How to Develop Your Own Flappy Bird - Get All the Essentials

Step 1: Conceptualization

Since you are creating Flappy Bird or at least a version of it, players will expect gameplay that allows them to help a bird maneuver several obstacles. In this regard, you must think about the following:

• What kind of bird will feature in the game?
• What obstacles will you have in the way?
• What will the background have?
• How will the game flow? For example, you may decide to have levels such that after every ten obstacles, the player moves to the next stage.
• What sounds will the game make each time the bird hits a pipe or moves past an obstacle?

Once you have these laid out, the next stage will be to bring them to life. How? For the graphics, it's best to stick with simple pixel art, which you can get from tools like GIMP. For the sounds, you can use tools like Audacity to create the best fits for each moment, e.g., when the player earns a point.

Step 2: Game Creation

There are two important processes in this stage, as follows:

1. 1. Selecting the development platform. You want to choose a game engine that's easy to use yet reliable. For example, many people find that Godot, which relies on GDScript, works great. You also want to choose an integrated development environment (IDE) that can work with your choice of game engine. With Godot, you get an in-built editor, so this won't be necessary. But if you were to choose another engine, say Unity, then you would need an IDE that's compatible, e.g., Visual Studio.
2. 2. Programming the game. Based on your conceptualization, you will then work on the following:
   • How the game works. You will need to program the flapping motions, the speed of the bird's movement, how fast it heads toward the ground, how it reacts when a player taps on the screen, etc.
   • - The scoring system. Part of the fun in the game is earning points. Set up a system that shows how many points the player has so that each time they succeed in getting past an obstacle, they can see as the points increase.

Step 3: Design Finalization

People judge a game by its mechanics as well as its overall look. As such, you want to ensure that the game's design is captivating enough for your players. How?

• Create the start and game over screens. Each time a player loads the game, they should see options such as "start a new game," "restart the game," etc. These help guide them on what to do. Ensure the menu is simple and easy to navigate. Also, create a "game over" screen that offers players the chance to start a new game.
• Provide a high score section. The joy of playing this game hinges on how many points players get. So, it's a good idea to have a section where they can review their highest score so they can try to beat it.

Step 4: Game Testing

The only way to know if the game works is to put it to the test. Now is the time to figure out what needs work so that you can change it before sharing your work with the world. How?

• Have people play the game. Ask your friends or family to try the game. It's best to do this with people who often play games, as they will have insights that relate to what your audience would feel.
• Collect feedback. Get a feel of how potential users see the game, how easy it is to play, and what they wish was different.

Step 5: Game Release

You can offer your game on one app store first to test the market or publish it on different app stores. Regardless of your choice, you will need to review and meet the publishing requirements, create captivating descriptions, and offer relevant images to help your game stand out to your audience. Then, you can focus on marketing your masterpiece.