Smartphones and tablets have advanced dramatically in recent years. In the age of unprecedented advancements in mobile game development technologies, Android and iPhone developers are more inclined than ever to create mobile games. One of the biggest gaming markets for game developers is India.
According to a report, The Indian gaming market was estimated to be valued at USD 1.02 billion in 2020. It is expected to reach USD 4.88 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 20.83% over the forecast period 2021 – 2026.
India has one of the world’s largest youth populations, making it one of the leading markets for gaming worldwide. Its growth is driven by a growing younger population, higher disposable incomes, new gaming genres, and the increase in smartphones and tablets.
Having an amazing gaming idea now is indeed a very great thing, and transforming it into a mobile game can help you capitalize on it and make great profits from it. However, mobile game development is pretty costly, and so, the very basic question that you may have is – “How much does it cost to develop a game in India?”
In this article, we will look at various factors affecting the game development cost, the cost of different game types, and the cost of game development in India. Let’s get started!
Top 6 Factors Affecting the Game Development Cost
1. Mobile Game Development Platform
There are a number of platforms that you can choose from to develop your mobile game on. The platforms that you select depend on your target audience. Decide who your target audience will be, and then research what is their preferred platform.
The most famous mobile gaming platforms are Android, iOS, and Windows. For your information, the cost of developing a game for the iOS platform is more than Android and Windows game development. However, the gaming experience on iOS devices is far superior, so more gamers prefer that platform.
You can also opt for cross-platform game development and target any & all platforms that your targeted audience prefers and users. This will increase your development cost, but cross-platform game development is still cheaper compared to native game development for different platforms.
2. Design Layout of the Game
The design layout of the game consists of the graphics of the game(2D or 3D), its quality, game levels, character, environment, assets, etc. All this has to be preplanned to bring the graphic imagination to reality.
To complete the design layout, you will need a team of expert designers who will understand your imagination and give it a shape. The more attractive your design layout is, the more it will cost. Also, the designers will charge on an hourly basis, and the charges will be more for more experienced and skilled designers.
3. Game Complexity
Better graphics, more features, advanced technology, multiplayer gaming, etc can make the game more complex. The more complex the game is, the more it will cost. If your game is a simple arcade game, then the cost of development will be less, but if your game is a complex game like PUBG with endless features and functionalities like payment integrations, voice-enabled, gyroscope controls, etc. then the game will cost more.
4. Game Development Time
Time is a huge factor behind the game development cost. The more time your game takes to be developed, the more it will be heavy on your pocket. The designers, developers, content providers, animators, etc. every person that is working on your game project charges on an hourly basis, and so the time that it takes to develop your game is directly proportional to the cost of development.
5. Game Testing & Changes
Testing is one of the most important steps of the game development process. A game with bugs and laggy graphics can ruin your reputation and will waste a great idea. You have invested so much in the game and in marketing it, and if this process is not carried out aptly, then your investment will bear no fruits.
The development team will mention the time needed to test the game, the testing process is known to take longer than what was actually anticipated. The longer it takes to test and fix everything, the more it will cost you.
Game development is a long process and it usually needs 2 or more months to develop a game. It is possible that you may come up with more amazing plans for your game within this period, and now changes are to be made in the project. These changes will elevate your game, but will also cost you more.
6. Game Type
The type of game has a huge impact on the cost of development. The type of the game initially decides the game’s size and the time needed for development. For example, if it is the development of a puzzle game, then the size of the game will be small, and it can be developed in a short duration.
However, if the genre is a role-playing action game with open-world gameplay, the size will be huge and the time to develop the game will also increase.
To get a better idea of how the game’s type affects the game development price, let’s have a look at the mobile game development cost breakdown according to the game’s type.
Mobile game type and cost breakdown
The type of the game influences the game requirements, the features included, and the size of the game, and all of this has a huge effect on the cost of development.
Here is a list of the types of games and their estimated development cost:
| Types of Mobile Games | Mobile Game Development Costs |
|---|---|
| Mini Game | ₹5,00,000 - ₹10,00,000 |
| Simple 2D Game | ₹5,00,000 - ₹15,00,000 |
| Social Game | ₹15,00,000 - ₹20,00,000 |
| Mid-Level Game | ₹20,00,000 - ₹30,00,000 |
| 3D Game | ₹25,00,000 - ₹50,00,000 |
| High-End Game | ₹100M - ₹300M |
| AAA Game | ₹500M - ₹1B |
| Real Money Game | ₹25,00,000 - ₹45,00,000 |
1. Mini Game Development Cost: ₹5,00,000 – ₹10,00,000
Mini-games are those games that do not require any special skill and provide minimal visuals. The users can learn and start playing such games quickly. Even a simple mini-game like Sudoku or Pac-man will cost somewhere around ₹5,00,000 – ₹7,00,000 for a single platform. If you want advanced features and multiple platforms, it can cost up to ₹10,00,000.
Game Examples: Flappy Bird, Pac-Man, etc.
2. Simple 2D Game Development Cost: ₹5,00,000 – ₹15,00,000
These games offer simple 2D graphics but can pack a great deal when it comes to gameplay, storyline, and sound effects. These games have limited gameplay and can offer an amazing and great user engagement. 2D game development can cost around ₹5,00,000 – ₹10,00,000 for a single platform. If you want advanced features and multiple platforms, it can cost up to ₹10,00,000.
Game Examples: Flappy Slendrina, Red Ball, etc.
3. Social Game Development Cost: ₹15,00,000 – ₹20,00,000
Using SDKs provided by social media platforms called Social games, the games are developed. Games like Farmville, and other games that can be played on Facebook and other social media apps fall under this category. Such games can only be played within the app.
Game Examples: Farm Ville, Facebook Games, etc.
4. Mid-Level Game Development Cost: ₹20,00,000 – ₹30,00,000
Mid-Level games are games that offer multiple levels, various characters, storylines, and an amazing gameplay experience. Games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope can cost around ₹20,00,000 – ₹27,00,000 for a single platform. For advanced features and multiple platforms, the price can rise up to ₹30,00,000.
Game Examples: Simcity, Gardenscapes, Angrybirds, Candy Crush, etc.
5. 3D Game Development Cost: ₹25,00,000 – ₹50,00,000
These games offer the best-in-class 3D graphics and a realistic gaming experience. Games like 3D shooting and Tennis Clash, which come with excellent graphics, can cost around ₹25,00,000 – ₹30,00,000 for a single platform. The price can rise up to ₹35,00,000 for advanced features and multiple platforms.
Game Examples: Join Clash 3D, Free 3D Shooting, etc.
6. High-End Game Development Cost: ₹100M – ₹300M
These games are advanced-level mobile games and are pretty big. They offer an elaborated gaming experience. Games like PUBG, and Call of Duty: Mobile can cost around ₹100M – ₹250M for a single android or iOS platform. The price can rise up to ₹300M for multiple platforms and advanced features.
Game Examples: Clash of Clans, Last Day on Earth: Survival, Clash Royale, etc.
7. AAA Game Development Cost: ₹500M – ₹1B
These are the best games that can be developed for a mobile device. AAA Games like GTA and FIFA are among the costliest games. The development cost for such games starts from ₹500M. The price also increases up to ₹1B depending on the functionality, features, and story.
Game Examples: PUBG, GTA, Red Dead Redemption 2, FIFA 2021, Call of Duty, etc.
8. Real Money Game Development Cost: ₹25,00,000 – ₹45,00,000
In such games, the users can bet an amount before playing the game, and if they win, they will get double the amount or sometimes even more. Real money games like real money Ludo, 8 ball pool, Rummy, and Carrom can cost around ₹25,00,000 – ₹35,00,000 for a single platform. The cost can go up to ₹10M for advanced features and multiple platforms.
Game Examples: Bet365, Ludo Empire, MPL, etc.
Mobile Game Development Engines
The mobile game development engine that you choose to develop your game with, will also have an effect on the cost of development. The cost of the engine, experienced developers that are apt with that engine, the features, integrations, etc will impact the cost of development. Let’s have a look at the top 5 mobile game development engines.
–> Unity
WIth 45 % of the Global Game Engine market share, the Unity 3D engine is used by 47% of Game developers as the primary development tool.
Unity is a cross-platform tool launched by Unity Technologies. It is an all-in-one platform for mobile game development. It is famous due to its quirky features, supportive pricing, and strong capabilities. As it is a cross-platform tool, it saves a lot of time for the developers which would have been otherwise spent on developing games for individual platforms. It comes packed with amazing 2D & 3D features and thus games developed on this platform are visual treats.
Temple run trilogy and Subway Surfer were developed using Unity.
–> Unreal Engine
Thanks to its user-friendly features, the Unreal engine can be used by beginners too as no programming skills are needed to develop games on Unreal Engine. You can make necessary changes and you can modify the game without programming or changing codes.
The interface is really easy to work with, and the biggest advantage is that you can run game testing on the platform itself. Unreal Engine can also be used to design stunning 3D graphics and thus the developer can use it to deliver games that will hook the gamers.
Games like Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat were developed using the Unreal Engine.
–> Cry Engine
Cry Engine has received recognition because of its amazing graphics output. If you want to develop a game with superior visuals, then Cry Engine is the ideal game engine for you. The inclusion of tools like Flowgraph helps in making the game ambiance powerful and attractive. Various classes of handy tools are available for beginners to understand the engine and its features.
Games like Farcry(which is an extremely popular open-world game), Warface, Arena of Fate, etc, were developed using Cry Engine.
–> BuildBox
BuildBox can be used to develop games very easily and in a really short time. The process of developing games on BuildBox is just selecting the images, importing them, assigning the roles, and your game is ready to be played. There is no need for coding for developing your gaming app. Changes in the game can be made and the effect can be checked in real-time using the BuildBox engine. This is a friendly platform for people who are not tech experts.
Games like color switch, ball jump, etc were created using BuildBox.
–> GameMaker Studio 2
GameMaker Studio 2 is a 2D game development engine launched by Yoyo Games. The language is really easy to learn and the drag and drop feature lets you develop your game in a short time. The engine is budget-friendly and thus you don’t have to spend a large amount of money on the engine. The user can personalize the experience, as the platform allows the users to set a development environment or organize a workspace.
Games like Police Stories, Undertale, etc, were developed using GameMaker Studio 2.
Conclusion: How much does it cost to develop a game in India?
Mobile game development would cost around ₹25,00,000 – ₹30,00,000 for a single platform (Android or iOS) with basic functionalities in India. And if you want to develop a mobile game with all the advanced features and support multiple mobile platforms will cost higher based on functionalities.
If you are looking for an experienced game development company that can develop effective games at pocket-friendly rates? Try Capermint Technologies – an experienced mobile app and game development company with dozens of games in our portfolio showcasing our bravura.
Our developers are adept at transforming your idea into magnificent games that work smoothly across all devices at pocket-friendly rates.
From my viewpoint, game development cost is less in India compare to other countries. Anyways, its a nice detailed price breakdown article team.