined [Bookwood](/projects/bookwood) as additional technical expertise rather than replacing GamerCat Studio's internal development capability. We worked alongside their developer, researching approaches, implementing foundational systems and helping make architectural decisions that would affect the project over the longer term. This allowed GamerCat Studio to retain ownership of the project while benefiting from additional experience during an important stage of development. It is an approach that works particularly well for teams that already have development capability but need help solving difficult technical problems or establishing stronger foundations, and it is the model behind our [co-development service](/services/codevelopment). **Designing for the people using the tools:** one of the most important considerations was that Bookwood's systems ultimately exist to support a content-heavy production process. Writers and artists need to be able to produce large amounts of material without every addition creating a new engineering problem. That meant favouring predictable structures and reusable systems over solutions that might be technically clever but difficult for the wider team to work with. Where technical constraints existed, we helped translate them into practical workflows the team could build around. ### Our Contributions - **Core Unity Architecture.** Established the foundational systems behind Bookwood and the interactive story representation built on top of them, designed around repeated use throughout production rather than one-off features. - **Workflows for Writers and Artists.** Favoured predictable structures and reusable systems so a content-heavy team can add large amounts of material without every addition creating a new engineering problem. - **Embedded Alongside the Client's Developer.** Joined as additional technical expertise rather than a replacement, researching approaches and making architectural decisions while GamerCat Studio retained full ownership of the project. ### Results - **Stronger Technical Foundation:** GamerCat Studio has a clearer base from which to build additional stories, systems and content as development continues. - **Decisions Made Before They Get Expensive:** Architectural choices were settled early, while they were still cheap to change, rather than after production had built on top of them. - **Ownership Retained by the Client:** The internal team kept control of the project throughout, gaining engineering experience during an important stage of development rather than handing the work over. ### What We Delivered - Designing core Unity architecture - Building foundational interactive story systems - Researching technical approaches - Establishing scalable content structures - Supporting development workflows - Advising on technical decisions - Working alongside GamerCat Studio's existing developer - Preparing the project for continued development across Steam, iOS and Android ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Designing, Building and Self-Publishing a Mobile Strategy Game Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/unity-mobile-strategy-game-development *Empires Rise was our own turn-based 4X strategy game, taken from idea to launch on iOS and Android in three months.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Ocean View Games (Internal IP) - **Timeline:** 2020 (3 months) - **Platform:** iOS, Android Tags: Strategy, Mobile, Self-Published, Full Lifecycle ### Self-Publishing a Mobile Strategy Game Empires Rise started as a passion project. David is a long-time fan of Civilization and The Battle of Polytopia, and wanted to see whether a turn-based 4X strategy game, with its exploring, expanding, building and fighting, could be made for phones without losing depth. The game was designed, built and self-published in three months in 2020. Players chose from different civilisations, each with its own leader, and could play through a campaign or on randomly generated hex maps, training units, managing resources and taking territory from AI opponents. As a self-published title, it also needed everything that comes after development: ads, in-app purchases (IAP), store submission and support after launch. The audio, ads and IAP framework David built for Empires Rise became the foundation of a toolkit Ocean View Games still uses on client projects today. What went into Empires RiseAreaWhat was builtGame designA turn-based 4X strategy game inspired by Civilization and The Battle of PolytopiaMapsA story campaign plus procedurally generated hex maps using Perlin noiseAIRule-based AI opponentsFactionsMultiple civilisations, each with its own leaderMonetisationAds and in-app purchasesPublishingSelf-published on iOS and AndroidLegacyAn audio, ads and IAP framework still used on client projects today ### Strategy on a Small Screen 4X games are usually played on a PC with a mouse and a big monitor. Empires Rise had to fit the genre into a phone. - **Hex Map Strategy.** Players explore a hex map, found and grow their empire, manage resources and train units, all designed around touch. - **Campaign and Random Maps.** A story campaign sits alongside randomly generated maps, so every skirmish plays out on fresh terrain. - **Multiple Civilisations.** Each playable civilisation has its own leader and setting, giving players a reason to come back and try another side. ### Procedural Maps and AI Random maps and computer opponents keep a strategy game replayable, but both have to feel fair. - **Perlin Noise Terrain.** Random maps are generated with Perlin noise when a game starts, producing natural-looking landmasses, coastlines and terrain every time. - **Rule-Based AI Opponents.** AI opponents follow clear strategic rules for expanding, building and attacking, so their behaviour is readable and their difficulty is easy to tune. - **Faster Than Expected.** The AI took its turns almost instantly, so fast that it had to be deliberately slowed down so players could follow what their opponents were doing. ### Self-Publishing the Full Lifecycle Building the game was only half the job. Empires Rise also had to be monetised, published and supported. - **Ads and In-App Purchases.** Ads and in-app purchases were integrated and tested on both iOS and Android. - **Store Launch.** The game was taken through App Store and Google Play submission and launched on both platforms. - **A Framework That Lasted.** The audio, ads and IAP framework built for Empires Rise has been expanded ever since, and still underpins Ocean View Games' client projects today. ### Results - **Idea to Launch in Three Months:** One developer designed, built and launched a 4X strategy game on iOS and Android. - **Full Lifecycle Experience:** Design, development, monetisation, store submission and support after launch, all handled in-house. - **A Lasting Toolkit:** Our audio, ads and IAP framework started here and is still used on client projects today. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Modernising and Porting a Live Mobile Puzzle Game Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/nova-blast-sdk-modernisation-porting *Three months updating Foil Hat Games' iOS block-blasting puzzler, adding new content, extending its level editor and preparing it for Android.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Foil Hat Games - **Timeline:** 2020 (3 months) - **Platform:** iOS, Android Tags: Puzzle Game, Mobile, Android Porting ### Modernising and Porting a Live Mobile Puzzle Game Nova Blast is Foil Hat Games' block-blasting puzzle game. Players aim an alien's blaster at a grid of coloured blocks, chaining power-ups and combos to clear each level's objectives within a limited number of moves. In 2020 the game was live on the App Store, but its engine version and packages had fallen behind, and Foil Hat Games wanted both new content and an Android release. Ocean View Games joined as a [co-development partner](/services/codevelopment), with David Edgecombe working alongside the Foil Hat team for three months. Foil Hat Games supplied fully designed new gameplay ready for implementation. Our job was to [bring the project up to date](/services/legacy-modernisation), build that content, extend the level editor for it and [port the game to Android](/services/game-porting) as part of our [mobile game development service](/services/mobile). The starting point and completed work for the 2020 Nova Blast updateAreaBeforeAfter the updateEngineUnity 2018Unity 2019 Long Term Support (LTS)PlatformsiOS onlyiOS and AndroidGameplayOriginal tile and power-up setNew tiles, new power-ups and a reworked level selectLevel editorOriginal tile types onlyNew tile types, faster workflows and validation against invalid levels ### Bringing the Project Up to Date Before adding anything new, the project needed to build cleanly on a supported engine version with current packages. - **Unity 2018 to Unity 2019 LTS.** We moved the project onto Unity 2019 LTS, an engine version that would stay supported through both the iOS update and the new Android release. - **Package Updates.** The project's packages and libraries were brought up to current versions, with the breaking changes that came with them resolved across the codebase. - **Obsolete and Deprecated Code.** We fixed code that relied on obsolete and deprecated application programming interfaces (APIs), so the project compiled cleanly on the new engine version. ### Preparing for Android Android brought a far wider spread of devices than the game had been built for, at a time when display cutouts were becoming common on mainstream phones. - **Display Cutouts.** We adapted the interface so the heads-up display and controls stay clear of display cutouts and notches, which were spreading across mainstream Android phones in 2020. - **Wide Device Support.** The layout and gameplay were checked across the range of screen sizes, aspect ratios and hardware that an Android release has to support. ### Building the New Content Foil Hat Games arrived with the new gameplay already designed. We implemented it in the existing codebase. - **New Tiles.** New tile types expanded the puzzles the designers could build, each with its own behaviour on the board. - **New Power-Ups.** We added new power-ups to the game, giving players more ways to chain combos and clear the board. - **Reworked Level Select.** The level select screen was reworked as part of the update, alongside a general polish pass across the game. ### Extending the Level Editor Nova Blast has 250 levels, so any time saved building or fixing a level adds up quickly. The editor work focused on making the design team faster and safer. - **Support for the New Tiles.** The level editor gained support for every new tile type, so the designers could use the new content in levels without engineering help. - **Usability Improvements.** A set of usability improvements made building levels quicker, with the time saved multiplied across 250 levels. - **Level Validation.** The editor now validates levels as they are built, catching invalid layouts before they can reach players. ### Results - **5-Star Client Review:** “Awesome job! I really look forward to working with the guys again very soon!” Jacob Behunin, Chief Creative Officer at Foil Hat Games. - **Released on Android:** Nova Blast launched on Android alongside the updated iOS version, reaching a much larger audience than the iOS-only release. - **A Faster, Safer Content Pipeline:** With new tile support, usability improvements and level validation, Foil Hat Games' designers could keep building levels themselves after handover. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## From Unity 2019 to Unity 6 in a Week Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/nova-blast-unity-6-upgrade-battery-optimisation *Bringing Foil Hat Games' live puzzle game up to current Google Play and App Store requirements, with a lighter build and longer battery life along the way.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Foil Hat Games - **Timeline:** 2026 (1 week) - **Platform:** iOS, Android Tags: Puzzle Game, Mobile, Unity 6 Upgrade ### Keeping a Live Mobile Game on the Stores Foil Hat Games came back to us with a familiar problem for a live mobile game. Nova Blast, which we had previously [modernised and ported to Android](/case-studies/nova-blast-sdk-modernisation-porting), needed updating to meet Google Play's current target application programming interface (API) level and Apple's minimum software development kit (SDK) requirements. Without the update, the game could no longer be submitted to either store. The project was still on Unity 2019. We moved it straight to [Unity 6](/technologies/unity-6), which offered the best compatibility with current store requirements and was the most cost-effective option for the client: one upgrade rather than a series of intermediate ones, onto a version that will meet store requirements for longer. David Edgecombe completed the work in a week. Alongside the upgrade, we migrated the legacy Unity Ads and Unity In-App Purchasing (IAP) integrations to their current packages, fixed obsolete and deprecated code paths, added haptic feedback and tablet support, and made a set of smaller gameplay improvements. We also used the opportunity to cut the download by around 50MB and make the game kinder to battery life. The starting point and completed work for the Nova Blast Unity 6 updateAreaBeforeAfter the updateEngineUnity 2019Unity 6Ads and IAPLegacy Unity Ads and Unity IAPCurrent Unity Ads and Unity IAP packagesDownload size187MB137MBLevel map scene file218MB6.8MBParticle systems on the level map1,5001Frame rate when idle60fps at all times30fps after 2 seconds without input or animationiOS texture compressionPVRTCASTCPlayer featuresNo haptics or tablet layoutHaptic feedback and tablet support ### Meeting Store Requirements The update had to leave Nova Blast submittable to both stores, with its monetisation working as before. That meant the engine, the SDKs and the code that depended on them. - **Unity 2019 to Unity 6.** We upgraded the project directly to Unity 6, raising the minimum supported versions to Android 7 and iOS 13 in line with current requirements. The Android build now targets API level 37. - **Unity Ads and IAP Migration.** The legacy Unity Ads and Unity IAP integrations were migrated to the current packages, keeping the game's adverts and in-app purchases working on both stores. - **Obsolete and Deprecated Code.** We fixed a number of code paths that relied on obsolete or deprecated APIs, so the project compiles cleanly on Unity 6 rather than carrying warnings into its next update. ### Cutting Build Weight The download went from 187MB to 137MB, and most of that saving came from one scene. The level map had been storing far more than it needed to. - **Level Map: 218MB to 6.8MB.** The map's 250 level buttons, each carrying six particle systems, were saved in the scene. They are now created from a prefab when the map loads, and only the current level gets a particle marker, taking the scene file from 218MB to 6.8MB. - **Texture Compression.** iOS textures moved from PVRTC to ASTC, and the sprite atlases gained compressed platform overrides with a maximum size of 2048. - **Unused Code Removed.** We removed six unused packages, a leftover memory profiler folder and dead scripts, turned on code stripping, and limited Android to a single graphics API to reduce shader variants. ### Longer Battery Life A puzzle game spends much of its time waiting for the player's next move, or on menus between levels. The game no longer works at full speed when nothing on screen is changing. - **Adaptive Frame Rate.** The game runs at 60fps while the player is touching the screen or something is animating, then drops to 30fps after two seconds of idle. This is where most of the battery saving comes from. - **Less Work Every Frame.** The 1,500 particle systems on the level map are down to one. Empty Update methods are gone, the collectable glow stops updating once it fades, and the camera only refits when the screen changes. - **Android Frame Pacing.** We enabled Android frame pacing for smoother, more consistent frame delivery, and switched off the accelerometer the game never used. ### Improvements for Players The client also took the opportunity to improve the game itself while it was open on the workbench. - **Haptic Feedback.** We added haptic feedback to the gameplay, so players on supported devices feel the action as well as see it. - **Tablet Support.** Nova Blast now supports tablets as well as phones, opening it up to players on larger screens. - **Gameplay Polish.** We made a set of smaller gameplay and quality of life improvements requested by Foil Hat Games. ### Results - **Store-Ready in a Week:** Nova Blast moved from Unity 2019 to Unity 6 and met the current Google Play and App Store requirements, with its adverts and in-app purchases migrated to current packages. - **Download Cut by 50MB:** Building the level map at load time took its scene file from 218MB to 6.8MB and replaced 1,500 particle systems with one. With the texture compression and code stripping changes, the download went from 187MB to 137MB. - **Kinder to Batteries:** Halving the frame rate when the game is idle, and trimming the work done every frame, reduces how hard the device works between moments of play. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Building and Monetising a Mobile Merge Game Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/pocket-factory-mobile-strategy-design *A two-month build of Mojo Games' factory merge game for iOS and Android, from core gameplay and offline earnings to ad mediation, in-app purchases and post-launch updates.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Mojo Games - **Timeline:** 2020 (2-month build, then ongoing updates) - **Platform:** iOS, Android Tags: Mobile, Merge Game, Monetisation, Live Updates ### Building and Monetising a Mobile Merge Game Pocket Factory was a casual merge game from Mojo Games for iOS and Android. Machines generate items, players merge those items into bigger and better ones, and upgrading the machines unlocks higher tiers to merge. Mojo Games brought the concept and asked Ocean View Games to build it. David Edgecombe developed the game in two months: the core merge gameplay, the progression and save systems, offline earnings, and the full monetisation stack of interstitial ads, in-app purchases (IAP), ad mediation and analytics. After launch, Mojo Games kept working with us on an ad hoc basis, adding new content, fixing bugs and smoothing out problem areas in the player flow that showed up in the analytics data. What went into Pocket FactoryAreaWhat we builtCore gameplayMachines that generate items, merging into higher tiers and machine upgradesProgressionSave systems and offline earnings, so the factory keeps producing while the game is closedMonetisationInterstitial ads and in-app purchasesAd mediationA mediation software development kit (SDK) serving ads from multiple networks across iOS and AndroidAnalyticsEvent tracking to show where players progressed and where they dropped offAfter launchNew content, bug fixes and flow improvements based on analytics data ### The Merge Loop Merge games live or die on one loop: generate, merge, upgrade, repeat. It has to feel satisfying from the first tap. - **Item-Generating Machines.** Machines produce items on the board. Matching items merge into bigger, more valuable ones. - **Upgrades That Open the Game Up.** Upgrading machines unlocks higher item tiers, giving players a steady sense of progress and a reason to come back. - **Offline Earnings.** The factory keeps producing while the game is closed, so returning players are rewarded with progress waiting for them. ### Monetisation and Mediation Getting ads and purchases working is one job. Getting every SDK to work together on two platforms is another. - **Interstitials and IAP.** Interstitial ads and in-app purchases were built into the game's flow at natural pauses, rather than interrupting active play. - **Ad Mediation Across Networks.** A mediation SDK served ads from multiple ad networks. At the time, before today's more consolidated SDKs, getting every network adapter, platform and SDK version to work together reliably was the hardest part of the project. - **Analytics From Day One.** Event tracking was built in from the start, so Mojo Games could see how players moved through the game once it launched. ### Improving the Game After Launch Launch was the start of the work, not the end. - **Analytics-Driven Fixes.** The analytics data showed where players got stuck or dropped out of the flow, and we fixed those points in later updates. - **New Content.** We added new content after launch to give players more to work towards. - **Ongoing Support.** Mojo Games continued to bring us in on an ad hoc basis for updates and bug fixes. ### Results - **Built in Two Months:** The complete game, including monetisation, mediation and analytics, was built in a two-month development window. - **Launched on iOS and Android:** Pocket Factory launched on both platforms from a single Unity project. - **Continued Partnership:** Mojo Games kept working with us after launch, using analytics data to guide content and flow improvements. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Rebuilding a Java Puzzle Game in Unity Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/nub-java-to-unity-platform-migration *Four months rebuilding Inferna Games' isometric puzzler from the ground up, recreating its levels by hand and bringing it to PC, iOS and Android.* ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Inferna Games - **Timeline:** 2021 (4 months) - **Platform:** PC, iOS, Android Tags: Legacy Remake, Java to Unity, Puzzle Game, Cross-Platform ### Rebuilding an Isometric Puzzle Game in Unity Nub is Inferna Games' isometric puzzle game, originally written as a standalone Java app for an Android games console and designed around a game controller. Inferna Games wanted to bring Nub to a wider audience on PC and mobile, and asked Ocean View Games to make that possible. The original codebase was not a good foundation to carry forward. It was a pure Java application with no structure that mapped onto Unity's systems, and parts of the code had been lost. Rather than force a port, we [rebuilt the game in Unity](/services/legacy-modernisation), using the original as the reference for how every mechanic should look, sound and behave. David Edgecombe rebuilt the game single-handedly over four months in 2021, recreating the levels by hand in Unity's 2D Tilemap system and redesigning the controls for keyboard, mouse and touch. The result was playable builds on PC, iOS and Android from a single Unity project. The starting point and the Unity remake of NubAreaOriginalUnity remakeEngineStandalone Java appUnity and C#PlatformsA single Android games consolePC, iOS and Android builds from one projectInputGame controllerKeyboard and mouse on PC, touch on mobileLevelsDefined in the original Java codeRebuilt by hand in Unity's 2D TilemapSource codePartly lostA complete, maintainable Unity project ### Why We Rebuilt Instead of Porting Porting only makes sense when the original code is worth keeping. In Nub's case, it was not. - **A Pure Java App.** The original was a self-contained Java application with no engine underneath it, so none of its systems had a direct equivalent in Unity. - **Missing Code.** Parts of the original source had been lost, ruling out any automated conversion of code or level data. - **The Original as Reference.** We ran the original game alongside the Unity project and used it as the definitive guide to how each mechanic should behave. ### Rebuilding the Levels by Hand With no converter possible, every level had to be recreated manually. - **Unity 2D Tilemap.** We rebuilt Nub's isometric levels in Unity's 2D Tilemap system, which gives the game a clean, visual level format that can be edited without touching code. - **Level by Level.** Each level was recreated with the original Java game open next to Unity, matching layouts and puzzle logic tile by tile. - **Faithful Puzzle Logic.** The puzzle mechanics were reimplemented in C# and checked against the original, so solutions worked the way the designers intended. ### Making It Feel Like Nub A remake only works if it plays like the original. Most of the effort went into feel, not just function. - **From Controller to Touch.** Nub was designed around a game controller. We redesigned its controls for touchscreens so moving around the isometric grid feels natural on a phone or tablet. - **Keyboard and Mouse on PC.** The PC version received keyboard and mouse controls, tuned to keep the same pace and responsiveness as the original. - **Matching the Original Feel.** Movement, timing and feedback were compared against the original game until the remake played the way Nub always had. ### Results - **Playable on Three Platforms:** Nub ran on PC, iOS and Android from a single Unity project, a huge step up from the one console it was built for. - **True to the Original:** The puzzle mechanics and the feel of the game carried across into the remake, checked directly against the original throughout. - **A Foundation Built to Last:** A partly lost Java codebase was replaced with a clean Unity project and Tilemap-based levels that are far easier to extend and maintain. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- # Earlier Work (Before Ocean View Games) ## Rebuilding a Museum Flash Game for Modern Browsers Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london *In 2015, David rebuilt London Museum's Great Fire of London game from Flash to HTML5, preserving all of its content and making it work on tablets and modern browsers.* **Earlier work:** Delivered by David at a previous agency in 2015, before Ocean View Games was founded. ### Project Vitals - **Client:** London Museum - **Timeline:** 2015 - **Migration:** Adobe Flash to HTML5 (Rebuilt from scratch) Tags: Legacy Modernisation, HTML5, Educational, Museum ### Rebuilding a Museum Flash Game for Modern Browsers The Great Fire of London game is an illustrated educational game that takes children through the events of 1666, with a day-by-day story, characters to meet, historical artefacts and hands-on mini-games. It was built in Adobe Flash. By 2015 that was becoming a serious problem. Flash had never run on tablets, which schools were adopting quickly, and browsers were starting to phase it out. London Museum needed the game rebuilt for the modern web without losing any of its content. As the sole developer on the project at a previous agency, David rebuilt the game from scratch in HTML5 and JavaScript using CreateJS, with the original Flash game as the reference for every interaction, animation and win condition. Some of the original artwork was reused, and an artist at the agency rebuilt the lower-resolution assets. More than ten years later, the HTML5 version is still live. The original Flash game and the HTML5 rebuildAreaFlash originalHTML5 rebuildTechnologyAdobe FlashHTML5 and JavaScript with CreateJSDevicesDesktop browsers with the Flash pluginModern browsers, tablets and ChromebooksInputMouseMouse and touchLayoutFixed 4:3Responsive 16:9, with menus anchored to the screen edgesArtworkOriginal assets, some at low resolutionOriginal art reused, low-resolution assets rebuiltContentStory, characters, artefacts and mini-gamesAll content preserved ### Rebuilding From Scratch The rebuild had to look and play like the game teachers already knew. - **The Original as Reference.** Every interaction, animation timing and win condition in the Flash version was catalogued, then rebuilt in JavaScript to behave the same way. - **All Content Preserved.** The story, characters, artefacts and mini-games all came across to the HTML5 version. - **Art Reused and Rebuilt.** Original artwork was reused where it held up, and an artist at the agency rebuilt the lower-resolution assets for modern screens. ### Modernising for Schools The rebuild also had to work on the devices classrooms were actually using. - **Responsive Layout.** The fixed 4:3 layout became a responsive 16:9 layout, with the interface separated from the game world so menus anchor to the screen edges on any device. - **Touch and Chromebooks.** The game works with touch as well as a mouse, on tablets, Chromebooks and modern browsers. - **Fast on School Wi-Fi.** Assets were packed into optimised sprite sheets, reducing download size so the game loads quickly on slow school connections. ### Results - **Still Live Over Ten Years Later:** The HTML5 version built in 2015 is still live today. - **Nothing Lost:** All of the original game's story, characters, artefacts and mini-games were preserved. - **Ready for the Classroom:** Responsive layouts and touch support brought the game to tablets and Chromebooks, which the Flash version could never reach. Lessons from projects like this also informed our open-source [Educational Gamification Systems](https://github.com/Ocean-View-Games/educational-gamification-systems-unity) toolkit. Planning a replacement exhibit or a new commission? Our [museum interactive commissioning checklist](/resources/museum-interactive-commissioning-checklist) helps you agree content, hardware, testing and source code handover before development begins. ### Tech Stack HTML5, JavaScript --- ## Fitting RuneScape's Desktop Interface onto a Phone Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/mobile-game-porting-ui-optimization *Before founding Ocean View Games, David spent two and a half years at Jagex as a Technical Developer, building the touch interface for RuneScape Mobile.* **Earlier work:** Delivered by David as a Technical Developer at Jagex (2017 to 2019), before Ocean View Games was founded. ### Project Vitals - **Client:** Jagex - **Timeline:** 2018 to 2019 - **Public record:** Mod Edge on the RuneScape Wiki Tags: Mobile UI/UX, MMORPG, Mobile Porting ### Bringing a Desktop MMORPG's Interface to Mobile RuneScape had almost two decades of desktop interface behind it when Jagex set out to bring the full game to iOS and Android. Every screen had been designed for a mouse cursor and a large monitor: dozens of panels, ability bars and pop-up interfaces, all built to be clicked with pixel precision. David joined the RuneScape Mobile team in 2018 as a Technical Developer, after a year on the live game. The team started with three developers and two producers, and grew to around five developers, three quality assurance testers and three producers. David's job was the part players touch every second: the interface. That meant converting legacy interfaces onto a new mobile layer, designing the main mobile heads-up display (HUD) and making a desktop game's dialogue and menus work under a thumb. He worked on the project through development and the early alpha and beta testing, before leaving Jagex in 2019. RuneScape Mobile fully launched in 2021. Each Jagex staff member has a public "Mod" name; David's was [Mod Edge](https://runescape.wiki/w/Mod_Edge). How key parts of RuneScape's desktop interface changed for mobileAreaDesktopMobileAbility barsPlayers could show 5 or more at onceLimited to 1 on screenLess frequently used interfacesVisible or one click awayMoved into sub-menusMinigame and boss HUD overlaysAlways shownSelected overlays hidden on mobileMinimapAlways on screenPlayer toggle, with the backpack and equipment filling the spaceNon-player character (NPC) and player dialogueDesktop chat boxCustom full-screen dialogue with larger touch targetsInstructional text"Click" throughout"Tap" across quests, dialogue and interfacesLegacy interfacesDesktop only40+ converted onto the new mobile layer ### Before Mobile: Learning the Live Game David spent his first year at Jagex working on live RuneScape updates, learning how the game and its interfaces were built. - **Ninja Team.** David worked on the small team that ships quality-of-life updates and fixes based on player feedback, including the Aura Management interface, Quick Prayers and a rework of the in-game poll system. - **Mining and Smithing Rework.** On one of RuneScape's largest skill overhauls, David converted every monster drop in the game to the new salvage system and introduced new divination mining nodes for the higher tiers. - **Interfaces and Visuals.** He also took on interface reworks and the graphical rework of the Earth altar and Gemstone Mine. This was hands-on experience with the legacy user interface (UI) that later had to work on mobile. ### Deciding What Stays on Screen A phone cannot show everything a desktop monitor can. Every interface came down to one question: does the player need this visible at all times? - **One Ability Bar.** On desktop, players could show five or more ability bars at once. On mobile, David limited the screen to one, keeping combat readable and the game world visible. - **Sub-Menus for the Rest.** Interfaces players use less often, such as emotes, moved into sub-menus, so the essentials stay one tap away without crowding the screen. - **Context-Specific HUDs.** Minigames and boss fights bring their own HUD overlays. David reviewed these and hid the ones that cost more screen space than they were worth on a phone. ### Building the Mobile Interface The aim was simple to state and hard to deliver: everything a player needs, within reach of their thumbs, without digging through menus. - **The Mobile HUD.** David built the mobile top-level interface, the HUD players see for almost the whole session. Key actions were placed where thumbs and fingers naturally reach. - **40+ Legacy Interfaces Converted.** Many older interfaces had never moved to RuneScape's newer UI system. David converted more than 40 of them, giving them the new system's appearance and the mobile layer on top. - **Full-Screen Dialogue.** The desktop chat system's click targets were too small for fingers. David built a custom full-screen dialogue interface for NPC and player conversations that is easier to use and more immersive. ### Performance and Polish A mobile version has to run well on the phones players actually own, and read as if it was made for them. - **Minimap Toggle.** Players can hide the minimap and side panel with a single tap, letting the backpack and equipment fill the space. On a Samsung Galaxy S9, this gained around 5fps. - **UI-Level Performance Work.** David delivered performance improvements through the gameplay and UI systems, reducing what the game had to draw and update on screen. - **“Click” to “Tap”.** Instructional text across quests, dialogue and interfaces was updated for touch, so the game never told a mobile player to click. ### Results - **40+ Interfaces Brought to Mobile:** Legacy desktop interfaces were converted onto the new mobile layer, rather than left as desktop screens squeezed onto a phone. - **A Screen Built Around Thumbs:** One ability bar instead of five or more, rarely used interfaces in sub-menus and a HUD designed for touch reach. - **Measurable Performance Gains:** The minimap toggle alone gained around 5fps on a Samsung Galaxy S9, alongside wider UI-level performance work. David brings the same approach to Ocean View Games' mobile porting work: audit every interface, decide what earns its place on a small screen, and design for thumbs rather than cursors. If your game was built for desktop, see our [mobile porting service](/services/mobile). Lessons from this work also shaped our own open-source [Unity Mobile Performance Architecture](https://github.com/Ocean-View-Games/unity-mobile-performance-architecture) toolkit. ### Tech Stack Perforce --- ## Vocabulary Games for Endangered Languages Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/educational-game-development-edtech *Nine vocabulary learning games for The Language Conservancy, built by David as a freelance contractor rather than as an Ocean View Games project. Published on iOS and Android and used across 14 language apps.* **Earlier work:** Built by David as a freelance contractor for The Language Conservancy, not as an Ocean View Games project. ### Project Vitals - **Client:** The Language Conservancy - **Timeline:** 2021 to 2022 (Around 6 months) - **Scope:** 9 mini-games (Used across 14 language apps) Tags: Educational, Serious Games, EdTech ### Playable Learning for Endangered Languages The Language Conservancy (TLC) works with communities to revitalise endangered and Indigenous languages. It wanted engaging mobile apps that help learners build vocabulary in each of those languages. **Nine games for vocabulary learning.** Vocab Builder is a set of nine mini-games for iOS and Android. Players meet each word through pictures, audio and its written form, then practise it through flash cards, spelling and quiz games. **Language expertise stays with the client.** TLC provides the linguistic content and cultural guidance; David's role as lead developer was to turn that material into playable learning experiences. The same experience now informs our [educational game development](/services/educationalgames) service. **Used across 14 published language apps.** [Stoney Vocab Builder](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.stoneynakoda.vb2), linked at the top of this page, is one of them. [Rincon Luiseño Vocab Builder on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.endangeredlanguages.luisenovb2) supports Luiseño learning, while [Kehkimin Vocab Builder on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.learnkehkimin.vb2) supports Wolastoqey learning. Each is a separate app for its own language community. ### Our Contributions - **Gamification of Learning Mechanics.** Built 9 distinct mini-games, each targeting specific cognitive retention skills - from audio-matching for listening comprehension to drag-and-drop for orthography. - **Learning Through Sound and Picture.** Each word is presented with a picture, audio and its written form, so learners practise listening, recognition and spelling together. - **Published on iOS and Android.** Shipped the games to the App Store and Google Play, where they are used across 14 published language apps. ### Results - **Separate Apps for Different Languages:** Rincon Luiseño Vocab Builder and Kehkimin Vocab Builder show the games serving different language communities through separately published apps. - **Used Across 14 Language Apps:** The games are used across 14 published language apps, including Stoney Vocab Builder, each published separately for its own language community. - **Available on Mobile:** Learners can download the apps from the App Store and Google Play and practise their language wherever they are. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- ## Engineering an Award-Winning Language Learning Game Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/navigo-multilanguage-educational-game *15 unique mini-games across four languages for the EU Horizon 2020 iRead project. Winner of the Serious Games Society Award.* **Earlier work:** Developed by Adam's team at a previous agency for the iRead Project (EU Horizon 2020), before he joined Ocean View Games. ### Project Vitals - **Client:** iRead Project (EU Horizon 2020) - **Timeline:** 2017 (Around 12 months) - **Platform:** iOS, Android Tags: Educational, Multi-Language, Serious Games, Award-Winning ### Engineering an Award-Winning Language Learning Adventure Navigo is an ambitious tablet-based learning game designed to support children learning English, German, Spanish, or Greek as a first language. Developed by Adam's team at a previous agency alongside a major European research consortium, the game complements traditional classroom teaching through an engaging narrative and a wide range of interactive game mechanics. Working closely with **over a dozen educational and technical institutions across Europe**, Adam's team translated pedagogical research and language-learning guidance into 15 distinct [educational mini-games](/services/educationalgames). Each was focused on teaching key principles of early language development, from phonics and grammar to sentence construction and reading comprehension. **Research-Driven Design:** Unlike commercial game development, every design decision required validation against educational outcomes. University partners provided learning objectives; Adam's team engineered the gameplay mechanics to achieve them. **Adaptive Difficulty:** The game collected comprehensive data on player performance and used it to dynamically adjust the difficulty of content being taught, ensuring each child was challenged at an appropriate level. **Four Languages:** Navigo supports English, German, Spanish and Greek, each with its own phonetic and grammatical needs. The dedication paid off: [Navigo](/projects/navigo) received an **award from the Serious Games Society** in the Digital Game Competition, alongside glowing reviews from focus testers and participating schools. ### What Adam's Team Built - **15 Unique Mini-Games.** Designed and developed a diverse suite of mini-games across four languages, each built around one early-literacy skill, from phonics matching to sentence construction. - **Award-Winning Design.** The game received a Serious Games Society award in the Digital Game Competition, recognised for its effective integration of educational research into engaging gameplay. - **Adaptive Difficulty Engine.** Built comprehensive player performance tracking that dynamically adjusts content difficulty, ensuring each child is challenged at an appropriate level throughout their learning journey. ### Results - **Serious Games Society Award:** Navigo won an award in the Digital Game Competition, recognising excellence in educational game design. - **Multi-Institutional Validation:** Successfully tested across multiple European schools and age groups, with positive feedback from educators and children alike. - **Four-Language Coverage:** Navigo supports English, German, Spanish and Greek, each with its own phonetic and grammatical needs. ### Tech Stack Unity, C# --- # Company ## Why Ocean View Games Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/why-ovg Who leads the work, how pricing and continuity work, how we compare with other options, and when we are not the right fit. --- ## About Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/about The studio's story, engineering principles, clients, credentials and registered company details. --- ## How We Work Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/how-we-work From first message to a costed proposal. You work directly with the two senior Unity engineers who will build your game. We reply within 1 to 2 business days, talk it through on a free 30-minute call, and send a proposal with an approach, timeline and costs within 3 to 5 business days of the call. Then we build in milestones you sign off one at a time. - **1 to 2 business days**: for David's personal reply - **Free 30-minute call**: with the engineers who would build it - **3 to 5 business days**: from the call to your proposal The client guide (PDF): https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/client-guide/working-with-ocean-view-games.pdf ### What happens, step by step Speak directly with the senior engineers responsible for delivery, from the first conversation through development. #### 1. Send your brief (5 minutes) Tell us about the game, the problem and your timeline through the form. An unfinished brief is welcome; we shape the rest together. You get: a confirmation email and our client guide. #### 2. David replies personally (within 1 to 2 business days) David reads every enquiry and replies, either to book a call or with a few questions about the brief first. You get: a direct reply from the engineer leading the work. #### 3. Free discovery call (30 minutes) A call with David, joined by Adam when the project calls for it, about your goals, audience, existing code or materials, constraints and timeline. We are happy to sign an NDA before you share any details. You get: an honest view of whether we are the right fit, and the most useful next step. #### 4. Proposal (3 to 5 business days after the call) We turn the call into a technical approach, scope, timeline and costs, split into milestones. If you are not yet sure what you need, we may recommend Paid Scoping first, or a paid technical audit for an existing project, so the quote rests on evidence. You get: a written proposal with clear costs before any work starts. #### 5. Contract and deposit (agreed in the proposal) Work starts once the contract is signed and the deposit has been paid. We agree the start date with you as part of the proposal. You get: a confirmed start date, milestones and a named point of contact. #### 6. Development (milestone by milestone) We build against the milestones agreed in the proposal and tackle architecture, performance and technical risks early rather than leaving them to the end. At the end of each milestone you get a build to review, and you sign it off before we move on. You get: a build at the end of each milestone, plus updates on what's done, what's next and any decisions we need from you. #### 7. Testing and delivery (throughout, then at handover) We test on real devices throughout, including performance and regression checks, then resolve agreed issues and prepare the final builds. You get: tested final builds, the agreed code, documentation, build steps and a list of any known issues. #### 8. Support (30 days, then as needed) Every project includes a 30-day bug warranty. After that, you choose the level of support that suits you. You get: defects introduced by our work fixed at no cost for 30 days. ### A small senior core, scaled around your project David and Adam lead the engineering, with specialist support brought in to suit your project. - **David Edgecombe**, Director and Principal Unity Engineer. Unity Certified Expert and former Technical Developer on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex. Reads every enquiry and leads the technical approach. - **Adam Kaye**, Lead Unity Engineer. Gameplay, AI and rapid prototyping, with 14 years in game development including award-winning educational games. When a project needs art, UI/UX, audio, backend or QA, we bring in senior specialists we have worked with before, only when the scope justifies it. The core team stays accountable for the whole project. ### Pick the model that fits the project After the discovery call, we recommend the model that suits your scope. Most projects are fixed price; evolving work suits time and materials. #### Fixed price For a well-defined scope with clear deliverables and acceptance criteria, priced against agreed milestones. Best for: ports, Unity upgrades and defined feature builds. #### Time and materials For work where requirements will evolve, billed on the time used. Best for: ongoing development, R&D and changing requirements. #### Co-development Our engineers join your team, working in your repositories, task tracker and sprints. Best for: studios extending an existing team to hit a milestone or clear technical debt. #### Paid Scoping We investigate first and deliver findings, recommendations and a realistic, costed development plan. Best for: ideas that are not yet defined, existing codebases that need a technical audit, and funding bids. #### LiveOps retainer A monthly retainer covering content updates, events, balancing and bug fixes for a live game, at an agreed capacity. Best for: shipped games that need continuous support. **Not sure where to start?** If you have an existing Unity project, a fixed-price Rapid Audit (https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/technical-audit) gives you a senior engineer's written review and a prioritised fix list, with no obligation to hire us for the fixes. For a new project with open questions, Paid Scoping turns them into a plan you can budget for. ### Clear costs before work starts - **How pricing works.** Every proposal sets out costs against milestones before any work starts. Changes to the agreed scope are quoted separately, so there are no surprises on the invoice. For a rough idea before we speak, see our cost guide (https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-cost). - **Deposit and milestones.** Fixed-price work starts with a 25 to 50% deposit, due within 14 days. The rest is paid in milestones tailored to your project. - **Invoices.** Invoices are due within 30 days, and prices exclude VAT. We can work with purchase orders and multi-stage approval for universities and public bodies. ### Your project is yours - **You own the code and IP.** Once the work is paid in full, the bespoke work we create for your project is yours. Any existing Ocean View Games tools are named in the contract and licensed to you, and third-party assets keep their own licences. - **NDA as standard.** We are happy to sign an NDA before you share any details of your project. - **A clean handover.** At the end of a project we hand over the agreed code, documentation, build steps and any known issues, so your team or a future partner can pick it up. ### What happens after delivery For 30 days after delivery, we fix defects introduced by our work at no cost. New features, scope changes and issues caused by later changes on your side aren't covered. To report an issue, contact us (https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/contact) with what happened, how to reproduce it, and the device or platform. We reply within 1 to 2 business days. After the 30 days, choose what suits you: - **LiveOps retainer**: monthly content, events, balancing and fixes. - **Ad hoc fixes**: billed on time used. - **New work**: quoted per request. ### What this looks like on real projects - **Nova Blast, Foil Hat Games**: Unity 2019 to Unity 6 in a week. - **Pocket Factory, Mojo Games**: a merge game for iOS and Android built in two months, including ads, in-app purchases and analytics. - **When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, Hugecalf Studios**: Unity 2018 to Unity 6, plus a mobile port, in three months. ### We work in your tools GitHub, GitLab, Perforce, Plastic SCM, Jira, Slack and Microsoft Teams. We adapt to your workflow rather than forcing you into ours. ### Common questions #### Do I need a full brief? No. An unfinished brief is welcome. Tell us your idea, your existing project or the problem you need solved, and we'll shape the rest together on the call. #### Will you sign an NDA? Yes. We're happy to sign an NDA before you share any details of your project. #### Can you work alongside our team? Yes. We can own most of the Unity development, or join your team and work in your repositories, task tracker and sprints. #### How soon can work start? Once the contract is signed and the deposit has been paid. We agree a start date with you as part of the proposal. #### What if our priorities change? That's normal. Changes to the agreed scope are quoted separately, and time and materials work gives evolving projects more flexibility. #### How will I see progress? Through a build at the end of each agreed milestone, plus updates on what's done, what's next and any decisions we need from you. #### Is there anything you don't take on? NSFW content, real-money gambling, social casino, and equity or revenue-share deals. If a larger studio would suit your project better, we'll tell you. --- ## Team Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/team We both built educational games at a previous agency. David founded Ocean View Games in 2020, and Adam joined Ocean View Games in 2022. Here's who you'll be working with. ### Stats - David 12+ years and Adam 14+ years in game development - Unity Certified Expert (David, verified) ### Our Story Read our story on the [About page](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/about). ### Team Members #### David, Director and Principal Unity Engineer Specialty tags: Architecture, Optimisation, Mobile Porting. David founded Ocean View Games after two and a half years as a Technical Developer at Jagex (2017 to 2019), on RuneScape and then RuneScape Mobile from 2018, and a short spell as a Senior Unity Developer at Kwalee. Before Jagex, he worked at a previous agency building educational games for London Museum and Cambridge University Press. At Ocean View Games, he leads all architecture decisions and takes on the technical challenges most studios avoid: server-authoritative multiplayer with FishNet, 64-bit infinite progression systems, cost-optimised AWS infrastructure, and squeezing every frame out of low-end mobile hardware. He holds Unity Certified Expert Programmer credentials. Key projects: Domi Online, Pocket Factory, Nova Blast. From previous roles: RuneScape Mobile (Jagex), Fire of London (previous agency), Word Fun World (previous agency). Experience: - Director and Principal Unity Engineer, Ocean View Games (2020 to Present) - Senior Unity Developer, Kwalee (2019 to 2020) - Technical Developer, Jagex (2017 to 2019) - Game Developer, previous agency (2014 to 2017) #### Adam, Lead Unity Engineer Specialty tags: Gameplay Mechanics, AI, Prototyping. Adam joined Ocean View Games in 2022 from a previous agency, where he spent eight years building educational games for institutions including Cambridge University Press (Word Fun World) and the EU Horizon 2020 iRead consortium (Navigo, a Serious Games Society award winner). His background in curriculum-aligned game design gives him a rare combination of technical skill and pedagogical understanding. At Ocean View Games, he focuses on gameplay mechanics, AI systems, procedural generation, and rapid prototyping. He maintains a reusable rapid prototyping framework built specifically to get hypercasual and MVP projects to a playable build faster. Key projects: Domi Online. From previous roles: Navigo (previous agency), Word Fun World (previous agency). Experience: - Lead Unity Engineer, Ocean View Games (2022 to Present) - Game Developer, previous agency (2013 to 2021) #### The Extended Squad, Trusted Contractor Network Need to scale beyond our core team? We maintain a network of specialist contractors we've shipped real projects with before: backend engineers for AWS and PlayFab infrastructure, 2D and 3D artists, UI/UX designers, sound designers, and QA testers. Every contractor in our network has worked on at least one Ocean View Games project. No strangers, no surprises. When you need to ramp up for a milestone or add a discipline we don't cover in-house, we bring in people we already trust. They follow the same coding standards, use the same tools, and meet the same quality bar as our core team. ### What Clients Say About Our Team > "Initially hired David to review code for the game at a very early stage and was blown away by his abilities. After a round with the board we hired David as lead developer for the project. He brought with him other developers who also did great work and I can say with full confidence there would be no Domi Online without their expertise." > Pellek, CEO & Co-Founder, Domi Online > "David and Adam's workflow is always carried out with sophistication and passion, providing our team with vast expertise of the industry whilst maintaining a high standard of work and pride in each component fulfilled. Dedicated members who always go above and beyond expectations to deliver. Great asset to any team!" > Harley Swann, COO & Co-Founder, Domi Online > "David worked with us on a 2-month project to build a mobile game. He has shown throughout his thorough knowledge of Unity and C#. Communication was clear. And he has made himself available when we needed him most." > Martin Minvielle, Project and Business Manager, Mojo Games > "David is very patient and has great communication. He understood our project goals from the beginning and worked with us diligently throughout our slow-burn design process. I am pleased that we chose David to develop version 2.0 of our Vocab Builder." > Logan, Lead Producer, The Language Conservancy ### Projects We've Delivered - Domi Online, MMORPG, Unity & FishNet - When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, Unity 6 upgrade and mobile port - Nova Blast, Unity 6 modernisation - Bookwood, content architecture and delivery ### How We Work With Your Team Our core engineers each have more than 10 years in game development, and we bring in specialists we've worked with before when a project needs them. See [how we work](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/how-we-work). ### Credentials - Unity Certified Expert, Unity Technologies (David) - Serious Games Society Award, Digital Game Competition (Navigo, led by Adam at a previous agency before OVG) - Verified Reviews, Clutch ### Registered Office Ocean View Games Ltd 3rd Floor 86-90 Paul Street London, EC2A 4NE United Kingdom This is our registered office. We work remotely, so office visits are available by prior arrangement rather than as a routine part of an engagement. Companies House No. 13011771 ### See How We'd Fit Into Your Team Book a 30-minute technical call. With no obligation to proceed. We'll talk through your project, your stack, and whether we're the right fit. Book a Call. --- ## Testimonials Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/testimonials Client feedback, kept separate from comments by former colleagues at previous employers. --- ## Press Kit Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/press Company overview, team bios, screenshots, logos and media assets. --- # Locations ## London Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/london-game-development London-registered studio working remotely, with London meetings available by arrangement. --- ## UK Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/uk-game-development UK Unity studio for new builds, porting and co-development, working directly with senior engineers. --- ## Game Development Outsourcing Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/game-development-outsourcing Embedded co-development, scoped projects and technical audits for studios outsourcing Unity work. --- # Technologies ## Unity Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/unity Unity expertise for mobile games, porting and educational projects. ### Why Choose a Unity Specialist? Unity powers over 50% of all mobile games and is the engine behind titles reaching billions of players. But writing Unity code and shipping a stable, performant Unity game are very different things. Most agencies can build a prototype. Fewer can ship a game that holds 60fps on a five-year-old Android device, stays stable under a multiplayer stress test, or passes first-party console certification without rework. That requires deep, production-hardened experience with the engine's internals, not just its surface-level API. Our lead developer is a Unity Certified Expert with experience across mobile performance, gameplay systems and legacy modernisation. His previous work on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex involved thermal throttling, memory pressure and UI adaptation. RuneScape Mobile uses neither Unity nor C#; that experience informs our approach to mobile engineering. Whether you need a full build, a performance rescue, or senior engineers embedded into your existing team, we bring the same senior rigour to every engagement. That is the difference a Unity specialist makes. Credentials: Unity Certified (expert-level certification); David (12 years) and Adam (14 years) in game development; 12+ Unity titles shipped across David and Adam's careers, from mobile to MMORPG. ### The Business Case for Unity #### Cross-Platform from a Single Codebase Unity builds to iOS, Android, PC, Mac, WebGL, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch from one project. That means one team, one codebase, and one set of bugs to fix, regardless of how many platforms you ship on. For studios and publishers, this translates directly to lower development costs and faster time-to-market across platforms. RuneScape Mobile used Jagex's own technology, not Unity. David worked on its mobile adaptation as a Technical Developer at Jagex. That prior employment informs our approach to cross-platform engineering; it was not an OVG commission or a Unity project. #### Mature Ecosystem Unity has the largest developer community of any game engine. That means more available talent, more third-party assets and tools, better documentation, and more Stack Overflow answers when something goes wrong. For a studio or publisher, this reduces hiring risk and makes it easier to find additional developers if you need to scale up. #### C# as a Production Language Unity uses C#, a strongly-typed, enterprise-grade language with excellent tooling (Visual Studio, Rider, Roslyn analyzers). This matters for large projects: strong typing catches bugs at compile time rather than runtime, refactoring tools work reliably, and code reviews are faster. #### Proven at Scale Unity powers mobile games with hundreds of millions of installs, MMOs with thousands of concurrent players, and educational tools used by institutions like Cambridge University Press. On Domi Online, where OVG leads engineering, Unity ran closed alpha stress tests with up to 500 players on server-authoritative FishNet networking. #### Lower Total Cost of Ownership Unity offers Personal, Pro and Enterprise plans for games, with eligibility based on revenue, funding and the work being undertaken. Refer to [Unity's current plans and eligibility requirements](https://unity.com/products) when budgeting; client work and non-game applications have additional conditions. ### What We Build With Unity - **Mobile Game Development.** iOS and Android games built for performance on real devices. Thermal management, battery optimisation, and device fragmentation testing from day one. - **MMORPG & Multiplayer.** Server-authoritative architecture, FishNet/Mirror networking, matchmaking, and live operations for persistent online worlds. - **Porting & Optimisation.** PC-to-mobile and mobile-to-PC porting with deep profiling. David worked on the RuneScape Mobile port at Jagex, so we know what it takes. - **Educational & Serious Games.** Curriculum-aligned games for institutions, designed around confirmed privacy, data-handling, LMS and localisation requirements. - **Co-Development.** Senior Unity engineers embed directly into your team. Same Slack, same standup, same repo. Scale without hiring. - **Legacy Modernisation.** Flash-to-Unity, older Unity version upgrades, and codebase rescue. In a previous role, our director David Edgecombe rebuilt the Great Fire of London from Flash to HTML5. ### Our Technical Stack We work across the full Unity ecosystem, selecting the right tools for each project rather than defaulting to a one-size-fits-all setup. Our core proficiency is C# and the Unity Editor (2020 LTS through Unity 6), with deep experience in both the classic MonoBehaviour workflow and Unity's Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS) for performance-critical systems. We have also invested in building reusable game frameworks that let us start new projects from a production-ready foundation rather than from scratch. On the rendering side, we work with URP and the Built-in Render Pipeline depending on platform targets, and we use the Addressables asset management system to keep memory footprints lean on mobile. Our browser work also includes HTML5 games built with PixiJS. Our backend and live-ops integrations include PlayFab, AWS GameLift, Firebase, and Unity Gaming Services. On the tooling side, we rely on Unity Profiler, Frame Debugger, and Memory Profiler for deep performance analysis, alongside Git (with LFS) and CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions or Unity Cloud Build. For platform-specific work, we maintain familiarity with Xcode, Android Studio, Steamworks, and first-party console SDKs for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. ### Where Unity Fits Best #### Where Unity Is the Strongest Choice - **Mobile Games (iOS and Android).** Unity dominates mobile. The runtime is smaller, build times are faster, and mobile-specific optimisation tools (Adaptive Performance, frame pacing) are mature. - **Cross-Platform Projects.** If you need to ship on mobile AND PC AND console from one codebase, Unity is the most efficient path. - **2D Games.** Unity's 2D tools (Tilemap, Sprite Shape, 2D Physics, 2D Animation) are more mature than Unreal's 2D workflow. - **WebGL and Browser Games.** Unity's WebGL export is production-ready. Unreal's web support is experimental. - **Educational and Serious Games.** Unity's accessibility, lower learning curve, and institutional adoption make it the default for education and training. - **Multiplayer and Networking.** FishNet, Mirror, and Photon Fusion provide server-authoritative networking options. OVG has built server-authoritative MMORPG multiplayer in Unity with FishNet. #### Where Other Engines May Be a Better Fit - **Photorealistic Visuals.** Unreal Engine 5's Nanite and Lumen provide rendering capabilities that Unity does not match at the high end. If your project requires movie-quality visuals and your budget supports it, Unreal may be the stronger choice. - **Very Large Open-World Environments.** Unreal's World Partition system handles massive open worlds more natively than Unity's current scene management. - **Small Solo Projects with Zero Budget.** Godot is fully free and open source with no licensing considerations at any revenue level. This honesty is deliberate. A reader who sees us acknowledge competitors' strengths is more likely to trust our recommendation when we say Unity is the right choice for their project. ### Unity 6 and the Road Ahead Unity 6 is the current LTS release, bringing render pipeline improvements, multiplayer tools (Netcode for GameObjects updates), and performance enhancements across the board. OVG has already shipped projects on Unity 6 and handles Unity version migrations for clients on older versions. Whether you are starting fresh or upgrading an existing project, we can guide you through the transition. ### What Choosing Unity Means for Your Project - **Faster Hiring If You Need to Scale.** More Unity developers exist than Unreal developers. Recruitment is faster and typically cheaper. - **Shorter Time to Prototype.** Unity's editor workflow and asset pipeline are faster for iteration during pre-production. OVG's proprietary rapid prototyping framework builds on this. - **Easier to Find a Co-Development Partner.** Most co-development studios work in Unity. You have more options if you need to bring in external help. ### Our Unity Services Game Development, Mobile Game Development, Co-Development, Performance Optimisation, Game Porting, Educational Games. Featured Unity projects: Domi Online (MMORPG, PC, Unity & FishNet); Empires Rise (mobile strategy); Stoney Vocab Builder (educational, The Language Conservancy, built by David as a freelance contractor). ### Frequently Asked Questions **How much does Unity development cost?** Costs vary depending on scope, platform targets, and complexity. A focused mobile game or educational app typically starts from around £30,000, while larger projects such as MMORPGs or multi-platform titles can range well into six figures. We provide detailed estimates after an initial discovery call so you know exactly what to expect before committing. **How long does a Unity project take?** Timelines depend on the scope of the project. A small mobile game or prototype can be delivered in 8 to 12 weeks, while a full-featured multiplayer title may take 6 to 12 months or longer. We break every project into milestones with regular builds so you can track progress throughout development. **Do you work with Unreal as well?** We focus on Unity for engine-based game development and also use PixiJS for HTML5 browser games. We do not offer Unreal development. The right approach depends on your existing project, target platforms and requirements. **Is Unity free?** Unity Personal is available free to eligible users. Paid plans and eligibility depend on revenue, funding and the type of work, including whether you develop for clients. Check [Unity's current plans and terms](https://unity.com/products) for your circumstances. **Is Unity good for 3D games?** Yes. Unity supports both URP and HDRP render pipelines. It is not at the level of Unreal's Nanite and Lumen for photorealism, but it handles stylised 3D, mobile 3D, and mid-range PC 3D excellently. **Can Unity handle multiplayer?** Yes. OVG has built server-authoritative MMORPG multiplayer in Unity with FishNet. On Domi Online, closed alpha stress tests ran with up to 500 players on a single server. **Is Unity good for mobile?** Unity is the dominant engine for mobile game development. Most top-grossing mobile games are built in Unity. **Should I use Unity or Godot?** Godot is excellent for small solo projects and fully open source. Unity has a larger ecosystem, more third-party tools, better multiplayer support, and a more mature mobile pipeline. Use our engine comparison tool for a personalised recommendation. **Can you port my Unreal project to Unity?** Generally no. Engine-to-engine ports are extremely expensive and rarely justified. If your project is already in Unreal, you should continue in Unreal. We recommend porting between platforms, not between engines. Need a Unity expert for your next project? Book a technical consultation. --- ## Unity 6 Development and Upgrades Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/unity-6 Building on Unity 6 and migrating older Unity projects to it. --- ## Unity Addressables & Cloud Content Delivery Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/unity-addressables # Unity Addressables & Cloud Content Delivery We build Unity content pipelines that separate downloadable assets from the core application. For Bookwood, we established an Addressables and Cloud Content Delivery architecture to support a growing library of interactive stories across mobile and desktop. Addressables organises and loads assets in Unity. Cloud Content Delivery (CCD) hosts and distributes remote content. We plan both around what players need at first launch, what they download later and how the team prepares each release. ## How we use it ### Content architecture We decide which assets belong in the initial installation and which can be downloaded later, with groups organised around how players access stories, levels or other content. ### Asset loading and memory We review dependencies, asset lifetimes and release behaviour to avoid keeping unused content in memory. Bundle layout and download size are checked against the target devices. ### Cloud delivery setup We configure remote paths and separate content by build target and environment. Releases can be tested before promotion to the content location used by players. ### Download experience We plan progress feedback, retries, storage requirements and cached content behaviour so players understand what is available when their connection is limited. ## When this approach fits Addressables and remote delivery are useful when a project has a growing catalogue, optional downloads or substantial assets that players do not need at first launch. A small game with fixed content may be simpler to ship entirely within its application build. Remote assets must remain compatible with the installed application. Changes to game code or the engine can still require a new player build. We agree a release and compatibility strategy before introducing remote updates. ## Case study [Content architecture for Bookwood](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/case-studies/bookwood-addressables-content-delivery) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do Addressables require Cloud Content Delivery? No. Addressables can load local content or use other suitable remote hosting. CCD is one hosting option; we choose the delivery setup around your existing infrastructure and release workflow. ### Can we add content without updating the application? Compatible remote assets can be updated separately when the application and content pipeline support it. New code, engine changes and incompatible content changes can still require an application update. ### Will downloaded content work offline? It can, if the application is designed to use locally available content. We define what is bundled, what is cached and what happens when content has not been downloaded or has been removed. ### Can you improve an existing Addressables setup? Yes. We can review asset groups, dependencies, memory usage, remote loading and the release process, then scope changes around the problems in your current project. ## Related expertise - [Unity development](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/unity) - [Mobile game development](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/mobile) ## Documentation - [Unity Addressables documentation](https://docs.unity.cn/Packages/com.unity.addressables@3.1/manual/RemoteContentDistribution.html) - [Cloud Content Delivery documentation](https://docs.unity.com/en-us/ccd/faq) --- ## TypeScript Game Development Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/typescript # TypeScript We use TypeScript for browser game development and legacy modernisation. TypeScript adds static type checking to JavaScript, helping catch mismatched data and incorrect API use during development. It fits alongside rendering tools and game frameworks, with the browser running the resulting JavaScript. ## How we use it ### Gameplay architecture We structure game rules, progression and interface state so that behaviour is easier to understand, extend and hand over to another team. ### Legacy game modernisation We assess the original experience, catalogue its interactions and rebuild the agreed behaviour for browser delivery. Where source code is missing, the scope includes investigating how the original works. ### Website integration We define how the game exchanges data and events with its host website or platform. External data still needs runtime validation and failure handling. ### Browser delivery and testing We agree supported browsers, devices and input methods, then test loading, gameplay and integration behaviour against that scope. Performance depends on the implementation and assets as well as the chosen framework. ## Choosing TypeScript for your project TypeScript is a useful fit for browser games with evolving gameplay, shared data structures or website integrations. We can assess an existing JavaScript project for gradual adoption, or establish typed interfaces from the start of a new build. Types do not guarantee correct gameplay or automatically improve frame rates. Runtime validation, gameplay testing and performance profiling remain part of the work. TypeScript also needs a rendering library or game framework for the visual game experience. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is TypeScript a game engine? No. TypeScript is a programming language built on JavaScript. We use it to write gameplay and integrations alongside a rendering library or game framework. ### Can you migrate an existing JavaScript game? We can assess the codebase and plan a gradual migration. The work depends on existing dependencies, test coverage and how clearly the current game separates its systems. ### Does TypeScript make a game faster? Not by itself. Its types are removed when producing JavaScript. Loading time and frame rate depend on factors such as assets, rendering, algorithms and browser behaviour. ### Can TypeScript replace an old Flash game? It can form part of an HTML5 rebuild. Available source files, assets and the behaviour to preserve determine the scope. ## Related expertise - [PixiJS & HTML5](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/technologies/pixijs) - [Legacy modernisation](https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/services/legacy-modernisation) ## Documentation - [Official TypeScript documentation](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/typescript-from-scratch.html) --- # Resources ## How Much Does Game Development Cost? Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-cost What games cost by genre, platform, team size and complexity. --- ## How Long Does Game Development Take? Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-timeline Realistic schedules for every game type, and what moves them. --- ## The Game Development Process Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-process The four phases, from discovery and scoping through to live operations. --- ## How to Choose a Game Development Studio Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/choosing-a-game-development-studio What to look for, what to ask, and the red flags to walk away from. --- ## Game Development Glossary Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-glossary Essential terminology for game developers, studios, and stakeholders. Every term explained in plain language, with links to our relevant services. ### Development Models **Agile**: An iterative development methodology that breaks work into short cycles (sprints) with regular reviews and adaptation. Widely adopted in game development because it accommodates the frequent design changes inherent in creative projects. Contrast with waterfall, where requirements are fixed upfront. **Backlog**: A prioritised list of features, bugs, and tasks that a development team plans to work on. Managed by the product owner and refined regularly. Items near the top are well-defined and ready for the next sprint; items lower down may be rough ideas awaiting further detail. **Code Audit**: A systematic review of a codebase to assess its health, architecture, technical debt, and readiness for further development. Often performed before acquiring a project, onboarding a new team, or beginning a major modernisation effort. **Co-Development**: A partnership model where an external studio works alongside your internal team as an embedded unit. Unlike traditional outsourcing, co-dev teams integrate into your workflows, tools, and communication channels. This provides flexible capacity without the overhead of permanent hires. **Outsourcing**: Contracting an external company to handle part or all of your game development. Can range from specific tasks (art production, QA) to full turnkey development. The key distinction from co-development is that outsourced work is typically managed by the external partner rather than embedded in your team. **Sprint**: A fixed time period (typically one to four weeks) during which an agile team commits to completing a defined set of work. Each sprint ends with a review of what was delivered and a retrospective on the process. Provides predictable delivery cadence and regular checkpoints. **Staff Augmentation**: Temporarily expanding your team by bringing in external specialists who work under your direction. Often used interchangeably with co-development, though staff augmentation typically implies individual contributors rather than a coordinated team. **Technical Debt**: The accumulated cost of shortcuts, quick fixes, and deferred maintenance in a codebase. Like financial debt, it compounds over time: each workaround makes future changes harder and more error-prone. Addressing technical debt is a key motivation for legacy modernisation projects. **Turnkey Development**: A development model where the external studio handles the entire project from concept to delivery. The client receives a finished product without managing day-to-day development. Best suited for organisations without in-house game development expertise. **White-Label Development**: Building a game or app that the client publishes under their own brand, with no visible attribution to the development studio. Common in corporate training and educational game development. ### Development Phases **Pre-Production**: The planning phase before full development begins. Includes concept development, market research, technical feasibility studies, Game Design Document (GDD) creation, and prototyping. A thorough pre-production phase reduces risk and prevents costly changes later. **Prototyping**: Building a minimal playable version of the game to test core mechanics before committing to full production. Often called a "greybox" prototype because it uses placeholder art. Prototyping validates whether the gameplay loop is fun and technically feasible. **Alpha**: A development milestone where all core features are implemented but the game is not yet content-complete or fully polished. Alpha builds are typically used for internal testing and feedback. Expect bugs, placeholder art, and missing content at this stage. **Beta**: A development milestone where the game is feature-complete and content-complete but still undergoing testing and polish. Beta builds may be released to a limited audience (closed beta) or the public (open beta) to gather feedback and identify issues at scale. **Gold Master**: The final, approved build of a game that is submitted for distribution or platform certification. On console, this is the version sent for TRC/XR compliance testing. On mobile, it is the build submitted to the App Store or Google Play. **Game Design Document (GDD)**: A comprehensive reference document that describes every aspect of a game: mechanics, UI flows, progression systems, narrative, monetisation, and technical requirements. A living document that evolves throughout development and serves as the single source of truth for the team. ### Platforms and Porting **Console Porting**: Specifically adapting a game for PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. Console porting requires devkit access, platform-specific SDKs, controller input remapping, and passing the platform holder's certification process (TRC for Sony, XR for Microsoft, Lotcheck for Nintendo). **Cross-Platform**: Developing a game that runs on multiple platforms (mobile, PC, console) from a shared codebase. Requires abstraction layers for input, rendering, and platform-specific features. Unity's cross-platform support makes this more achievable, but each platform still needs dedicated optimisation and testing. **Flash to HTML5**: The process of migrating games and interactive content from Adobe Flash (discontinued in 2020) to modern web technologies like HTML5, JavaScript, and WebGL. A common legacy modernisation project, particularly for educational publishers with large Flash content libraries. **Game Porting**: Adapting a game from one platform to another, such as PC to mobile or mobile to console. Porting involves more than recompilation. It requires reworking input systems, UI, performance profiles, and often significant code changes to meet the target platform's constraints. **Platform Certification**: The approval process required by console manufacturers (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) before a game can be published on their platform. Each has specific technical requirements covering performance, accessibility, save data handling, and user experience that must be met. **PWA (Progressive Web App)**: A web application that can be installed on a device and run offline, behaving like a native app. PWAs avoid app store distribution (and commissions) while still supporting push notifications, home screen icons, and hardware access. Useful for educational games and tools. **Smart Delivery**: Microsoft's system for Xbox that ensures players automatically receive the best version of a game for their console (Xbox One vs Xbox Series X|S) with a single purchase. Developers must build and submit separate binaries for each hardware target. **Steam Deck Verified**: Valve's compatibility programme that rates how well PC games run on the Steam Deck handheld. A Verified badge indicates the game works perfectly with the Deck's controls, display, and performance profile. Increasingly important for PC game launches. **TRC / XR / Lotcheck**: The certification requirement checklists from Sony (Technical Requirements Checklist), Microsoft (Xbox Requirements), and Nintendo (Lotcheck) respectively. These define the mandatory standards a game must meet before it can ship on each platform. **WebGL**: A JavaScript API for rendering 2D and 3D graphics in a web browser without plugins. Unity can export to WebGL, making it a viable target for browser-based educational games and prototypes. Performance is more constrained than native builds. ### Performance and Optimisation **Addressables**: Unity's asset management system that allows developers to load content by address (a string key) rather than direct reference. Supports on-demand downloading, memory-efficient loading, and content updates without full app patches. Essential for large mobile projects. **Asset Bundles**: Packaged collections of Unity assets (textures, models, prefabs) that can be loaded at runtime. The predecessor to Addressables, still used in many projects. Enables downloadable content (DLC) and reduces initial install size on mobile. **Draw Call Batching**: A rendering optimisation that combines multiple draw calls into fewer, larger ones. Each draw call has CPU overhead, so reducing their count improves frame rate. Unity supports static batching (for non-moving objects) and dynamic batching (for small, similar meshes). **ECS / DOTS**: Unity's Entity Component System and Data-Oriented Technology Stack. A high-performance programming paradigm that organises data for optimal CPU cache usage, enabling massive entity counts. Useful for simulation-heavy games with thousands of active objects. **Frame Budget**: The maximum time available to process a single frame while maintaining the target frame rate. At 30 fps the budget is 33.3 ms per frame; at 60 fps it is 16.6 ms. Exceeding the budget causes dropped frames and visible stuttering. **Garbage Collection (GC)**: The automatic process of reclaiming memory that is no longer in use. In Unity (C#), GC pauses can cause frame rate hitches if code allocates and discards objects frequently. Techniques like object pooling and struct usage help minimise GC pressure. **GPU Instancing**: A rendering technique that draws many copies of the same mesh in a single draw call, with per-instance data (position, colour, scale) passed via buffers. Ideal for dense game worlds with repeated elements like foliage, crowds, or projectiles. **IL2CPP**: Unity's scripting backend that converts C# (IL) code to C++ before compiling to native machine code. Produces faster, smaller builds than the older Mono backend and is required for iOS. Increases build times but improves runtime performance. **LOD (Level of Detail)**: A technique that renders distant objects with simpler meshes and textures. As the camera moves closer, higher-detail versions are swapped in. Reduces the GPU workload for scenes with many objects at varying distances. **Memory Budget**: The maximum amount of RAM a game should consume on a given platform. Exceeding the budget causes the operating system to terminate the app (especially on mobile) or triggers excessive paging on desktop. Profiling tools help track memory usage by category. **Object Pooling**: A pattern that pre-creates and recycles game objects instead of instantiating and destroying them at runtime. Avoids garbage collection spikes that cause frame rate stutters, especially important on mobile where GC pauses are more noticeable. **Performance Optimisation**: The process of improving a game's frame rate, load times, memory usage, and battery consumption. Particularly critical on mobile where hardware varies enormously. Techniques include draw call batching, texture compression, LOD systems, object pooling, and shader optimisation. **Profiling**: Measuring a game's runtime performance to identify bottlenecks. Tools like Unity Profiler, Xcode Instruments, and Android GPU Inspector reveal where CPU time, GPU time, and memory are being spent, guiding targeted optimisation. **Shader Graph**: Unity's visual tool for building shaders without writing code. Designers and technical artists can create custom materials by connecting nodes in a graph editor. Outputs optimised shader code compatible with Unity's Scriptable Render Pipeline. **SRP Batcher**: Unity's Scriptable Render Pipeline Batcher, which speeds up CPU rendering by batching draw calls for objects that share the same shader variant. Unlike GPU instancing, it does not require identical meshes, making it effective across diverse scene geometry. **Thermal Throttling**: When a mobile device reduces CPU and GPU clock speeds to prevent overheating during sustained processing. Causes progressive frame rate drops during long play sessions. Games must be optimised to run well within thermal limits, not just peak performance. ### Multiplayer and Networking **CCU (Concurrent Users)**: The number of players connected to a game's servers at the same time. A key capacity planning metric that determines infrastructure costs and matchmaking pool size. Peak CCU often occurs during events, launches, or weekends. **Client-Side Prediction**: A technique where the client simulates the result of player input locally before the server confirms it. This hides network latency by showing immediate feedback, then reconciles with the server's authoritative state when the response arrives. **Dedicated Server**: A server instance that runs the game simulation independently of any player's machine. Provides better performance, fairness, and anti-cheat capabilities than peer-to-peer models, but requires hosting infrastructure and ongoing operational costs. **FishNet**: An open-source Unity networking framework designed for server-authoritative multiplayer games. Offers prediction, reconciliation, and a component-based API. A popular free alternative to commercial solutions for Unity developers. **Lag Compensation**: Techniques that account for network latency so that actions feel responsive and fair across all players. Server-side lag compensation rewinds game state to the moment a player fired, ensuring hit detection matches what they saw on screen. **Matchmaking**: The system that groups players together for multiplayer sessions based on criteria like skill level, region, latency, and party size. Good matchmaking balances fair competition with fast queue times. **Mirror**: A community-maintained open-source networking library for Unity, forked from the original UNet. Provides high-level networking components for synchronisation, RPCs, and server authority. Widely used in indie and mid-sized multiplayer projects. **NAT Traversal**: Techniques for establishing direct connections between players whose devices sit behind routers and firewalls (Network Address Translation). Methods include STUN, TURN, and hole punching. Without NAT traversal, peer-to-peer connections often fail. **Netcode**: The collective networking code that handles communication between game clients and servers. Includes serialisation, state synchronisation, lag compensation, and connection management. Good netcode is invisible to players; bad netcode causes rubber-banding and desync. **Peer-to-Peer (P2P)**: A networking model where players connect directly to each other without a central server. Lower infrastructure cost but more vulnerable to cheating, latency asymmetry, and NAT traversal issues. Suitable for smaller-scale multiplayer or co-op games. **Photon**: A commercial networking platform by Exit Games that provides cloud-hosted multiplayer infrastructure, matchmaking, and real-time communication. Available as Photon PUN (high-level Unity integration) and Photon Fusion (newer, prediction-based framework). One of the most widely adopted multiplayer middleware solutions. **Server-Authoritative Architecture**: A networking model where the server is the single source of truth for game state. Clients send inputs to the server, which validates them, updates the game state, and sends results back. Prevents most forms of cheating because clients cannot directly modify game state. **Snapshot Interpolation**: A networking technique where the server sends periodic snapshots of the full game state. Clients interpolate between two received snapshots to produce smooth visual movement, trading a small amount of additional latency for visual smoothness and simplicity. **State Synchronisation**: The process of keeping game state consistent across all connected clients and the server. Approaches include full state snapshots, delta compression (sending only changes), and interest management (sending only relevant data to each client). ### Monetisation and Live Ops **A/B Testing**: Running controlled experiments where different player groups see different versions of a feature (pricing, UI layout, tutorial flow) to measure which performs better. Essential for optimising monetisation, retention, and user experience in live-service games. **Ad Mediation**: A layer that manages multiple ad networks (AdMob, Unity Ads, IronSource, AppLovin) and selects the highest-paying ad for each impression in real time. Maximises ad revenue without requiring developers to integrate each network individually. **ARPU / ARPDAU**: Average Revenue Per User and Average Revenue Per Daily Active User. Key monetisation metrics that measure how effectively a game generates revenue from its player base. ARPDAU is preferred for free-to-play games because it accounts for daily engagement fluctuations. **Battle Pass**: A seasonal monetisation system that offers a tiered reward track. Players earn progress through gameplay and can purchase a premium tier for additional rewards. Drives both engagement and revenue by combining FOMO with tangible value. **Churn Rate**: The percentage of players who stop playing over a given period. High churn indicates problems with onboarding, content depth, or player satisfaction. Reducing churn (improving retention) is typically more cost-effective than acquiring new players. **COPPA**: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (US federal law) that imposes strict requirements on apps directed at children under 13. Requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal data. Relevant for educational and family-friendly games. **eCPM**: Effective Cost Per Mille (thousand impressions). The revenue earned per 1,000 ad impressions, calculated as (total ad revenue / impressions) x 1,000. The primary metric for comparing ad network performance. Rewarded video typically delivers the highest eCPM. **Free-to-Play (F2P)**: A monetisation model where the game is free to download and play, generating revenue through optional in-app purchases, ads, or battle passes. Requires careful design to ensure paying players get value without alienating non-paying players. **Gacha**: A monetisation mechanic inspired by Japanese capsule-toy machines where players spend premium currency for randomised rewards. Similar to loot boxes but often tied to character collection systems. Subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. **Games as a Service (GaaS)**: A business model where a game generates ongoing revenue through continuous content updates, subscriptions, or microtransactions rather than a single upfront purchase. Requires robust live ops infrastructure and a long-term content roadmap. **GDPR-K / UK AADC**: Regulations that apply additional protections to children's personal data. The UK Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC, also known as the Children's Code) requires apps likely to be accessed by children to apply high privacy settings by default, disable profiling, and minimise data collection. **In-App Purchases (IAP)**: Digital goods or currency sold within a game. Consumables (gems, energy) are used once; non-consumables (skins, characters) are permanent. Both Apple and Google take a platform commission (typically 15 to 30%) on all IAP revenue. **Live Ops (Live Operations)**: The ongoing management of a game after launch, including content updates, seasonal events, balance changes, bug fixes, and community management. Live ops transforms a game from a one-time product into a continuously evolving service. **Loot Box**: A purchasable or earnable in-game container that reveals randomised rewards when opened. Controversially blurs the line between gaming and gambling. Regulated or banned in several countries (Belgium, Netherlands) and subject to mandatory probability disclosure in others. **Paymium**: A monetisation model that combines a paid upfront purchase with additional in-app purchases. Players pay to download the game and can optionally buy extra content, cosmetics, or convenience items. Less common on mobile but more accepted on PC and console. **Remote Configuration**: The ability to change game parameters (pricing, difficulty, event timing, feature flags) without releasing an app update. Essential for live ops, A/B testing, and rapid response to player feedback or market conditions. **Retention**: The percentage of players who return to a game after a specific period. Typically measured as Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 retention. Industry benchmarks for mobile games hover around 40% (D1), 15% (D7), and 5% (D30). The most important long-term health metric for free-to-play games. **Rewarded Video**: An ad format where players voluntarily watch a short video advertisement in exchange for an in-game reward (extra lives, currency, power-ups). Achieves high eCPM because of strong engagement and does not interrupt gameplay flow. **Virtual Economy**: The system of currencies, resources, and exchange rates within a game. A well-designed virtual economy balances earning rates, spending sinks, and premium currency value to sustain long-term player engagement without inflation or pay-to-win imbalance. **Whale / Dolphin / Minnow**: Informal terms categorising players by spending level. Whales are the small percentage of players who spend heavily (often generating 50%+ of total revenue). Dolphins spend moderately. Minnows spend little or nothing. Understanding spending tiers informs monetisation design. ### Game Types and Genres **4X Strategy**: A strategy genre defined by four pillars: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. Players build civilisations or empires through resource management, diplomacy, and conflict. Examples include Civilization, Stellaris, and Humankind. Complex systems with long session times. **Gamification**: Applying game mechanics (points, badges, leaderboards, progress bars) to non-game contexts like corporate training, education, or marketing. Distinct from serious games in that gamification enhances an existing activity rather than creating a standalone game experience. **Hyper-Casual**: A mobile game subgenre characterised by minimalist design, instant onboarding, and extremely short play sessions. Monetised primarily through advertising. Low development cost but highly competitive market with short product lifecycles. **Idle / Incremental Game**: A genre where the game progresses even when the player is not actively engaged. Players make strategic decisions about resource allocation and upgrades, then return later to collect accumulated rewards. Popular on mobile due to low session demand. **Match-3**: A puzzle genre where players swap adjacent tiles to create rows or columns of three or more matching elements. One of the most commercially successful mobile genres (Candy Crush, Puzzle and Dragons). Accessible mechanics combined with deep meta-game progression. **Metroidvania**: An action-adventure subgenre featuring a large, interconnected map that opens progressively as the player acquires new abilities. Named after Metroid and Castlevania. Emphasises exploration, backtracking, and ability-gated progression. **MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online)**: A game that supports hundreds or thousands of concurrent players in a shared persistent world. MMOs require significant server infrastructure, database architecture, and anti-cheat systems. Among the most technically demanding game types to build and operate. **Roguelike / Roguelite**: Genres characterised by procedurally generated levels, permadeath, and high replayability. Traditional roguelikes (Nethack) are turn-based and punishingly difficult. Roguelites (Hades, Dead Cells) retain procedural generation and permadeath but add persistent progression between runs. **Serious Game**: A game designed primarily for a purpose beyond entertainment, such as education, training, health, or social impact. Serious games apply game design principles (engagement, feedback loops, progression) to achieve measurable learning or behavioural outcomes. **Simulation**: A broad genre that models real-world or hypothetical systems with varying degrees of fidelity. Includes vehicle simulations (flight, racing), management simulations (cities, hospitals), and life simulations (farming, social). Often used in serious games and training applications. **Tower Defence**: A strategy subgenre where players place defensive structures along a path to stop waves of enemies from reaching an objective. Combines strategic placement with resource management and upgrade systems. Popular on mobile due to session-friendly wave structure. **Visual Novel**: A narrative-driven genre that presents story through text, character art, and branching dialogue choices. Minimal gameplay mechanics beyond decision-making. Used in entertainment, education, and interactive fiction. Can be developed rapidly compared to other genres. ### Technical Foundations **API (Application Programming Interface)**: A defined set of methods and data formats that allow different software systems to communicate. Game developers interact with platform APIs (Steam, PlayStation Network), third-party service APIs (analytics, ads), and internal APIs between game systems. **C#**: The primary programming language used in Unity development. A statically typed, object-oriented language developed by Microsoft. Offers a balance of performance, safety, and developer productivity that makes it well-suited to game development. **CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery)**: Automated pipelines that build, test, and deploy game builds whenever code changes are committed. Catches bugs early, ensures consistent build quality, and accelerates the release cycle. Particularly valuable for live-service games with frequent updates. **Engine Migration**: Moving a game project from one engine to another, such as from a proprietary framework to Unity or from an older Unity version to a current LTS release. Engine migration is typically triggered by end-of-support for the original platform, performance limitations, or the need to target new platforms. More complex than a simple upgrade because it often requires rebuilding core systems. **Game Engine**: A software framework that provides core systems for building games: rendering, physics, audio, input handling, and scripting. The two dominant engines are Unity (C#, strong mobile/cross-platform support) and Unreal Engine (C++/Blueprints, strong for high-fidelity visuals). Choosing the right engine is one of the most impactful decisions in a project. **Legacy Modernisation**: Updating an older game or application to modern platforms and technologies. Common scenarios include migrating Flash games to HTML5 or Unity, upgrading outdated SDKs, rebuilding deprecated server infrastructure, and adapting games for current device resolutions and input methods. **LMS (Learning Management System)**: A platform for delivering, tracking, and managing educational content (e.g., Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard). Educational games often need to integrate with an LMS to report scores, completion, and learner progress via standards like SCORM or xAPI. **Procedural Generation**: Using algorithms to create game content (levels, terrain, items, quests) at runtime rather than hand-crafting every element. Reduces art and design costs for content-heavy games but adds engineering complexity. Must be carefully tuned to ensure quality and variety. **SCORM**: Sharable Content Object Reference Model, a set of technical standards for e-learning content interoperability. Allows educational games and courses to communicate with any SCORM-compliant LMS. The most widely supported standard, though increasingly supplemented by xAPI. **SDK (Software Development Kit)**: A collection of tools, libraries, documentation, and code samples that enables developers to build for a specific platform or service. Console SDKs (provided by Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) are required for console development and are distributed under NDA. **Unity**: A cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies. Known for its accessibility, extensive asset store, strong mobile performance, and C# scripting. The most widely used engine for mobile game development and our primary development platform at Ocean View Games. **Unity 6**: The latest major release of the Unity engine (released 2024), succeeding the yearly numbered releases. Introduces improved rendering, multiplayer tools, AI integration, and performance enhancements. Unity now uses a release-number naming convention instead of year-based versions. **Version Control**: Systems (like Git or Perforce) that track changes to source code and assets, enabling multiple developers to work simultaneously without overwriting each other's work. Essential for any team larger than one person. Also provides a safety net for reverting problematic changes. **xAPI (Experience API)**: A modern e-learning data standard (also called Tin Can API) that tracks learning experiences as actor-verb-object statements. More flexible than SCORM, supporting offline learning, mobile apps, simulations, and game-based learning scenarios. ### Quality and Testing **Automated Testing**: Using scripts and frameworks to run repeatable tests without manual intervention. Includes unit tests (individual functions), integration tests (system interactions), and end-to-end tests (full user flows). Reduces regression risk and accelerates release cycles for live-service games. **Compatibility Testing**: Testing a game across a range of devices, operating system versions, and hardware configurations to ensure consistent behaviour. Particularly important for mobile, where the Android ecosystem alone includes thousands of distinct device profiles. **Device Matrix**: A defined set of target devices and OS versions against which a game is tested. For mobile, the matrix covers screen sizes, chipsets, RAM tiers, and OS versions. Balancing coverage against testing cost is a key QA planning decision. **Playtesting**: Having real players test the game to evaluate fun factor, difficulty curve, onboarding flow, and overall user experience. Distinct from QA in that playtesting focuses on design and engagement rather than technical bugs. **QA (Quality Assurance)**: The systematic process of testing a game to find and document bugs, performance issues, and usability problems before release. Includes functional testing, regression testing, compatibility testing, and platform-specific compliance checks. **Regression Testing**: Re-testing previously working features after new code changes to ensure nothing has been broken. Automated regression tests are especially valuable for live-service games where frequent updates risk introducing new bugs into stable systems. **Smoke Testing**: A quick, high-level test pass that verifies a build's core functions (launch, main menu, basic gameplay loop) work before committing to deeper testing. Catches catastrophic issues early and prevents wasted QA time on fundamentally broken builds. ### Publishing and Launch **App Store Optimisation (ASO)**: Improving a mobile game's visibility and conversion rate in app store search results. Includes keyword optimisation, screenshot and video design, description copywriting, localisation, and review management. The mobile equivalent of SEO. **ATT (App Tracking Transparency)**: Apple's iOS framework that requires apps to request user permission before tracking their activity across other apps and websites. Significantly impacted mobile game advertising by limiting access to the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers), reducing ad targeting precision and attribution accuracy. **Data Safety Declaration**: Google Play's requirement for developers to disclose what user data their app collects, how it is used, and whether it is shared with third parties. Displayed prominently on the store listing. Must be accurate and kept up to date with each app update. **Day-One Patch**: An update released simultaneously with (or shortly after) a game's launch to fix issues discovered between the Gold Master submission and the public release date. Common on console where certification timelines create a gap between final development and launch. **Early Access**: Releasing an unfinished game to the public for purchase, with the understanding that development is ongoing. Players get immediate access at a reduced price while providing feedback that shapes the final product. Common on Steam. Requires transparent communication about the development roadmap and regular content updates to maintain player trust. **IARC (International Age Rating Coalition)**: A system that provides a single age rating questionnaire whose results are automatically mapped to regional rating boards (PEGI, ESRB, USK, GRAC, ClassInd). Required for Google Play and Microsoft Store submissions. Simplifies the multi-region rating process for global launches. **Minimum Viable Product (MVP)**: The simplest version of a game that can be released to test the core concept with real players. An MVP includes only the essential gameplay loop and enough content to validate the idea, allowing data-driven decisions about whether to invest in full production. **Privacy Manifest**: An Apple requirement (introduced 2024) that declares the specific APIs, data types, and tracking domains an iOS app uses. Apps that access required reason APIs without a valid privacy manifest are rejected during App Store review. **Soft Launch**: Releasing a game in a limited market (typically smaller countries like Canada, Australia, or the Philippines) before a worldwide launch. Used to gather real-world performance data, test monetisation, and fix issues with lower risk and visibility. **Staged Rollout**: Releasing an app update to a small percentage of users initially, gradually increasing to 100% over days or weeks. Available on Google Play and TestFlight. Limits the blast radius of critical bugs and allows monitoring crash rates and user feedback before full deployment. ### Need Help With Your Project? Whether you need co-development support, a full port to mobile, or help modernising a legacy title, we can help. Get in Touch. ### Related Resources - **Cost Guide** (`/resources/game-development-cost`): How much does game development cost in 2026? - **Timeline Guide** (`/resources/game-development-timeline`): How long does game development actually take? - **Cost Estimator Tool** (`/resources/game-development-cost-estimator`): Get an instant budget estimate for your project. - **Frequently Asked Questions** (`/resources/faq`): Answers covering pricing, process, timelines, and technical capabilities across all our services. --- ## Game Development Cost Estimator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-cost-estimator How much does it cost to make a game? Use our free interactive tool to get an instant estimate based on your genre, platform, art style, content volume, team size, and technical requirements. ### Estimator Inputs The interactive estimator collects the following inputs to produce a cost range and a timeline. These lists are generated from the tool itself. #### Platform - Mobile (Single OS) - Mobile (iOS & Android) - PC / Desktop - Console (Single) - Console (Multiple) - Cross-Platform (Mobile + PC) - Cross-Platform (All) #### Genre - Hyper-casual - Casual / Puzzle - Card / Board Game - Educational / Serious Game - Platformer / Runner - Simulation / Tycoon - Action / Adventure - RPG / Strategy - MMO / Live-Service #### Art Style - Text / Minimal UI - Pixel Art - Hand-drawn 2D - Stylised 2D - Stylised 3D (Low-Poly) - Stylised 3D (Detailed) - Realistic 3D - Photorealistic 3D #### Content Volume - Prototype / MVP (Core loop only) - Small (1-2 hours playtime) - Medium (3-8 hours) - Large (10-20 hours) - Very Large (20+ hours or endless) #### Team Size - Solo Developer - Duo Developer - Small (3-4) - Medium (5-6) - Large (7-10) - Studio (10+) #### Audio - Library/Licensed SFX - Library/Licensed Music - Custom SFX - Custom Music #### Backend - Offline Only - Simple (Leaderboards, Cloud Saves) - Moderate (Accounts, Analytics, CMS) - Complex (Real-Time Servers, Matchmaking) #### Starting Point - From Scratch (Greenfield project) - Existing Prototype (Foundation already built) - Existing Codebase / Sequel (Major systems reusable) - Port from Another Platform (Core game complete) #### Optional Features - Local Multiplayer - Monetisation / IAP - Localisation (Multi-Language) - Live Ops / Seasonal Content - Procedural Generation - Advanced AI / Pathfinding - Accessibility Features - VR / AR Support - Cross-Save / Cross-Play - User-Generated Content Tools The output is a cost range and a timeline, split across Development and Engineering, Art and Design, QA and Testing, and Project Management. Currency can be displayed in GBP, USD or EUR; we quote and invoice in GBP. ### How We Calculate #### Days of Work by Genre Each genre starts from the work it takes a two-person team, in days across every discipline. The base ranges draw on published post-mortems, GDC talks and our senior engineers' own production experience: 12 and 14 years across mobile, educational and multiplayer titles. #### Compounding Multipliers Platform, art style, content volume, team size, audio, backend, starting point and features each apply a multiplier to the base days. Features compound multiplicatively, producing a realistic combined uplift rather than a simple sum. Online multiplayer always adds a minimum amount of networking work, however small the rest of the game. Choose a port as the starting point and it is priced with the same engine as our Porting Cost Estimator, instead of these multipliers, so the two tools always agree. A team larger than the scope needs is flagged: the estimate still prices it, with a note naming the largest team that fits. #### Each Discipline at Its Own Rate The days are split across Development and Engineering, Art and Design, QA and Testing, and Project Management, and each is costed at its own day rate: engineering at our £500 senior rate, and art, design, QA and production at the rates of the partners we work with. The split moves with your answers: art-heavy projects shift work towards art, engineering-heavy builds towards development, and larger teams need more project management. #### Cost and Timeline Together The same days of work, shared across your team, are the timeline, so the cost and the schedule always agree. A bigger team finishes sooner but costs more in total, because coordination takes a growing share of everyone's time. Console releases add the platform holder's certification review to the timeline. For example, a casual game for iOS and Android from a two-person team comes to £24,000 to £49,000 over 6 to 12 weeks. ### Our Services Turn your estimate into reality. We offer end-to-end game development services. - **Unity Game Development** (`/services/gamedevelopment`): Full-cycle Unity development from prototype to launch. - **Mobile Game Development** (`/services/mobile`): Considering a mobile build or port? See our iOS and Android service for new builds, porting, and performance work. - **Game Design** (`/services/gamedesign`): Core loop design, economy balancing, and GDD creation. - **Live Ops and Monetisation** (`/services/monetization`): In-app purchases, ad integration, and live-service infrastructure. - **Co-Development** (`/services/codevelopment`): Embed our senior engineers directly in your team. - **QA and Testing** (`/services/qa-testing`): Device testing, performance profiling, and regression suites. ### Related Resources - **Game Development Cost Guide** (`/resources/game-development-cost`): Detailed breakdown of costs by genre, platform, and production category. - **Game Development Timeline Estimator** (`/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator`): Phase-by-phase timeline estimate based on scope and team size. - **Porting Cost Estimator** (`/resources/porting-cost-estimator`): Already have a game? Price a port to mobile, PC or console, with the platform work broken down line by line. ### Frequently Asked Questions #### How much does it cost to make a mobile game? A small hyper-casual game from a solo developer starts at £7,500 to £15,000. A casual or puzzle game for iOS and Android from a two-person team, with monetisation, comes to £27,000 to £54,000. An RPG or strategy game from the same team is £140,000 to £275,000. The final cost depends on art style, feature set, content volume, team size and backend requirements. #### How much does PC or console game development cost? A PC build costs about 10% more than the same game on one mobile store, for higher resolution assets and keyboard, mouse and controller input. A single console adds about 60%, for certification, devkits and platform-specific optimisation. A platformer for PC from a two-person team comes to £56,000 to £110,000. #### What factors affect game development costs the most? The biggest cost drivers are: - **Game complexity and genre** - a casual mobile game from a two-person team comes to £20,000 to £41,000, and an MMO with the same answers to £325,000 to £655,000. - **Art style** - the same casual game comes to £16,000 to £33,000 in pixel art and £40,000 to £80,000 in realistic 3D. - **Content volume** - as a prototype it comes to £8,500 to £17,000, and with very large content (20+ hours or endless) to £30,000 to £61,000. - **Team size** - larger teams deliver faster but cost more due to coordination overhead. - **Starting point** - porting or building on an existing codebase is significantly cheaper than starting from scratch. #### Can I build a game with a small budget? Yes. Many successful indie games were made with modest budgets by focusing on a tight core loop and minimal viable scope. We recommend starting with a prototype to validate your concept before committing to full production. Our game design services can help you scope a realistic MVP. #### How accurate is this cost estimator? This tool provides a planning guide based on your selections. Costs may increase or decrease as we review your assets, codebase and technical requirements, or as your feedback and requested changes affect the scope. We confirm the scope and pricing basis before work starts and agree any later changes with you before carrying them out. Contact us to discuss a project-specific estimate. #### Do you offer flexible payment structures? Yes. For fixed-price projects we typically work with milestone-based payments: a deposit, then payments at Alpha, Beta, and Gold Master. For ongoing co-development we offer monthly retainers. Visit our How We Work page for more detail on engagement models. #### Why does a larger team cost more for the same scope? A larger team finishes sooner but costs more in total, because more developers means more communication channels, more meetings, more complex version control workflows, and dedicated project management. This coordination overhead is related to what Brooks's Law describes: adding people to a project that is already running late tends to slow it down further, rather than speed it up. In our estimator a casual mobile game takes a solo developer 8 to 17 weeks for £18,000 to £35,000, and a team of five or six 2 to 4 weeks for £26,000 to £51,000. #### How does porting differ from building from scratch? When porting, the core game design, assets, and much of the codebase already exist. The work focuses on platform adaptation: input remapping, performance optimisation, UI scaling, and platform-specific certification. In our estimator a port is priced with our porting estimator: a pixel-art platformer going from PC to iOS and Android comes to £24,000 to £60,000, against £49,000 to £98,000 to build it from scratch. Our porting and optimisation service specialises in exactly this. #### How long does game development typically take? Timelines vary enormously by scope, and this estimator shows the schedule beside the cost. A small hyper-casual game from a solo developer takes 3 to 7 weeks. A casual game for iOS and Android from a two-person team takes 6 to 12 weeks. An action or adventure game for PC from a team of three or four takes 16 to 32 weeks. Use our [timeline estimator](/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator) for a phase-by-phase breakdown. Need a precise quote tailored to your project? Get a Free Quote. --- ## Porting Cost Estimator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/porting-cost-estimator Porting costs by engineering category for mobile, PC and console. --- ## Team Size Calculator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/team-size-calculator How many developers you need, broken down by role, with monthly costs. --- ## Co-Development Cost Estimator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/co-development-cost-estimator What an embedded team or LiveOps retainer costs, ex and inc VAT. --- ## Game Development Brief Builder Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-brief-builder A clear brief saves weeks of back-and-forth and gets you more accurate quotes. Answer the questions below and we'll generate a structured project brief you can download as a PDF or send directly to us. Takes about 10 minutes. No sign-up required. ### Brief Sections The brief builder walks through ten sections: 1. Project Overview 2. Game Details 3. Platforms 4. Features and Scope 5. Technical Requirements 6. Budget 7. Timeline 8. Your Team 9. Additional Context 10. Contact Details ### Section 1: Project Overview Project name, description, and current stage of development. **Project Stage Options:** - Just an idea, nothing built yet - I have a game design document (GDD) - I have concept art or visual references - I have a playable prototype - I have a partially built game that needs finishing - I have a finished game that needs porting or updating - Other **Help Type Options:** - Full game development (end to end) - Co-development (augment my existing team) - Game design and prototyping only - Art and animation - Programming and engineering only - Porting to a new platform - Performance optimisation - Multiplayer / networking - Monetisation implementation - QA and testing - Live ops and post-launch support - Code review or technical audit - Other ### Section 2: Game Details **Genre Options:** - Casual / Hyper-casual - Puzzle - Platformer - Action / Shooter - RPG - Strategy / 4X - Simulation / Tycoon - Racing - Card / Board game - Educational / Serious game - Narrative / Visual novel - MMO / Large-scale multiplayer - Sports - Horror - Sandbox / Open world - Other **Audience Options:** - Children (under 13) - Teens (13 to 17) - Adults (18 to 35) - Adults (35+) - All ages - Not sure yet **Art Style Options:** - 2D pixel art - 2D hand-drawn / illustrated - 2D vector / clean / minimalist - 3D stylised (e.g. low poly, cartoon) - 3D realistic - 3D photorealistic - Mixed 2D and 3D - I need guidance on this - Other **Existing Art Status:** - Yes, final production art is ready - Yes, concept art and visual references - Some rough ideas but nothing produced - No, I need everything created from scratch **Multiplayer Mode:** - Single player only - Local multiplayer (same device) - Online multiplayer (small scale, 2 to 8 players) - Online multiplayer (large scale, 50+ players) - MMO-scale - Both single player and multiplayer - Not sure yet ### Section 3: Platforms **Platform Options:** iOS, Android, PC (Steam), Web / Browser (WebGL), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, Not sure yet. **Cross-platform Play:** Yes (different platforms need to play together), No (separate player bases per platform are fine), or Not sure yet. ### Section 4: Features and Scope **Feature Options:** - Multiplayer networking - Matchmaking - Leaderboards - Cloud save - In-app purchases - Ad integration - Analytics and tracking - Localisation (multiple languages) - Accessibility features - Procedural generation - AI / NPC behaviour - Physics-based gameplay - User-generated content - Social features (friends, chat, guilds) - Live ops / seasonal content - Achievements / trophies - Tutorial / onboarding system - Custom level editor - Controller support - VR / AR support - Offline play - None of these / not sure yet **Content Volume:** - Minimal (endless, procedural, or very short experience) - Small (10 to 20 levels or 1 to 5 hours of content) - Medium (20 to 50 levels or 5 to 20 hours of content) - Large (50+ levels or 20+ hours) - Ongoing (live-service with regular content updates) - Not sure yet ### Section 5: Technical Requirements **Existing Codebase:** - No, starting from scratch - Yes, a Unity project - Yes, a project in another engine - Yes, but it's in poor condition and may need rebuilding **Engine Preference:** Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, No preference (open to recommendation), Other. ### Section 6: Budget **Budget Ranges:** Under £10,000; £10,000 to £25,000; £25,000 to £50,000; £50,000 to £100,000; £100,000 to £250,000; £250,000+; Prefer not to say; I need help estimating this. **Payment Models:** Fixed price (milestone-based payments); Time and materials (hourly/daily rate); Monthly retainer; No preference; Not sure what these mean. **Payment Model Explanation:** Fixed price means you agree a total cost upfront, broken into milestone payments. You know exactly what you are paying but scope changes can be costly. Time and materials means you pay an hourly or daily rate for the work done. More flexible for evolving projects but less cost certainty. Monthly retainer means you reserve a set amount of development capacity each month. Good for ongoing or live-service projects. ### Section 7: Timeline **Launch Timeline:** As soon as possible, Within 3 months, Within 6 months, Within 12 months, No fixed deadline, Specific date. **Development Started:** No (day one), Less than 3 months in, 3 to 12 months in, Over a year in, Started by another team and we need someone to take over. ### Section 8: Your Team **Role Options:** Founder / CEO, Game designer, Producer / project manager, Developer / engineer, Artist, Marketing, Publisher, Investor, Student / academic, Other. **Team Size:** No team (need a studio to handle everything), Small team (1 to 3), Medium team (4 to 10), Large team (10+). **Team Skills Already Have:** Programming / engineering, Art / animation, Game design, Audio / music, QA / testing, Production / project management, Marketing, Backend / server infrastructure. **Skills Needed From Studio:** Senior Unity engineering, Gameplay programming, Networking / multiplayer, Performance optimisation, UI / UX implementation, Art direction, Technical art, QA and testing, Project management, Other. ### Section 9: Additional Context Free-text fields for additional context and reference documents. ### Section 10: Contact Details Name, email, company, website, and how you found Ocean View Games (Google search, Social media, Recommendation, Returning client, Other). ### What Makes a Good Brief? A good brief does not need to be long. It needs to be clear. The most useful briefs we receive answer three questions well: what is the game, who is it for, and what do you need from a studio. Reference games are the single most effective thing you can include. Saying "similar gameplay to Monument Valley but with a crafting system" communicates more in one sentence than three paragraphs of description. Studios use references to quickly understand your vision and identify the technical and design challenges involved. Being upfront about budget is one of the most common hesitations we see, but it helps rather than hurts you. Without a budget range, studios either guess conservatively (and propose less than you wanted) or ambitiously (and waste everyone's time with an unaffordable proposal). A clear range lets studios scope a proposal that fits your constraints and tell you honestly what is achievable within them. The other thing that separates strong briefs from weak ones is clarity about what you need from a studio versus what you are handling internally. If you have an art team but need engineering, say so. If you need everything from concept to launch, say that. The more clearly you define the boundary, the more accurate the proposal will be. ### Our Services Whatever your brief calls for, we have the team and experience to deliver. - **Unity Game Development** (`/services/gamedevelopment`): Full-cycle Unity development from prototype to launch. - **2D Game Development** (`/services/2d-game-development`): 2D games from concept art through to store submission. - **Co-Development** (`/services/codevelopment`): Embed our senior engineers directly in your team. - **Mobile Game Development** (`/services/mobile`): Building a mobile game? See our iOS and Android service for new builds, ports, and performance work. - **Educational Games** (`/services/educationalgames`): Gamified learning apps for institutions and publishers. - **Live Ops and Monetisation** (`/services/monetization`): IAP integration, ad mediation, virtual economy design, and analytics. ### Related Resources - **Game Development Cost Estimator** (`/resources/game-development-cost-estimator`): Get an instant budget estimate for your game project. - **Game Development Timeline Estimator** (`/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator`): Phase-by-phase timeline estimate based on scope and team size. - **Game Development Cost Guide** (`/resources/game-development-cost`): Detailed breakdown of costs by genre, platform, and production category. - **How to Choose a Game Development Studio** (`/resources/choosing-a-game-development-studio`): What to look for, red flags to avoid, and the right questions to ask. - **Game Development Process** (`/resources/game-development-process`): How we work, from discovery and scoping through agile development and launch. - **Monetisation Strategy Picker** (`/resources/game-monetisation-strategy`): Find the right revenue model for your game type and audience. - **How We Work** (`/how-we-work`): Our process from discovery and scoping through agile development and launch. ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What should a game development brief include? A good brief covers the game concept, target platforms, genre, art style, key features, multiplayer requirements, budget range, timeline, and what you need from a development partner. Reference games and any existing assets (design documents, concept art, prototypes) are also extremely helpful. Our brief builder walks you through all of these systematically so you do not miss anything important. The more detail you provide, the more accurate and useful the proposals you receive will be. #### How detailed should a game development RFP be? Detailed enough that a studio can scope the project without guessing, but not so detailed that it takes weeks to write. A brief covering the areas in our builder (concept, genre, platforms, features, budget, timeline, team) is typically 2 to 4 pages and gives studios everything they need for an initial proposal. You do not need to have every design decision finalised. It is perfectly fine to say "not sure yet" on specific questions. The goal is to give studios enough context to advise you and propose a realistic scope. #### Should I share my budget with game development studios? Yes. This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer is almost always yes. Sharing your budget range does not mean studios will inflate their proposal to match it. It means they can tell you honestly what is achievable within your budget and propose a scope that fits. Without a budget range, you will receive proposals that are either too conservative or too ambitious, wasting time on both sides. If you are unsure about your budget, our cost estimator can help you establish a realistic range before writing your brief. #### How long should a game development brief be? Most effective briefs are 2 to 4 pages. The brief our tool generates is typically in this range. Longer is fine if the additional detail is genuinely useful (for example, a detailed game design document as an attachment), but a 20-page brief that repeats the same information in different ways is harder to work with than a concise one that covers the essentials clearly. Focus on what the studio needs to know to scope the project, not on selling your vision. The vision conversation happens on the first call. #### What is the difference between an RFP and a brief? In practice, they are used interchangeably in the games industry. Technically, an RFP (Request for Proposal) is a formal document inviting studios to submit proposals for a defined project, often used by larger organisations with procurement processes. A brief is a less formal project description used to initiate conversations with studios. For most indie developers, startups, and small-to-mid-sized companies, a brief is all you need. Our tool generates a document that works as either. #### Can I send my brief to multiple studios? Absolutely. That is one of the reasons we built this tool with a "Copy as Text" option and a free PDF download. We want your brief to be useful regardless of which studio you choose to work with. Sending the same structured brief to multiple studios also makes it easier to compare proposals, because every studio is responding to the same clearly defined scope. We recommend reaching out to 2 to 4 studios and comparing their approaches, timelines, communication style, and cultural fit alongside cost. Ready to discuss your brief with us? Whether you've sent your brief through the tool or you'd like to talk it through first, we're happy to help. Get in Touch. --- ## Game Engine Comparison Tool Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-engine-comparison Choosing the wrong engine costs months. Answer a few questions about your game and we'll recommend the best fit based on your platform, genre, team, and budget. No sign-up required. ### Comparison Questions The tool weighs answers across eight dimensions: #### 1. Primary target platform - Mobile (iOS / Android) - PC / Steam - Console (PlayStation / Xbox / Switch) - Web / Browser (WebGL) - Cross-platform (multiple) - VR / AR #### 2. Type of game - 2D platformer, puzzle, or casual - 2D RPG or strategy (complex systems) - 3D action, adventure, or shooter - 3D open world or high-fidelity - MMORPG or large-scale multiplayer - Educational or serious game - Hyper-casual / ad-funded #### 3. Team experience level - New to game development - Some experience (shipped 1 to 2 games) - Experienced (shipped multiple titles) - Large studio with dedicated engine team #### 4. Primary coding language - C# - C++ - GDScript / Python-like - GML (GameMaker Language) - No coding experience yet - Multiple languages / flexible #### 5. Visual fidelity importance - Stylised, minimalist, or pixel art - Good quality but not photorealistic - High fidelity, realistic rendering - Photorealistic / cinematic #### 6. Approximate budget - Under £10,000 - £10,000 to £50,000 - £50,000 to £200,000 - £200,000+ #### 7. Multiplayer needs - No, single player only - Local multiplayer (same device / couch co-op) - Online multiplayer (small scale, 2 to 8 players) - Online multiplayer (large scale, 50+ players) - MMO-scale (hundreds or thousands) #### 8. Community and ecosystem importance - Very important (need tutorials, assets, plugins) - Somewhat important - Not important (self-sufficient) ### Engine Profiles #### Unity - **Licence:** Personal / Pro / Enterprise; eligibility and current terms: https://unity.com/products - **Languages:** C# - **Strengths:** Mobile, 2D, and 3D development; cross-platform support (25+ targets); largest asset store and plugin ecosystem; massive community and hiring pool. - **Best for:** Mobile games, educational titles, indie to mid-scale, VR, cross-platform projects. - **Considerations:** Revenue-based pricing tiers at higher scales; 3D rendering requires more setup than Unreal for photorealism. #### Unreal Engine - **Licence:** Free until $1M revenue, then 5% royalty - **Languages:** C++, Blueprints (visual scripting) - **Strengths:** Photorealistic rendering (Nanite, Lumen, MetaHuman); strong console and PC tooling; full engine source access; built-in cinematic and animation tools. - **Best for:** High-fidelity 3D, open world, cinematic, PC and console titles. - **Considerations:** Steep learning curve, especially for C++; heavy editor and long compile times; mobile support is less mature than Unity's; 5% royalty above $1M revenue. #### Godot - **Licence:** MIT (completely free, no royalties ever) - **Languages:** GDScript, C#, C++ - **Strengths:** Lightweight and fast to iterate with; fully open source with no licence fees; excellent dedicated 2D engine; growing community and improving rapidly. - **Best for:** 2D games, small 3D projects, solo developers, prototyping, budget-constrained projects. - **Considerations:** Smaller ecosystem and fewer tutorials than Unity or Unreal; 3D pipeline is less mature; limited console export support (requires third-party tools). #### GameMaker - **Licence:** Free (limited exports) / Creator / Indie / Enterprise - **Languages:** GML (GameMaker Language) - **Strengths:** Fastest 2D prototyping workflow; very beginner-friendly; proven track record with indie hits; integrated sprite editor and room designer. - **Best for:** 2D pixel art games, rapid prototyping, solo developers, game jams. - **Considerations:** Very limited 3D support; less scalable for complex large-scope projects; smaller professional ecosystem. #### Custom / In-house Engine - **Licence:** N/A - **Languages:** Any (typically C++ or Rust) - **Strengths:** Total control over every system; no third-party dependencies or royalties; optimised for your specific use case; full ownership of all technology. - **Best for:** Large studios with engine teams, highly specialised requirements, studios with existing proprietary engines. - **Considerations:** Enormous upfront development cost; ongoing maintenance and tooling burden; much harder to recruit developers; no existing asset marketplace. ### Recommendation Labels Results are scored as: Excellent fit (80%+), Good fit (60%+), Possible but not ideal (40%+), or Not recommended for this project (under 40%). ### Our Services Whatever engine you choose, we can help you build, optimise, and ship your game. - **Unity Game Development** (`/services/gamedevelopment`): Full-cycle Unity development from prototype to launch. - **2D Game Development** (`/services/2d-game-development`): 2D games from concept art through to store submission. - **Mobile Porting and Optimisation** (`/services/mobile`): Bring your game to iOS and Android with optimal performance. - **Educational Games** (`/services/educationalgames`): Gamified learning apps for institutions and publishers. - **Performance Optimisation** (`/services/performanceoptimization`): Profiling, frame rate improvements, and memory optimisation. - **Co-Development** (`/services/codevelopment`): Embed our senior engineers directly in your team. ### Related Resources - Game Development Cost Estimator (`/resources/game-development-cost-estimator`) - Game Development Timeline Estimator (`/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator`) - Monetisation Strategy Picker (`/resources/game-monetisation-strategy`) - Unity Migration Checker (`/resources/unity-migration-checker`) - Picking the Right Game Engine, blog post (`/blog/posts/unity-vs-godot-vs-unreal-2026`) - Unity 6 Technology (`/technologies/unity-6`) - C# Technology (`/technologies/csharp`) - Unity Game Development (`/technologies/unity`) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### Which game engine is best for mobile games? Unity is the most widely used engine for mobile game development, and for good reason. The right choice depends on your game's complexity, art style, and whether you need features like multiplayer or cross-platform play. - **Unity** has a mature, well optimised mobile pipeline, supports iOS and Android from a single codebase, and powers the majority of top-grossing mobile games. - **Godot and GameMaker** are viable for simpler 2D mobile titles with lower overhead. - **Unreal Engine** supports mobile but is generally better suited to high-fidelity PC and console projects. Our comparison tool above weighs these factors for your specific project. #### Is Unity or Unreal better for indie games? It depends on the type of game. - **Unity** is more versatile for indie developers: it handles 2D and 3D equally well, has lower hardware requirements, uses C# (easier to learn than C++), and has the largest asset store and community. - **Unreal Engine** is the stronger choice for high-fidelity 3D graphics, with industry-leading rendering (Nanite, Lumen). However, its editor is heavier, its learning curve is steeper, and its 5% royalty above $1M revenue is a consideration. For most indie projects, particularly 2D games, mobile titles, and small-to-mid-scope 3D games, Unity offers the fastest path to release. #### Is Godot ready for commercial games? Godot has matured significantly with version 4 and is capable of shipping commercial 2D games and smaller 3D projects. Its MIT licence means no royalties or fees ever, which makes it attractive for budget-constrained projects. Several commercial titles have shipped on Godot successfully. However, its ecosystem is still smaller than Unity's or Unreal's: fewer tutorials, fewer plugins, a smaller asset library, and limited console support. For large-scale 3D games, multiplayer titles, or projects targeting console platforms, Unity or Unreal remain more production-proven choices. Godot is an excellent option for solo developers, 2D-focused projects, and teams that value open-source flexibility. #### Can I switch game engines mid-project? Switching engines mid-project is possible but extremely costly. It typically means rebuilding gameplay systems, re-importing and re-configuring art assets, rewriting shaders and materials, and re-implementing platform-specific features from scratch. In most cases, switching engines mid-production costs more than the work already completed. If you are considering a switch, it is almost always better to finish the current project in the existing engine and switch for the next one. The exception is very early-stage projects (pre-production or early prototype) where the switch can be made before significant work has been invested. If you are unsure whether your current engine is right, our technical audit service can assess your project and advise whether switching is justified. #### Do I need to know programming to use a game engine? It depends on the engine and the complexity of your game. - **Unreal Engine** offers Blueprints, a visual scripting system that lets you build gameplay logic without writing code. - **GameMaker and Godot** both have relatively beginner-friendly scripting languages. - **Unity** requires C# programming for anything beyond basic prototyping. However, for any commercially viable game, some programming knowledge is needed regardless of engine. Visual scripting tools are excellent for prototyping and simple games, but complex systems, networking, optimisation, and platform-specific features require code. If your team lacks programming skills, working with a development studio is the most reliable path to a polished, shippable product. #### How much does it cost to use each game engine? Licensing costs vary significantly. - **Unity** is free under the Personal plan for revenue under $200K, with paid tiers above that and a runtime fee structure introduced with Unity 6. - **Unreal Engine** is free until your game earns $1M in gross revenue, after which Epic takes a 5% royalty. - **Godot** is completely free with no royalties under its MIT licence. - **GameMaker** has a free tier with limitations and paid subscription plans for full features and platform exports. - **Custom engines** have no licensing cost but require enormous upfront development investment. Beyond licensing, consider ecosystem costs: asset store purchases, plugin licences, middleware, and hosting. For most studios, the engine licence cost is a small fraction of total development spend. Chosen your engine and ready to start building? Get a Free Consultation. --- ## Monetisation Strategy Picker Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-monetisation-strategy The revenue model that fits your genre, audience and platform. --- ## Game Development Timeline Estimator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator A phase-by-phase schedule for your game type, team and current stage. --- ## Platform Readiness Checklist Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/platform-readiness-checklist Every store submission requirement, from developer accounts to art assets. --- ## Unity Migration Checker Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/unity-migration-checker Thinking about upgrading to Unity 6? Select your current version and we'll show you the breaking changes, deprecated APIs, and migration steps you need to know about. No sign-up required. ### Source Versions Supported - Unity 2019 LTS - Unity 2020 LTS - Unity 2021 LTS - Unity 2022 LTS - Unity 2023.x - Unity 6 (non-LTS) ### Target Versions Supported - Unity 2022 LTS - Unity 6.0 - Unity 6.3 LTS (recommended) ### Feature Areas Analysed - Render Pipeline: Built-in, URP, HDRP - Shaders: hand-written HLSL, Shader Graph - Networking: Multiplayer / Netcode for GameObjects - Assets: Addressables / Asset Bundles - Build: IL2CPP backend, Mono backend - Plugins: third-party (e.g. DOTween, Rewired, Photon) - UI: Unity UI (uGUI), UI Toolkit - Input: Legacy Input System, New Input System - Services: Analytics (Unity Analytics or custom) - Monetisation: In-App Purchases (Unity IAP), Ads (Unity Ads / IronSource / AdMob) - XR: AR Foundation, XR Interaction Toolkit ### About the report The report identifies migration changes and checks for your selected features. Package versions matter independently of Editor versions, so some entries are review notes rather than mandatory changes. Effort estimates are indicative and do not replace a review of your codebase. ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What does this tool check? The Unity Migration Checker analyses documented breaking changes, deprecated APIs, and feature-specific migration steps between Unity LTS versions. Based on your current version, target version, and selected features, it generates a report covering API changes that require code updates, render pipeline compatibility, package version requirements, and known compatibility issues with common third-party plugins. #### What does the tool not check? Your specific codebase. Custom systems, bespoke render passes, proprietary shaders, project architecture, third-party middleware not covered in Unity's compatibility matrix, and subtle behaviour changes not documented in Unity's release notes. For these, you need a manual review of your actual project. Our [Unity modernisation service](/services/legacy-modernisation) covers this. #### How accurate is the migration report? The report is based on Unity's official breaking change documentation and release notes. It catches the majority of common upgrade issues. However, every real migration also encounters project-specific issues such as custom code, undocumented behaviour differences, plugin edge cases, and data asset incompatibilities that no automated checker can predict. Treat the report as a strong starting point, not a complete list. #### What if my Unity version isn't listed? The tool supports Unity 2019 LTS through Unity 6.3 LTS. If you're on Unity 2018 or earlier, we recommend stepping through 2019 LTS first and running the checker from there. Projects on 2017 or earlier have additional considerations beyond what any automated tool can assess; [contact us](/#contact) for a manual audit. #### Does the tool handle custom render pipelines or custom shaders? It flags render pipeline changes at the package level (Built-in, URP, HDRP). Custom SRP implementations and hand-written shaders need manual review. The report will warn you where custom code is likely affected, but the specifics depend on your code. #### Is my project data stored? Migration calculations run in your browser, and we do not upload your project or code. We record limited usage analytics, including the source and target Unity versions, the resulting complexity and the number of changes found. Your selections also appear in the page URL so you can share the report. #### What should I do with the migration report? Three paths, depending on your situation. If you have a small gap and a capable team, use the report as your migration checklist and do the work in-house. If you're scoping a larger effort, share the report with your team as input for timeline and budget planning. If you have a live project or complex codebase, send us the report as the starting point for a professional migration audit. Our [Unity modernisation service](/services/legacy-modernisation) takes over from where the checker leaves off. --- ## Porting Feasibility Checker Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/porting-feasibility-checker Porting a game to a new platform is rarely as simple as pressing "build." Input size, resolution differences, certification requirements, and platform-specific features all affect the scope. Answer a few questions and we'll estimate the feasibility, cost, timeline, and likely challenges for your port. ### Inputs #### Source Platform PC (Windows), PC (Mac), iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation (PS4/PS5), Xbox (One / Series X|S), Web / Browser, Multiple Platforms (Primary). #### Target Platforms (multi-select) iOS, Android, PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation (PS4/PS5), Xbox (One / Series X|S), Web / Browser (WebGL). #### Engine Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, GameMaker, Custom / Proprietary, Not Sure. #### Dimensionality 2D, 3D, 2.5D (mix of both). #### Game Complexity - **Simple:** Hyper-casual, single mechanic, minimal UI. - **Moderate:** Multiple mechanics, menus, progression, saves. - **Complex:** Deep systems, large content, custom shaders, advanced AI. - **Very Complex:** MMO, open world, heavy networking, extensive content. This is the same game size question the Porting Cost Estimator asks, on the same scale. #### Multiplayer / Online Features - No, fully offline. - Leaderboards and cloud saves only. - Online multiplayer (peer-to-peer). - Online multiplayer (dedicated servers). - MMO-scale. #### Platform-Specific Features - Platform-Specific APIs (Game Center, Google Play Services, Steam API, Trophies, Achievements). - Platform-Specific Controllers / Input (Joy-Con, DualSense haptics, touch controls). - Platform-Specific Social Features (Steam Workshop, PlayStation Activities). - Platform-Specific Payment / IAP. - Motion Controls or Gyroscope (accelerometer, gyro aiming, tilt). - None of the above. Platform APIs, social features and payments are priced as the porting estimator's platform services. New controllers or motion input count as a full UI and input redesign. #### Hardware Target High-End (recent gaming PC, PS5, Series X), Mid-Range (average PC, PS4 Pro, Series S), Low-End (budget PC, older hardware), Mobile (Recent: iPhone 12+, recent Android), Mobile (Older: iPhone 8 era, budget Android), Not Sure. A game built for stronger hardware needs more optimisation work on mobile and Switch targets. #### Source Code Access - Full source code and all assets (multiplier 1.0). - Source code but third-party middleware (e.g. Wwise, SpeedTree, Havok) (multiplier 1.15). - Partial (locked plugins or SDKs) (multiplier 1.3). - No source code available (rebuild required). #### Localisation - Single language. - 2 to 5 languages (+1 to 2 weeks). - 6 to 15 languages (+2 to 4 weeks). - 15+ languages (+3 to 6 weeks). - Japanese localisation needed (for Switch/PlayStation Japan, specific QA requirements) (+1 to 2 weeks). ### Feasibility Ratings - Straightforward (under 6 weeks) - Moderate (6 to 16 weeks) - Complex (16 to 30 weeks) - Very Complex / Risky (30+ weeks) - Not Recommended (no source code available) ### Cost and Timeline The cost and timeline for each target platform come from the Porting Cost Estimator's own engine, for a Unity-style port with a decent codebase, so the two tools give the same figures for the same port. The timeline is the work for a pair of senior engineers, plus the platform holder's review on console. The checker asks three things the estimator does not, and each adds to both figures: the hardware the game was built for, how complete the source is, and localisation. A target that is the platform the game is already on is skipped. ### Common Technical Challenges by Source-Target Path #### PC to Mobile - Input system rebuild (mouse/keyboard to touch) - UI redesign for small screens - Performance optimisation for mobile GPUs - Memory management (mobile has far less RAM) - Battery and thermal management - App Store or Google Play compliance - Shader simplification for mobile GPUs (3D titles) - Significant graphics downscaling required for high or mid-tier hardware #### PC to Console - Controller input mapping and UI adaptation - Switch: Tegra X1 performance optimisation, 4GB shared RAM, docked vs handheld resolution, Joy-Con and handheld mode support, Nintendo Lotcheck certification. - PlayStation: TRC certification, DualSense controller integration (haptics, adaptive triggers), Activities and trophy implementation. - Xbox: XR certification, Xbox controller integration, achievements and Xbox Live, Smart Delivery for Series X|S and Xbox One. #### PC to Web - File size constraints - Memory limitations (browser tab caps) - No native file system access - Audio handling differences in browsers - Shader compatibility (WebGL 2.0 limitations) - No persistent local storage guarantees - 3D rendering performance significantly lower than native #### PC to Steam - Steamworks SDK integration (achievements, cloud saves, leaderboards) - Steam Deck compatibility testing and input profile - Steam store page, build upload, and review process - Workshop or mod support considerations #### Mobile to PC - Input remapping (touch to mouse/keyboard, controller support) - UI scaling for larger screens and higher resolutions - Resolution and aspect ratio support (ultrawide, multi-monitor) - Steam API integration (achievements, cloud saves) - Monetisation model may need rethinking (mobile F2P to PC premium) #### Mobile to Console - Controller input implementation - Higher performance expectations on console - Potential monetisation model change - Console certification (Lotcheck, TRC, XR) and platform features as listed above. #### Mobile to Web - Input remapping (touch to mouse/keyboard) - File size optimisation for web delivery - Browser audio API differences - No guaranteed persistent local storage - Monetisation integration changes (no native IAP in browsers) #### Console to PC - Mouse/keyboard input mapping alongside controller support - Variable resolution and aspect ratio support - Graphics settings menu (console games often have fixed settings) - Steam API integration (achievements, cloud saves, workshop) - Anti-cheat considerations - Platform API migration (trophies/achievements to Steam achievements) #### Console to Mobile - Touch input implementation (full rethink of control scheme) - UI redesign for small screens - Major performance optimisation for mobile hardware - Memory and thermal management - Potential monetisation model change - Shader simplification and LOD rework (3D titles) - App Store / Google Play compliance #### Console to Console (cross-port) - Switch: significant performance optimisation, 4GB shared RAM, docked vs handheld resolution, Lotcheck. - PlayStation: TRC, DualSense, trophies. - Xbox: XR, achievements, Smart Delivery. - Platform API migration (achievements, cloud saves, friends lists). #### Console to Web - Massive performance reduction - File size constraints - Memory limitations in browser - Input remapping to mouse/keyboard - Shader and rendering pipeline rework for WebGL 2.0 - No native file system or persistent storage #### Web to Other Platforms - Web to Mobile: native packaging and store compliance, touch input refinement, native performance APIs, push notifications. - Web to PC: native desktop build and distribution, file system access and saves, higher resolution and performance expectations, controller support. - Web to Console: full native rebuild likely required, certification, controller and platform APIs, performance and memory. #### Engine-Specific Notes - Custom or unknown engine: no built-in cross-platform abstraction; every platform API implemented manually; significantly higher porting effort; sometimes more cost-effective to rebuild in Unity or Unreal. - GameMaker to console: requires a separate GameMaker Console licence. - Godot to console: limited official console support; third-party solutions needed. ### Warnings - **No source code:** Porting may not be feasible without source code. A full rebuild may be necessary. Consider our legacy modernisation service. - **Middleware:** Each plugin needs its own platform licence and compatibility check. Common issues include Wwise requiring a separate console licence, analytics SDKs not supporting all platforms, and ad mediation SDKs being mobile-only. Audit every third-party dependency before beginning the port. ### Porting Case Studies - **Bringing a Desktop MMORPG's Interface to Mobile** (`/case-studies/mobile-game-porting-ui-optimization`): How David adapted RuneScape's desktop interface for phones at Jagex, before founding Ocean View Games. - **Flash to HTML5 Modernisation** (`/case-studies/educational-game-modernization-fire-of-london`): Rebuilding a Flash educational game for modern browsers with full feature parity. ### Our Porting Services From PC-to-mobile ports to engine-to-Unity rebuilds, every porting engagement starts with a fixed-scope feasibility audit. - **Mobile Game Development** (`/services/mobile`): Port your game to iOS and Android with touch UX redesign, performance tuning, and store submission. - **Game Porting** (`/services/game-porting`): PC and mobile porting with a fixed-scope feasibility audit first. - **Legacy Modernisation** (`/services/legacy-modernisation`): Rebuild Flash, Java, or legacy titles in Unity for modern platforms. - **Performance Optimisation** (`/services/performanceoptimization`): Frame rate, memory, load times, and thermal optimisation for any platform. - **Unity Game Development** (`/services/gamedevelopment`): Full-cycle Unity development from prototype to launch. - **QA and Testing** (`/services/qa-testing`): Device testing, performance profiling, and regression suites. ### Related Resources - Game Development Cost Estimator (`/resources/game-development-cost-estimator`) - Timeline Estimator (`/resources/game-development-timeline-estimator`) - Platform Readiness Checklist (`/resources/platform-readiness-checklist`) - Unity Migration Checker (`/resources/unity-migration-checker`) - Game Development Cost Guide (`/resources/game-development-cost`) - Game Development Timeline Guide (`/resources/game-development-timeline`) - Porting Cost Estimator (`/resources/porting-cost-estimator`) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### What does this tool check? The Porting Feasibility Checker estimates the complexity, cost range, timeline, and likely technical challenges for porting your game to a new platform. Based on your source and target platforms, engine, game complexity, networking model, platform-specific features, hardware tier, source code access, and localisation needs, it generates a feasibility report covering the main risk areas and effort estimate for the port. #### What does the tool not check? Your specific codebase. Custom middleware, bespoke engine work, third-party plugin compatibility with the target platform's SDK, licensed content transfer rights, and platform-specific certification edge cases. For a real port, these need a manual audit. Our Game Porting service covers this, and our Unity Modernisation service handles cases where the source is on an older Unity version that needs upgrading before the port. #### How accurate is the feasibility report? The report is based on published porting post-mortems and our team's own porting work, from David's time on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex to our port of Nova Blast for Foil Hat Games. Its cost and timeline for each platform come from our porting cost estimator, so the two tools agree. It catches the common risk factors (engine compatibility, hardware constraints, certification requirements, input redesign) and gives a reasonable range for effort and timeline. It cannot predict project-specific issues like proprietary middleware, unusual dependencies, or edge cases that only surface during a detailed code review. Treat the report as a scoping starting point, not a quote. #### Can I port a game without access to source code? Technically, a pure port requires source. Without it, the only path forward is a rebuild, where we reconstruct the game in a modern engine using the original as specification. This is significantly more involved than a port but is sometimes the only option for legacy titles. Our Unity modernisation service specialises in this type of project. #### What if my source platform or target isn't listed? The tool covers the most common source and target combinations. If your specific scenario isn't represented (for example, an unusual mobile-to-console path, or a port involving VR platforms or Steam Deck specifically), the report's accuracy will be limited. Contact us for a manual feasibility assessment. #### Is my project data stored? No. The tool runs entirely in your browser. The platforms, engine, complexity, and other options you select are not sent to any server or logged. #### What should I do with the feasibility report? Three paths, depending on your situation. If the report suggests a low-complexity port and you have a capable team, use it as scoping input and do the work in-house. If it suggests a moderate-complexity port and you're weighing options, share the report with your team for timeline and budget planning. If it suggests a complex port or flags significant risks, send us the report as the starting point for a professional feasibility audit. Our game porting service takes over from where the tool leaves off. Need a detailed scoping assessment for your port? Get a Free Consultation. --- ## Technical Debt Calculator Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/technical-debt-calculator How much technical debt is lurking in your game project? Answer a few questions about your codebase and get an assessment with prioritised recommendations. ### What Is Technical Debt in Games? Technical debt is the accumulated cost of shortcuts, deferred maintenance, and architectural compromises in a codebase. In games, it manifests as longer build times, higher bug rates, slower iteration, difficulty onboarding new team members, and eventually, features that cannot be built because the foundation will not support them. Technical debt is not always bad. Every project makes trade-offs to meet deadlines. The problem is when debt accumulates unmanaged and starts slowing the team down. Knowing how much debt you have is the first step to managing it. ### Assessment Questions The calculator scores 12 questions across five categories. #### Codebase Age and History - How old is your codebase? Less than 1 year, 1 to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, 5+ years. - How many developers have worked on it? 1 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 10, 10+. - Has the project pivoted direction? No, Once, Multiple times. #### Engine Health - Unity version: Unity 6 (current LTS), Unity 2022 LTS, Unity 2021 LTS, Unity 2020 or older, Not Unity (other engine). - Render pipeline: URP, HDRP, Built-in Render Pipeline, Not sure, N/A (not Unity). - Deprecated API warnings: None, A few (under 20), Many (20 to 100), We have stopped looking. #### Architecture and Code Quality - Test coverage: Comprehensive, Some tests for critical systems, Minimal or no tests. - Architecture state: Clean separation of concerns and well-documented; Mostly organised but some areas messy; Significant tightly-coupled or "spaghetti" code; We are afraid to touch large parts of the codebase. - Onboarding time: Less than a week, 1 to 2 weeks, 2 to 4 weeks, A month or more. #### Build Pipeline - Build time: Under 5 minutes, 5 to 15 minutes, 15 to 30 minutes, 30+ minutes. - Build break frequency: Rarely (monthly or less), Occasionally (weekly), Frequently (multiple times a week), Almost daily. #### Performance and Stability - Performance issues: No known issues, A few minor issues, Significant issues affecting player experience, Critical issues blocking release or causing negative reviews. ### Debt Levels - **Low Debt** (0 to 25%): Project is in good shape. Regular maintenance should keep it healthy. - **Moderate Debt** (26 to 50%): Some areas need attention. Targeted refactoring would improve velocity and stability. - **High Debt** (51 to 75%): Technical debt is likely slowing your team and increasing defect rates. A structured remediation plan is recommended. - **Critical Debt** (76 to 100%): The codebase has serious structural issues. A technical audit before further development would save significant time and cost. ### How We Calculate the Score #### Weighted Scoring Architecture and code quality issues are weighted highest because they affect every aspect of development. Engine version and deprecated APIs are weighted high because they represent a ticking clock as older versions eventually lose support. #### Category Breakdown Scores are broken down across five categories: Codebase Age, Engine Health, Architecture, Build Pipeline, and Performance. This helps you identify which areas carry the most debt and where to focus remediation efforts. #### Prioritised Recommendations The tool generates specific recommendations based on your highest-scoring categories. These are actionable next steps, not generic advice, tailored to the specific combination of issues your project faces. ### Sample Recommendations - **Engine Health:** "Your Unity version is two or more major releases behind. Migration to Unity 6 would resolve deprecated API warnings and unlock performance improvements. See our Unity Migration Checker." - **Render pipeline:** "The Built-in Render Pipeline is legacy. Migrating to URP would improve performance, give access to modern shader features, and reduce long-term maintenance burden." - **Deprecated APIs:** "Deprecated API warnings accumulate silently until an engine upgrade forces the issue. Resolving them incrementally is far cheaper than a bulk migration." - **Architecture:** "Tightly-coupled architecture compounds every other form of debt. Targeted refactoring of the most-changed modules would yield the highest return on velocity." - **Test coverage:** "Lack of automated testing in a codebase with multiple contributors creates compounding risk. Adding tests to critical gameplay and networking systems first provides the highest return." - **Onboarding:** "Month-long onboarding signals documentation and architectural clarity issues. Investing in architecture documentation and code guides pays for itself within two hires." - **Build time:** "Your build time exceeds 15 minutes. This is a significant drag on iteration speed. Build pipeline optimisation typically involves Addressables configuration, assembly definition restructuring, and asset import settings." - **Build breaks:** "Frequent build breaks indicate CI/CD pipeline issues. Adding pre-commit validation, automated tests on pull requests, and build smoke tests would stabilise your pipeline." - **Codebase age:** "An older codebase with many contributors and direction changes naturally accumulates debt. A structured audit to identify the highest-impact refactoring targets is more effective than incremental cleanup." - **Performance:** "Unresolved performance issues compound over time as new features add further load. Deep profiling with Unity Profiler and Memory Profiler to identify root causes should be prioritised before adding new features." ### What You Can Do About It #### Self-Remediation If your score is moderate, targeted refactoring during regular sprints can address the worst areas. Prioritise the categories where you scored highest. #### Technical Audit If your score is high or critical, a professional audit identifies the specific files, systems, and architectural patterns causing the most drag. #### Modernisation Project If the codebase needs significant structural work (engine migration, architecture overhaul, render pipeline upgrade), a dedicated modernisation engagement may be more cost-effective than incremental fixes. ### Related Services Turn your assessment into action. We offer technical audits and modernisation services. - **Technical Audit** (`/services/technical-audit`): Professional code review and architecture assessment for your game project. - **Legacy Modernisation** (`/services/legacy-modernisation`): Engine upgrades, Flash rebuilds, and codebase rescue for legacy projects. - **Performance Optimisation** (`/services/performanceoptimization`): Deep profiling and targeted optimisation for frame rate, memory, and thermal issues. - **Co-Development** (`/services/codevelopment`): Embed our senior engineers directly in your team to tackle debt alongside features. ### Related Resources - Unity Migration Checker (`/resources/unity-migration-checker`) - Game Development Cost Estimator (`/resources/game-development-cost-estimator`) ### Frequently Asked Questions #### Is this tool accurate? It provides a directional assessment based on common indicators of technical debt. A professional audit examines your actual code, profiling data, and build pipeline for precise findings. #### My score is high. Does that mean the project is doomed? No. Every long-running game project accumulates debt. A high score means you should invest in remediation before it compounds further. Many of our best engagements start with high-debt projects. #### How much does it cost to fix technical debt? It depends on the severity and scope. A targeted refactoring sprint might take 2 to 4 weeks. A full modernisation project could take months. Use our cost estimator for a ballpark. #### Can you fix technical debt in a live game without disrupting players? Yes, this is a common requirement. We have maintained Domi Online, a long-running Unity MMORPG, through in-place upgrades from Unity 2020 LTS to Unity 6.3 alongside architecture improvements, and we plan work on live games around minimal player-facing disruption. Want a professional assessment? Our technical audits go deeper than any calculator. Learn About Technical Audits or Get in Touch. --- # Museum Interactive Commissioning Checklist Plan a museum touchscreen, digital exhibit or visitor companion. Agree the audience, content, hardware, accessibility, budget and handover before commissioning development. Project: ________________ Source: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/museum-interactive-commissioning-checklist ## Purpose and audience Start with the visitor experience. A short gallery activity and a companion used at home need different briefs. - [ ] Identify the story, collection or learning objective the interactive should support. - [ ] Define the main visitors, their languages and whether they participate alone or together. - [ ] Agree the intended session length and how the experience fits the gallery visit. - [ ] Define success: understanding, completion, discussion or another observable outcome. Decide how you will evaluate it. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Gallery environment and hardware Name who supplies each physical component. Include the museum's IT and facilities teams before agreeing installation dates. - [ ] Confirm the location, available space, visitor flow and access for installation. - [ ] Record existing hardware specifications and condition, including screens, computers and operating systems. - [ ] Assign responsibility for hardware, enclosures, mounting, cabling and installation. - [ ] Check power, connectivity, lighting, reflections and background noise in the intended location. - [ ] Specify which activities must work offline and what happens when connectivity returns. - [ ] Agree opening hours, daily startup and shutdown, and recovery after a power interruption. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Content and curatorial approval Content readiness affects the schedule. A developer cannot finish a translated activity while its wording is still awaiting approval. - [ ] List the text, images, recordings and collection information already available, and confirm usage permissions. - [ ] Name the person responsible for historical accuracy and final content approval. - [ ] Agree languages, translation responsibilities, audio recording and layout checks. - [ ] Set content delivery dates, review rounds and approval milestones. - [ ] Identify what staff need to update after launch and whether this requires editing tools or developer support. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Accessibility and visitor interaction Agree requirements with the museum's access team and involve disabled visitors in testing. Consider the physical installation alongside the software. - [ ] Document the accessibility requirements and how they will be evaluated for this installation. - [ ] Plan alternatives to audio-only instructions, colour-only cues and precise touch gestures. - [ ] Check text readability, contrast, screen reach, seating and wheelchair access. - [ ] Decide whether timed activities need adjustable or untimed alternatives. - [ ] Include representative visitors, including disabled visitors, in prototype and installation testing. - [ ] Assign responsibility for recording accessibility findings, fixing issues and checking the changes. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Scope, budget and responsibilities Ask suppliers to price the same scope. Compare the complete installation and its ongoing costs, with assumptions clearly stated. - [ ] Separate essential launch features from optional additions and agree what the prototype must demonstrate. - [ ] Include hardware, content creation, translation, accessibility work, installation and testing in the budget. - [ ] Account for hosting, licences, maintenance, replacement hardware and future content updates. - [ ] Name decision-makers and agree how changes affect cost, delivery dates and approval. - [ ] Agree ownership of bespoke work, source-code handover and licences for existing tools and third-party material. - [ ] Confirm procurement deadlines, funder reporting and required documentation with the museum's project lead. - [ ] Decide whether visitor data is needed, what will be collected, who manages it and when it is deleted. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Testing and acceptance Write acceptance criteria before production. Use the worksheet below to record the required behaviour, test evidence and sign-off owner. - [ ] Test the complete experience on the actual installation hardware in its gallery location. - [ ] Check startup, abandoned sessions, reset behaviour and return to the welcome screen. - [ ] Test power and network interruption, including recovery without losing required content. - [ ] Run a sustained test for the agreed daily operating period, with repeated visitor sessions. - [ ] Test rapid tapping, unexpected input and any supported alternative controls. - [ ] Agree which issues block acceptance, who signs off and when fixes will be retested. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Launch and ongoing operation Make the handover usable by the people on the gallery floor. Include a plan for the end of the exhibition. - [ ] Schedule installation, visitor testing and staff training around gallery access. - [ ] Provide a short operating guide, recovery instructions and a named support contact. - [ ] Agree support hours, response expectations, warranty scope and responsibility for hardware faults. - [ ] Document how updates are approved, installed, backed up and reversed if necessary. - [ ] Hand over the agreed source code, assets, build instructions, accounts and licence records. - [ ] Plan how to archive, relocate or retire the interactive when the exhibition ends or hardware is replaced. Notes, owner and next action: ________________ ## Acceptance criteria worksheet Adapt these examples to your installation before agreeing them with your supplier. ### Offline use Acceptance criterion: Visitors can complete every agreed core activity with the network disconnected. Record which activities need a connection. Suggested evidence: A complete walkthrough on the installation hardware with the network disconnected. Owner, test date and result: ________________ ### Session reset Acceptance criterion: After the agreed inactivity period, the experience clears the previous visitor's session and returns to its welcome screen. Specify the timeout and any warning. Suggested evidence: Test abandonment at each main activity and record the reset behaviour. Owner, test date and result: ________________ ### Daily reliability Acceptance criterion: The interactive completes an agreed operating-day test without an unrecoverable fault. Specify the duration, hardware and usage pattern. Suggested evidence: A dated test log covering repeated sessions, faults and recovery. Owner, test date and result: ________________ ### Accessible interaction Acceptance criterion: Visitors can complete the agreed activities using the specified controls and access features. Record the requirements and evaluation method. Suggested evidence: Results from access checks and representative visitor testing, with unresolved issues recorded. Owner, test date and result: ________________ ### Staff handover Acceptance criterion: A gallery staff member can start and reset the installation using the supplied guide. Agree the tasks and escalation procedure. Suggested evidence: A witnessed staff walkthrough and a copy of the final operating guide. Owner, test date and result: ________________ --- ## How to Commission an Educational Game Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/how-to-commission-an-educational-game Stakeholders, curriculum input, pilot testing and acceptance criteria in one checklist. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/resources/faq 120+ questions answered across our services and industries. Search by keyword or filter by category. ### Unity Game Development **How much does professional game development cost?** Game development costs vary significantly based on complexity, art style, and multiplayer requirements. A rapid prototype or "greybox" starts from £5,000. In our free cost estimator, a casual game for iOS and Android from a two-person team comes to £24,000 to £49,000, a pixel-art platformer for PC to £45,000 to £90,000, and a stylised 3D action game for PC from a team of three or four to £175,000 to £345,000. We provide transparent, itemised quotes after reviewing your Game Design Document (GDD) or technical brief. **Why should we choose Unity over other engines like Unreal?** Unity is the industry standard for versatility. It allows us to build your game once and deploy it seamlessly to mobile (iOS/Android), PC, and consoles with shared code. This write once, deploy anywhere approach significantly reduces development time and budget compared to other engines, making it the ideal choice for most commercial projects. **Do your developers hold Unity Certifications?** Yes. Our director, David Edgecombe, is a Unity Certified Expert Programmer, the highest level of certification Unity offers. This ensures your project is built with professional-grade architecture, efficient memory management, and clean code that is easy to maintain and scale long-term. **Have you worked on multiplayer games in Unity?** Yes. OVG led engineering on Domi Online, a Unity MMORPG whose server-authoritative gameplay runs on FishNet, hosted on AWS EC2. **How do you handle legacy code refactoring and technical debt?** We specialise in project rescue and co-development. If you have a Unity project that has become unmanageable, we perform a technical audit to refactor the codebase. We implement modular systems and ScriptableObjects to organise the data, making the project stable and easier to expand. **What is your approach to Unity performance on low-end devices?** Optimisation is part of our development process, not an afterthought. We utilise Unity's Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS) and the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) to squeeze maximum performance out of hardware. This ensures your game runs smoothly even on older mobile devices, maximising your potential player base. **Do you create custom tools or shaders for unique art styles?** Yes. We don't just use standard assets. We write custom HLSL/Shader Graph shaders to achieve unique visual styles (like toon shading or realistic water) and build custom Unity Editor tools to speed up level design for your creative team. ### Mobile Game Development **Can you port a PC or console game to mobile without rewriting it from scratch?** If the source is Unity, we can typically reuse 80%+ of the original code. The main work is UX redesign for touch input (gestures, virtual joysticks, haptics), performance optimisation for mobile hardware, and store compliance. Our porting process starts with a feasibility audit of your specific codebase. Typical timelines are 3 to 6 months depending on complexity. **How do you handle the fragmentation problem on Android?** Tier-based optimisation. We classify devices into low, mid, and high performance brackets based on GPU, CPU, and memory. We implement adaptive quality settings (resolution, texture quality, particle density, draw distance) that automatically adjust based on the user's hardware. This ensures your game runs smoothly on a budget Samsung from three years ago while still looking sharp on a new iPhone Pro. **How do you prevent the game from draining the user's battery?** Battery drain usually comes from excessive rendering, physics calculations, or unnecessary background processing. We optimise by limiting frame rate in static menus, using efficient URP shaders, reducing overdraw, and profiling thermal behaviour during sustained play sessions. Thermal throttling is invisible to users (the phone doesn't announce when it's slowing down), so we test specifically for it on mid-range hardware. **Do you support notches, cutouts, and tall aspect ratios?** Yes. We build Safe Area adaptive UI that automatically scales and repositions UI elements around camera cutouts, notches, and platform-specific screen regions. This covers the full range from 4:3 tablets to 21:9 mobile devices with punch-hole cameras. **What is your experience with mobile monetisation and SDK integration?** We integrate all major monetisation SDKs: Unity LevelPlay, AdMob, IronSource, Unity IAP, and others. Beyond the code integration, we help design IAP economies that comply with Apple and Google payment policies. SDK choice often depends on your target geography and genre, and we can advise on the tradeoffs during Discovery. **If my Unity project is on an older version, do we need to upgrade it before porting?** Usually yes. Unity 2019, 2020, and some 2021 projects hit compatibility issues with current iOS SDKs (Xcode version requirements) and Google Play target API levels. We handle the modernisation as a preliminary phase, or as a separate Unity modernisation engagement if scope is significant. **Do you work with educational or corporate clients, or just games studios?** Both. We've built educational mobile titles for institutions, training simulations for corporate clients, and commercial games for independent studios and publishers. Our Educational Games service covers pedagogy-led work. The mobile engineering approach is the same regardless of client type. **Where are you based?** London, UK. We work with studios, publishers, educational institutions, and enterprise clients across the UK, Europe, and internationally. English-native communication, UK timezone working hours, UK IP law. ### Game Design **How much does Game Design consulting cost?** We offer GDD creation packages starting from £2,500. Full prototyping and economy design services are quoted based on complexity. **Do I own the Game Design Document (GDD) and IP?** Yes. Once payment is complete, you own the bespoke design documentation, prototype assets, and other deliverables created for your project. Pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. We sign NDAs before starting. **What's your game design process?** Our game design process begins with thorough market research and audience analysis, followed by concept development and rapid prototyping using Unity engine. We use iterative design methodology, continuously refining gameplay elements based on user testing and data-driven insights to ensure optimal player engagement. **How do you validate game concepts before full development?** We use rapid Unity prototyping to validate core game mechanics early in the development process. This approach allows us to test gameplay concepts, user interactions, and engagement metrics before investing in full development, saving time and resources while maximising the potential for success. **Do you create detailed game design documents?** Yes, we provide comprehensive game design documentation that includes gameplay mechanics, user interface designs, technical specifications, and monetisation strategies. Our documentation ensures clear communication throughout development and serves as a roadmap for implementation. **Can you design educational games for institutional clients?** Absolutely. Our team designed educational games for institutions including Cambridge University Press and London Museum during previous employment, and David built Vocab Builder for The Language Conservancy as a freelance contractor. We understand the unique requirements of educational content, balancing engagement with learning objectives to create effective educational gaming experiences. **How do you approach mobile game design differently?** Mobile game design requires special consideration for touch-first interfaces, shorter play sessions, and diverse device capabilities. We focus on intuitive controls, quick onboarding, and monetisation strategies that enhance rather than interrupt gameplay, ensuring optimal user experience across all mobile devices. ### Monetisation **Will adding ads ruin my retention?** Not if done right. We focus on Rewarded Video Ads, which players voluntarily watch for bonuses. When implemented well, rewarded ads can actually increase retention because players feel they are earning value rather than being interrupted. **Do you take a revenue share?** No. You keep 100% of your ad and IAP revenue. We charge a flat development fee or retainer for our services. **Which monetisation model is best for my game?** It depends on your genre, audience, and platform. Free-to-play with IAPs works well for casual and mobile games. Premium (paid upfront) suits narrative or niche titles with a dedicated audience. Subscription models are growing for games with regular content updates. We help you evaluate the trade-offs and choose the model that maximises lifetime value for your player base. **How do you design an In-App Purchase economy that feels fair?** We use data-driven approaches to balance your virtual economy. This includes modelling currency sinks and faucets, setting price anchors that feel reasonable, and ensuring free players can still progress meaningfully. A well-balanced economy reduces churn and increases willingness to spend because players feel the value is genuine. **Can you integrate multiple ad networks and mediation?** Yes. We integrate all major ad SDKs including Unity Ads, AdMob, IronSource, and AppLovin. We also set up mediation platforms that automatically serve the highest-paying ad for each impression, maximising your eCPM without you needing to manage individual networks. **How do you ensure monetisation complies with Apple and Google policies?** App Store and Google Play have strict rules around in-app purchases, subscriptions, and advertising. We ensure your IAP flows use the official payment APIs, your subscription terms are clearly communicated, and your ad placements follow platform guidelines. This reduces the risk of rejection during review or removal after launch. ### Educational Games **How much does an educational game cost?** Development projects start from £5,000. In our free cost estimator, an educational game for iOS and Android from a two-person team comes to £49,000 to £98,000, and one with accounts, analytics and a content management system to £69,000 to £135,000. We also offer maintenance retainers for school deployments. **What is the difference between "Gamification" and "Serious Games"?** Gamification adds game-like elements (points, badges, leaderboards) to non-game contexts to boost engagement. Serious Games are fully immersive video games designed primarily to teach a specific skill or curriculum (like Navigo or Word Fun World). We specialise in developing both. **Do you work with educational experts to ensure the content is accurate?** Yes. Our team has collaborated with pedagogical experts, curriculum designers, and academic institutions, including Cambridge University Press and London Museum during previous employment. We build the game mechanics around your learning objectives to ensure the gameplay reinforces the education, rather than distracting from it. **Can you integrate the games with our Learning Management System (LMS)?** Yes. We can build back-end systems that track student progress, playtime, and quiz results, and then export that data to your internal dashboards or LMS. This allows teachers and administrators to monitor engagement and learning outcomes in real-time. **Do you build games for specific age groups (e.g., K-12 vs. Adult Learning)?** Absolutely. Designing for a 6-year-old requires completely different UX/UI and accessibility standards than designing for corporate training. We conduct focus testing with target demographics to ensure the interface, difficulty curve, and art style are age-appropriate and compliant with child data protection laws. **Can these games run on school hardware (Chromebooks/Tablets)?** Yes. We typically build educational titles in Unity or HTML5 (WebGL) to ensure they are cross-platform. This means your game can run smoothly on low-spec school Chromebooks, iPads, Android tablets, and web browsers without requiring high-end gaming PCs. **What are serious games?** Serious games are fully interactive video games designed with a primary purpose beyond entertainment, such as teaching a skill, changing behaviour, or training professionals. Unlike gamification (adding points and badges to existing content), serious games use game design as the core delivery mechanism. Our educational titles like Vocab Builder and Word Fun World are examples: they look and feel like real games, but every mechanic is mapped to specific learning objectives. **Can you modernise our existing educational Flash game?** Yes, this is one of our specialities. In a previous role, our director David Edgecombe rebuilt the Great Fire of London game for London Museum, taking it from obsolete Flash to modern HTML5 and preserving all of its content. We can do the same for your educational Flash content, preserving gameplay fidelity while adding modern features like mobile support, accessibility, and LMS integration. **Do you build for corporate training as well as education?** Yes. The core skills are the same: designing interactive experiences around learning objectives, measuring outcomes, and making content engaging enough that people actually complete it. Corporate training typically has tighter timelines, stricter IT security requirements (SSO, on-premise hosting), and LMS integration needs. We handle all of these. ### Co-Development **How quickly can you start?** We can typically deploy a senior developer or a small squad within 1 to 3 weeks of signing an agreement, compared to the 3 to 6 months it takes to hire full-time staff. **Do you work on a Fixed Price or Retainer basis?** For Co-Development, we recommend a Monthly Retainer or Day Rate. This gives you the flexibility to change priorities and assign different tasks as your production needs shift. **Who owns the IP?** You do. Under our Master Services Agreement (MSA), the bespoke code, assets, and intellectual property we create for your project are assigned to your studio. Our pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed to you for use within the delivered project. **Can you work with our proprietary engine?** While we specialise in Unity, our engineering fundamentals allow us to adapt to custom C# frameworks. However, our peak efficiency is within the Unity ecosystem. **What time zones do you support?** We are UK-based (GMT/BST), which allows for significant overlap with both US East Coast (morning overlap) and European/Asian (full day overlap) studios. ### Performance Optimisation **My game crashes on older phones (OOM). Can you fix it?** Yes. We specialise in reducing Memory Footprint and eliminating Garbage Collection (GC) spikes that cause crashes on 2GB/3GB RAM devices. **How much does a performance audit cost?** A full profiling audit with a detailed report starts from £2,250 at our £750 audit and advisory rate. We scope the audit around the size, complexity and condition of the project, so the final figure depends on how much of the build we need to cover. Full optimisation implementation works on a retainer or day-rate basis at our standard £500 delivery rate. **What are your rates?** Development is billed against milestones at rates agreed in your proposal, and development projects start from £5,000. Technical audits and advisory work are £750 per day, and the fixed-price Rapid Audit is £1,250, delivered in 2 working days. All prices exclude VAT. **What audit tiers do you offer?** Three. Audit scope is set by the size, complexity and condition of the project, and we confirm it with you at intake. The Rapid Audit is a fixed £1,250 covering 2 working days, a focused review of one priority area. The Deep Audit runs at £750 per day, typically 4 to 6 days, so £3,000 to £4,500 for a full review across all areas. The Due Diligence Audit runs at £750 per day, expedited, typically 2 to 4 days, so £1,500 to £3,000, aimed at investors, publishers, and acquirers. The audit fee is credited against the first month of remediation work if you proceed within 30 days. **How do you improve the frame rate (FPS) of a laggy mobile game?** We use a systematic profiling approach to identify the root cause of the lag, whether it's CPU bottlenecks, excessive draw calls, or memory leaks. By optimising assets, refining code architecture, and utilising techniques like object pooling and occlusion culling, we can significantly boost FPS without sacrificing visual quality. **Can you optimise a game that is already close to launch?** Yes. We specialise in late-stage optimisation. We can perform a rapid audit of your codebase and assets to implement high-impact fixes, such as texture compression, shader simplification, and garbage collection reduction, to ensure your game meets certification requirements for Apple App Store and Google Play. **Do you specialise in Unity performance optimisation?** Yes, Unity is our primary engine. We have extensive experience with Unity's specific tools, including the Profiler, Frame Debugger, and Addressables system. Our team understands deep engine specifics, such as optimising the scriptable render pipeline (URP/HDRP) and managing Unity's garbage collector to prevent stuttering. **My game drains the battery too quickly. Can you fix this?** Battery drain is usually caused by inefficient processing or excessive rendering. We analyse your game's thermal footprint and optimise expensive operations. This includes reducing physics calculations, optimising UI redraws, and implementing varying frame rates for menus versus gameplay to extend player sessions. **How is optimising for mobile different from PC/Console?** Mobile devices have strict thermal and memory limits compared to PC. Our approach for mobile focuses heavily on memory management (preventing crashes on low-end devices) and thermal throttling (ensuring the phone doesn't get too hot). We test across a wide range of devices to ensure stability for all players. ### Legacy Modernisation **How long does a Unity version upgrade take?** Typical ranges are 2 to 5 weeks for a small single-LTS-gap upgrade, and 6 to 16 weeks for a multi-LTS-gap upgrade on a larger project with custom render code, multiplayer networking, or heavy third-party plugin use. The Discovery phase gives you a project-specific estimate before we commit to the work. **Can I skip Unity versions when upgrading?** Technically yes. Pragmatically, for large gaps we recommend stepping through intermediate LTS releases. This isolates breaking changes and lets you verify stability at each stage. Our Unity Migration Checker shows a recommended migration path for your specific version gap. **Will my third-party plugins work after upgrade?** Actively maintained plugins (DOTween, Rewired, Photon, Mirror, FishNet) generally release Unity 6 compatible versions quickly. Abandoned plugins are the most common migration blocker. We audit every plugin in your project during Discovery and flag replacement candidates where needed. **Do we have to migrate from Built-in Render Pipeline to URP?** Unity 6 has marked Built-in as maintenance-only, meaning no new features. For projects shipping soon on Built-in that meet requirements, you can defer. For projects with meaningful remaining shelf life, a URP migration is usually worthwhile but is a significant piece of work in its own right, with material, shader, and lighting work involved. **Can you modernise a project without the source code?** A pure port or upgrade requires source. Without it, the only option is a rebuild, where we reconstruct the game in a modern engine using the original as specification. This is significantly more expensive than a port but is sometimes the only option for legacy titles where the original source is lost or unusable. **Do you work with live games?** Yes. Most of our modernisation engagements involve games with live users and revenue. Our process is built specifically to protect live revenue during the transition, using staged rollouts, parity tests, and rollback plans. **Where are you based?** London, UK. We work with studios, publishers, and educational institutions across the UK, Europe, and internationally. English-native communication, UK timezone working hours, and UK IP law. ### Game Porting **Can you port a game that wasn't built in Unity?** Yes. Non-Unity titles are typically rebuilt in Unity rather than directly ported, treating the original game as the specification. The approach, cost, and timeline differ from a straight port, which is exactly what the feasibility audit establishes. See our Legacy Modernisation service for engine rebuilds and Unity version upgrades. **How long does a mobile port take?** 2 to 4 months for most PC-to-mobile ports, where the touch UX redesign and device-tier optimisation drive the timeline. A simple mobile-to-PC port with minimal UI changes typically takes 6 to 8 weeks. The feasibility audit gives you a range specific to your game. **Do you handle App Store and Google Play submission?** Yes. Submission, compliance, and the store listing are part of the port, including age ratings, privacy requirements, and managing any review feedback cycles. **Can you port my game to Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox?** We haven't shipped a console title, so we scope console requests case-by-case and answer honestly about fit. The Unity engineering carries over; platform certification experience does not, and we'll say so upfront. If we're not the right team for your console port, we'll point you to a specialist porting house. **What if the audit says the port isn't worth doing?** We'll tell you, with reasoning in writing. We'd rather lose the work than ship a port that damages your game's reputation. The audit report is yours either way, and you can use it to brief another team or to revisit the port later. **Will multiplayer work cross-platform after porting?** It's implementable. Cross-platform play adds engineering for account linking and matchmaking across platforms, and it's scoped in the feasibility audit so the cost is visible before any work starts. ### App Store Launch **My game was rejected. Can you fix it?** Yes. We specialise in App Store Rescue. We audit the rejection reason (e.g., Guideline 4.2 Minimum Functionality) and implement the necessary code or design fixes to get you approved. **How much does a launch package cost?** Basic submission support starts from £2,000. Full App Store Optimisation (ASO) and asset creation packages typically range from £5,000 to £10,000. **My game was rejected by Apple/Google. Can you help fix it?** Yes. We have extensive experience navigating the strict Apple App Store Review Guidelines and Google Play policies. We can interpret the rejection notice, fix the specific technical or content violation (such as metadata issues, broken IAP links, or privacy policy gaps), and handle the resubmission process for you. **Do you handle App Store Optimisation (ASO) to get more downloads?** Yes. ASO is a key part of our launch service. We research high-volume keywords, write compelling store descriptions, and design high-converting screenshots and video trailers. This ensures your game ranks higher in search results for terms relevant to your genre. **Can you launch my game on Steam (PC) as well as Mobile?** Absolutely. While we specialise in mobile, we also manage Steam page setups, Wishlist campaigns, and build validation for PC releases. We ensure your game meets Steam's specific build requirements and help you navigate their distinct marketing tools. **Do you manage Alpha/Beta testing tracks (TestFlight)?** Yes. We can set up and manage Google Play Console internal testing tracks and Apple TestFlight groups. This allows you to distribute early builds to testers, collect feedback, and ensure your game is crash-free before the public global release. **What assets do I need to provide for a store submission?** You typically need a build (.aab or .ipa), high-resolution icons, screenshots for various device sizes (iPad, iPhone, Android Tablet), a privacy policy URL, and store copy (title, description). We provide a checklist and can create many of the visual assets for you if needed. ### Multiplayer & Networking **Can you add multiplayer to an existing single-player game?** Yes, but it requires a significant refactor. We can audit your codebase to give you a realistic estimate of the conversion effort. **Do you handle Peer-to-Peer (P2P) or Dedicated Servers?** We handle both. We will recommend the right architecture based on your game genre (e.g., P2P for a 1v1 card game, Dedicated Servers for a competitive shooter). **Do you offer 24/7 Server Support?** We can provide LiveOps and server monitoring packages post-launch to ensure 99.9% uptime. ### QA & Testing **Do I need to provide the devices?** No. We test on our own iOS, Android and PC hardware and extend the pool when a project's audience needs it. Console hardware is not part of our test pool. **Can you do automated testing?** Yes. For long-term projects, we can set up Unity Test Runner and automated scripts to handle repetitive tasks like menu navigation and smoke tests. **Do you test specifically for App Store rejection criteria?** Yes. We are familiar with the Apple App Store and Google Play guidelines and will flag any content or functionality that is likely to trigger a rejection. ### Educational Institutions **How do you ensure games align with our curriculum?** We work directly with your subject matter experts from day one. Every gameplay mechanic, challenge, and reward loop is mapped to specific learning objectives in your curriculum framework. We produce a detailed Game Design Document (GDD) that links each feature to measurable learning outcomes before development begins. **How do you approach privacy in educational games?** We design around the audience, data collected and requirements confirmed by the institution. For children's titles, that can include data minimisation, age-appropriate consent flows, high-privacy defaults and careful review of third-party SDKs. Legal and compliance requirements are agreed with the client rather than assumed to apply identically to every project. **What devices do we need to provide for a classroom deployment?** None beyond what you already have. We optimise for the hardware institutions actually deploy: Chromebooks, budget Android tablets, older iPads, and interactive whiteboards. We test on real school-grade devices during development, and provide a hardware compatibility report before launch. **How do teachers and administrators access student progress data?** Teachers see real-time dashboards showing each learner's progress, quiz scores, and time-on-task. Administrators can export aggregated data for reporting. We connect to your existing LMS so there's no separate login or manual data entry required. **What is your procurement process for institutional clients?** We understand institutional procurement. We can work with purchase orders, provide W-8BEN/W-9 forms for international clients, accommodate multi-stage approval processes, and deliver against milestone-based contracts. We have experience working with university procurement departments and public sector frameworks. **Can you modernise our existing educational Flash game?** Yes, this is one of our specialities. Our team has converted Flash-based educational games to HTML5 and Unity, preserving gameplay fidelity while adding modern features like mobile support, accessibility, and LMS integration. See our Fire of London case study, David's rebuild for London Museum in a previous role. ### Game Studios **How quickly can your team ramp up on our project?** Typically within 1 to 3 weeks. Our developers are experienced at reading existing Unity codebases, adopting house coding standards, and integrating into Jira and Slack workflows. We request a brief technical onboarding document and repository access, then we're productive from the first sprint. **Who owns the code your team writes?** You do. The bespoke code we write for your project is assigned to you upon payment, while our pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. We sign NDAs before accessing your codebase and do not retain copies of your proprietary code after the engagement ends. **Do you work under NDA?** Yes, on every engagement without exception. We sign NDAs before accessing any code, documentation, or project details. We also carry professional indemnity insurance and are ICO registered for data protection compliance. If you're working on an unannounced title, your project details stay confidential. **What time zones do you work in?** We're registered in London and work on UK hours (GMT/BST), and regularly overlap with US East Coast and European studios. For US West Coast clients, we can adjust schedules to ensure 4+ hours of overlap for standups and code reviews. **How does billing work for a multi-sprint co-dev engagement?** For ongoing co-development we work on weekly or monthly rates with transparent sprint reporting, so you only pay for capacity you use. For well-scoped features (a porting layer, a UI system, a multiplayer integration), we can also provide fixed-price quotes with milestone-based payments. **What makes you different from freelancers or offshore teams?** Three things. Pedigree: our lead developer worked on RuneScape Mobile at Jagex. Integration: we join your tools and processes, not the other way around. Accountability: you get a consistent team with a UK-registered company behind them, not a solo contractor who might disappear mid-sprint. Our named client projects and case studies show that model in practice. **Can you help with console certification (TRC/XR/Lotcheck)?** We're honest about this one: we have not shipped a console title, and certification experience does not carry over from mobile the way the Unity engineering does. We scope console requests case-by-case and tell you upfront whether we're the right team; if we're not, we'll point you to a specialist porting house. **Can you work with our proprietary engine or tools?** While we specialise in Unity, our engineering fundamentals allow us to adapt to custom C# frameworks and proprietary editor tools. However, our peak efficiency is within the Unity ecosystem, so we're upfront about that during the discovery call. ### Startups & Indies **How quickly can you start on our project?** Typically within 1 to 3 weeks. Once we have agreed scope and signed contracts, we request repository access and a brief technical onboarding document. Our developers are experienced at reading existing Unity codebases and start on the first milestone straight away. **Do you take equity or revenue share?** We work on paid engagements, weekly rates, milestone-based, or fixed-price per feature. We do not take equity or revenue share. This keeps the relationship clean and ensures our incentives are aligned with shipping your game on time. **What if we run out of funding mid-project?** We work in milestones with clear deliverables, so you have a build at the end of each one. If funding changes, we can pause cleanly. You own all the code, documentation, and assets produced up to that point. **Can you help us with pitching to publishers?** We can help you build a polished vertical slice or demo that makes a strong impression on publishers and investors. We have experience building pitch-ready prototypes that demonstrate core gameplay loops, visual quality, and technical feasibility. **Who owns the IP?** You do. The bespoke project deliverables are assigned to you upon payment, while our pre-existing tools and frameworks remain ours and are licensed for use within the delivered project. We sign NDAs before accessing your codebase and do not retain copies of your proprietary code after the engagement ends. **What Unity versions and render pipelines do you support?** We work across Unity 2021 LTS through the latest 6000.x releases, with experience in both URP and HDRP. For mobile-focused titles we typically recommend URP for its performance characteristics. We also have production experience with FishNet for multiplayer. **How much does it cost to build an indie game with you?** It depends on scope, platform, and complexity. A focused prototype starts from £5,000. In our free cost estimator, a casual game for iOS and Android from a two-person team comes to £24,000 to £49,000, and an online multiplayer card game for both stores to £61,000 to £120,000, before any live operations. We provide a detailed quote after the technical assessment, and we offer milestone-based payment so you are never paying for work that has not been delivered. **Can you help us with a game jam prototype or MVP on a tight budget?** Yes. We have built rapid prototypes and MVPs in as little as 2 to 4 weeks. For very early-stage projects, we can work on a fixed-price basis for a defined scope, keeping the engagement focused and the budget predictable. Our rapid prototyping framework cuts development time by 30 to 50% on these kinds of projects. **What is the difference between hiring you and hiring via your game studios page?** Our game studios page is designed for established studios that already have a development team and need to augment capacity or bring in specialist skills for a specific phase. This page is for startups and indie teams that may not have an engineering team yet and need a partner to take them from concept to launch. The service is the same senior developers and the same engineering quality; the engagement model is shaped around the stage of your company. ### Corporate Training **What would a corporate training pilot include?** We would scope one audience, one learning objective and a playable scenario with choices and feedback. The proposal would set out content responsibilities, supported devices, accessibility requirements, evaluation methods and review points. Additional scenarios, production artwork, integrations and support depend on the agreed scope. **Have you delivered corporate training projects before?** Our published track record is in educational games, including work for Cambridge University Press and the EU Horizon 2020 research programme during previous employment, and Vocab Builder for The Language Conservancy. We do not currently present a completed corporate training case study or measured workplace results. A focused pilot is a way to evaluate how our game development experience fits your training needs. **What do we need to provide?** A workplace problem, an intended audience and a subject matter expert who can review the scenario and feedback. Existing training materials, examples of difficult decisions and your current assessment approach are useful. Your team also needs to identify pilot participants and confirm any IT, accessibility and data requirements. **How would we measure whether the pilot works?** We agree success criteria before development. Depending on the objective, evaluation might combine scenario decisions, an assessment before and after the pilot, usability observations and employee feedback. Your team can assess later retention or workplace application. We scope the reporting needed; finishing a scenario alone does not prove competence. **Can the pilot connect to our learning management system?** We would assess your target learning management system, supported standards, reporting needs and test access before committing to an integration. If the learning concept can be evaluated without that connection, a standalone pilot may be a useful first step. If integration is essential to the pilot, its feasibility and cost need to be included from the start. **What about accessibility, security and content updates?** We agree the accessibility requirements, supported devices, hosting and data handling with your team. Requirements such as single sign-on, private hosting or editable scenarios need to be assessed and scoped explicitly. A content management system is an option to discuss, rather than a standard part of every pilot. **How much would a pilot cost and how long would it take?** We provide a proposal after reviewing the scenario, available content, visual requirements, delivery environment and evaluation needs. The proposal includes the cost, schedule, review points and dependencies on your team. Each pilot is estimated against its agreed scope. **Do we have to commit to a full training programme?** No. The pilot is a separately scoped engagement. At the review point, you can decide whether to refine it, commission further work or stop. Any wider rollout, additional content or ongoing support would need a separate agreement. ### Museums & Cultural Heritage **How do you work with our curatorial team?** We treat curators as the primary stakeholder. Early workshops map your collection's key narratives to interactive mechanics. Curators review every content milestone and sign off on historical accuracy before development proceeds. Our team has prior experience working alongside curators and historians at London Museum and with pedagogical teams at Cambridge University Press through previous employment. **Can the experience run on our existing gallery hardware?** Yes. We design for the hardware museums actually use, including large-format touchscreens, kiosk PCs, iPads in secure enclosures, and visitor BYOD via QR codes. We test for continuous 8+ hour daily operation and build auto-restart and remote monitoring so your front-of-house team can manage the installation without developer support. **Do you support Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council grant requirements?** Yes. We are experienced with grant-funded projects and can provide milestone-based deliverables, impact measurement reports, visitor engagement analytics, and the documentation frameworks these funders require. Adam has prior experience delivering against EU Horizon 2020 grant frameworks (Navigo, during previous employment), and our team is familiar with the documentation, milestone reporting, and impact measurement requirements of major UK funders including Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. **Can you modernise our existing museum interactive that runs on Flash or outdated software?** This is one of our specialities. In a previous role, our director David Edgecombe rebuilt the Great Fire of London game for London Museum, taking it from obsolete Flash to modern HTML5 and preserving all of its content. **How accessible are your museum experiences?** We design for the full spectrum of museum visitors: children, elderly, wheelchair users, and visitors with visual or motor impairments. All projects include WCAG 2.2 AA compliance as a minimum, with adjustable text sizes, high-contrast modes, screen reader support, and touchscreen alternatives to fine motor interactions. **Can visitors continue the experience after leaving the museum?** Yes. We can build companion web apps or mobile experiences that extend the gallery visit, letting visitors revisit content, share highlights, or explore deeper at home. This also provides valuable post-visit engagement data for your team and extends the return on your investment beyond the physical exhibition. **Should we build a gallery kiosk interactive or a companion app?** It depends on your goals. Gallery kiosk interactives are best for focused, in-gallery engagement with a specific exhibit, running on museum-owned hardware for short visitor interactions. Companion apps are better for extended engagement before, during, and after the visit, running on visitors' own devices. Many museums benefit from both. We help you decide during the initial curatorial workshop based on your collection, visitor flow, and budget. **What technologies do you use for museum installations?** We choose the technology based on your project requirements. HTML5/WebGL is ideal for browser-based kiosk interactives and companion web apps that need no installation. Unity is better for complex 3D exhibits and projects that may later deploy to mobile app stores. Native mobile (iOS/Android) is best for companion apps with offline functionality and push notifications. We often combine technologies across a single project. **How long does a museum interactive project take?** A focused gallery kiosk interactive typically takes 10 to 14 weeks from curatorial workshop to installation. A companion mobile app with deeper content takes 14 to 20 weeks. Legacy modernisation projects (e.g. Flash to HTML5) range from 6 to 12 weeks depending on the complexity of the original. We provide a detailed timeline after the initial curatorial workshop. ### Still Have Questions? Can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch and we'll be happy to help. Ask Us Directly. ### Related Resources - **Game Development Glossary.** 40+ essential terms explained in plain language, from co-development and netcode to live ops and legacy modernisation. - **Cost Guide.** How much does game development cost in 2026? - **Timeline Guide.** How long does game development actually take? --- # Selected Articles ## Alternatives to Upwork for Hiring Unity Developers (UK) Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/alternatives-to-upwork-unity-developers An honest look at when Upwork works for hiring a Unity developer, where it goes wrong, and the alternatives worth considering, from a developer with 45 Upwork jobs behind him. --- ## Co-Development vs Freelancers vs Full-Time Hires: Which Is Right for Your Studio? Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/co-development-vs-freelancers-vs-hiring A practical comparison of the three main ways to scale a game dev team. Pros, cons, cost, and when each model works best. --- ## Unity 6.5 Is Here: Should Your Studio Upgrade? Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/unity-6-5-should-you-upgrade Unity 6.5 is a Supported release focused on consolidation, not fireworks. Here is what actually changed and how to decide whether to move your project. --- ## When to Migrate Your Unity Project (And When to Stay Put) Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/when-to-migrate-unity-project A practical guide to deciding whether your Unity project needs a version migration. The real costs, risks, and rewards of upgrading, with a decision framework. --- ## Is Your Game Ready to Port? A Technical Feasibility Guide Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/porting-feasibility-guide Before committing budget to a port, know what you are signing up for. The technical factors that determine whether a port is straightforward or a re-engineering project. --- ## Mobile Game Porting Guide: PC to Mobile in Unity Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/mobile-game-porting-guide How to port a PC or console game to mobile. Covers input remapping, thermal management, memory budgets, device testing, and timeline expectations. --- ## The True Cost of Game Development Outsourcing Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/true-cost-game-development-outsourcing Go beyond hourly rates to reveal the full cost of outsourcing game development: communication overhead, ramp-up time, IP risk, and quality variance. --- ## How Much Does Mobile Game Development Cost in 2026? Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog/posts/mobile-game-development-cost-2026 What drives mobile game development costs, how scope changes the budget and how to plan a realistic project. --- # Optional ## Blog Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/blog Technical articles on Unity development, mobile porting, and game architecture. This page is the paginated index for the Ocean View Games blog. It presents 9 posts per page, drawn from the full archive of articles authored by the OVG team. The hub features a tag bar that lets readers filter by topic, a hero "latest article" card on page one (featuring the most recent post with its title, excerpt, author, publication date, and reading time), and a grid of remaining posts as preview cards. Each post preview includes title, excerpt, author byline, publication date, and reading time, and links through to the full article at `/blog/posts/[slug]`. Pagination controls appear at the bottom when there is more than one page of posts. Topics covered across the blog include Unity development, mobile optimisation, MMORPG architecture, performance tuning, monetisation, game design, multiplayer networking, legacy modernisation, and post-mortems from real shipped games. Articles are written by senior engineers on the OVG team and reflect lessons learned from shipping commercial titles. The blog also exposes an RSS feed at `/feed.xml` and is cross-posted to dev.to and Hashnode (with canonical URLs pointing back to oceanviewgames.co.uk). --- ## All Projects Canonical URL: https://oceanviewgames.co.uk/projects Projects delivered for studios, publishers, and institutions. Explore our portfolio of Unity game development projects spanning MMORPGs, educational games, mobile titles, and legacy modernisation. From building a server-authoritative MMORPG with a core team of four to rebuilding a museum Flash game in modern HTML5, each project below demonstrates the technical depth and versatility our London-registered team brings to every engagement. Our work includes client commissions, contributions from previous agency and studio roles, and original self-published titles. ### Ocean View Games Client Work Projects delivered by OVG for studios, publishers, and institutions. #### Domi Online Lead development of a no-level-cap Unity MMORPG, from server-authoritative gameplay to environment art and level design. #### Nova Blast Two engagements for Foil Hat Games: a three-month Android port, content update and level tools in 2020, then a one-week upgrade from Unity 2019 to Unity 6 in 2026 to meet current store requirements. #### Pocket Factory A two-month build of Mojo Games' casual merge game for iOS and Android, with offline earnings, ad mediation, in-app purchases and analytics-driven updates after launch. #### Nub Remake Rebuilt Inferna Games' isometric puzzler from a legacy Java app in Unity, recreating its levels by hand and adapting its controls for PC, iOS and Android. #### Vocab Builder Vocabulary learning games for endangered and Indigenous languages, built for The Language Conservancy by David as a freelance contractor, not as an Ocean View Games project. Published on iOS and Android. Nine mini-games, used across 14 published language apps, including Stoney Vocab Builder. ### Selected Experience Before OVG Notable projects delivered by our engineers during previous studio and agency roles. #### RuneScape Mobile David was a Technical Developer at Jagex from 2017 to 2019. He joined the RuneScape Mobile team in 2018, where he built the touch HUD and converted 40+ legacy desktop interfaces for phones. #### Word Fun World Mobile educational game for teaching English to children. Built for Cambridge University Press. Intuitive UI and progression systems. #### Navigo Award-winning tablet game with 15 mini-games across four languages. Built for the EU Horizon 2020 iRead project. #### Fire Of London Educational game about the Great Fire of 1666, rebuilt from Flash to HTML5 for London Museum by David in 2015, at a previous agency. ### Original OVG Titles Games designed, developed, and self-published by Ocean View Games. #### Empires Rise Our own turn-based 4X strategy game, designed, built and self-published on iOS and Android in three months in 2020, with procedural maps, rule-based AI, ads and IAP. #### Time Runner Fast-paced mobile endless runner built in Unity. Procedural generation, leaderboards, and optimised for low-end devices. ---