bybrandonbrown Why React Native and Not Platform Native
It will get me to a shipped game faster than taking the time to learn, before or while developing, the native platforms. I’ve been working with React since 2015, and React Native at a hobby level, but never shipped. Scoping to the React Native and Expo ecosystem is leaning into what I know to achieve a goal. Just thankful that a tool like React Native exists so I can move into the world of mobile app and game development this much faster. Is React Native the best tool for the job? Probably not, but it’s the best tool for me to get the job done and shipped.
What is the Game and Scope of the Work
As simple as I can get while opening the doors for more later. This will be a “bubble popper” for toddlers and kids. The first release will likely be two modes, one that is “free-play” - pop bubbles to your heart’s content, kid - and another mode with “levels” to make it more of a true game. I may throw in some streaks and combos to make it more interesting, but the goal is to get a game shipped, not a game that is perfect.
Future Features May Include:
- Educational Modes: Alphabets, Counting, Colors, Shapes
- Collections: Collect letters for words, numbers for math problems, shapes for puzzles
- Themes: Seasonal, Holiday, Animal, Space, etc.
The Fun of Expo Go and Building With My Kid/Lead Tester
A feature I love of Expo is the ability to have live updates on the device as you are programming. With the combo of AI tools and this capability, I’m able to make adjustments fast enough while my daughter is playing the game. I can fix bugs she’s finding, react to feedback of “this is too tough” or “this is boring”, and even add new features on the fly. This is a great way to get her involved in the process, and I’m hoping it may be where she may begin to find interest in programming and game development.
Why End of January
I’m setting the quick goal of the end of January to ship this game because I know I’ll be both satisfied in the accomplishment and driven to keep improving it once it’s live. I’m not looking to make a perfect experience out of the gate, but a game that is fun, reliable, and open to expansion. I also need to learn the ins and outs of shipping to the app store and want to make sure I’m not spending time on features that may block that important piece of the learning.
Shipping a game is something wholly new to me. There’s a lot to learn on getting to the store, reaching an audience, tracking features and analytics, shipping updates and bug fixes, and generally what it will take to maintain a successful product in the mobile game development space.
The other important piece to setting a deadline, and a short one at that, is working within some set of restrictions. From my design background, I’ve quickly come to appreciate a strong set of restrictions to work within as it lessens the variables, potential rabbit holes, and importantly gives you a guide to understand when enough is enough and it is now time to ship. A strict scope of features and a deadline will give me more opportunity to make stronger decisions and get this thing out the door.