Cross-Platform Game Apps: Trends and Top Picks For the Year 2021

The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of the pandemic. Everything came to a standstill that year, and humanity faced difficult circumstances.

Despite the fact that the rampaging pandemic killed many enterprises across several industries, the gaming industry was spared. Games are still the most popular sort of app for mobile device users in a century dominated by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where influencers are supposed to be the new voice of brands. Mobile game developers worked around the clock to create more innovative and engaging gaming experiences.

Let's get down to business.

For starters, let's have a look at the most recent 2021 mobile gaming statistics that will astound you:

• Games account for 21% of Android and 25% of iOS app downloads.
• Games are responsible for 43% of all smartphone users.
• Within a week of purchasing a phone, 62% of consumers installed a game on it.
• Android is used by 78% of gamers.
• Globally, there are about 2.2 billion active mobile gamers.
• Puzzle games account for 57.9% of all games played.
• Women are more likely than men to spend money on in-game content.
• By the end of 2021, revenue from mobile gaming is set to surpass last year's revenue of $77.2 billion.

Gamers today have access to a wide range of devices, from popular smartphones to high-end consoles. Mobile game app development companies are focusing creating games that work across all main devices to ensure that the game reaches the broadest possible audience.

How Do Cross-Platform Games Work?

To create games from common code and art assets, cross-platform game app development necessitates a number of software tools. All developers can work on the same code base. And platform-specific elements for the game to be released are created using game engines, software libraries, scripting languages, and software development kits (SDKs).

This is accomplished by keeping different elements of the game distinct. Consider it like the layers of a cake. The game logic is layered over the game engine, which is layered over the graphics API, which is layered over the OS, which is layered over the hardware. App developers can port games without having to redo everything from scratch if you keep things separated like this.

Instead of spending time on the details of each game platform, cross-platform mobile game app creation allows creators to focus more on game mechanics and strategic gameplay.

Why Cross-Platform Game App Development?

The advantages of cross-platform game app development are numerous. Cross-platform developers may write code once and then publish the game on all mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Steam. This not only saves time but also reduces additional overheads and expenses, resulting in significant cost savings.

• Uniformity: Across numerous devices, our cross-platform games keep a consistent design, feel, and experience.
• Better Monetization: Cross-platform mobile games have a much greater retention rate and are comparatively better for monetization. This allows them to reach a wider audience, allowing them to make more money from a single game.
• Greater customer base: The more platforms you target, the larger your client base will be. This gives you the added benefit of being able to tap into a larger market.

There may, however, be certain drawbacks. Native platform development gives you a one-of-a-kind connection to the platform, which usually means better performance. There may be some delays when using non-native code. It's critical to concentrate on the user experience and to test across all platforms.

Top 5 Mobile Game Development Tools Preferred by Developers for the year 2021

1. Unity

Some of the industry's biggest mobile game app developers useUnity as one of their favorite gaming engines. Unity is compatible with all major platforms, including Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, game consoles, and others. This platform allows for easy collaboration among their team and creates outstanding games with 2D and 3D development features. Unity allows you to import assets from a variety of 3D software, such as Maya or Blender, and also provides a large library of components that can be purchased directly from their store.

Game: 300: Rise of an Empire - Seize Your Glory Game, Angry Birds 2, Pokémon Go

Pricing:

• Free for students and for personal use
• Plus edition: $40/ month
• Pro edition: $150/ month
• Enterprise edition: $200/ month

2. Unreal Engine

If you are a newbie, Unreal Engine is the platform for you because its user-friendly features eliminate the need for programming knowledge. Unreal Engine is a complete product suite that does not require the use of any third-party plugins in order to create a game.

It includes tools like Blueprint, which allows app developers to create prototypes without coding, Sequencer, which gives you access to animation and cinematic capabilities, photoreal rendering in real-time, lifelike animations, pre-designed templates, and a wealth of learning resources.

Games: Assassin's Creed Chronicles, Batman: Arkham Knight, Lineage II: Revolution

Pricing:

• Free publishing and creators licenses
• Custom license to a custom price
• Enterprise program for $1.000 per seat/year

3. Solar2D

Solar2D, originally known as "Corona SDK, The 2D Game Engine," is a cross-platform game engine that makes use of the Lua scripting language, which is simple to pick up and use. Developers may use its 2D features, and the numerous plugins offered by Corona Marketplace. Newbies can benefit hugely from its large active community and documentation. It also includes a real-time simulation to let you visualise how your app will look once modifications are made. Apps developed are supported across iOS, Android, Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, and other gaming consoles.

Games: Grow Beets Clicker and Gunman Taco Truck

Pricing:

• Core functionalities are free to use

4. AppGameKit

AppGameKit is a user-friendly platform that uses a system called AGK Basic and provides solutions for all types of developers, from beginners to experts. One of its most valuable features is that 3D, Augmented Reality, 2D Sprites, and even VR are all included in the end result. Platforms that are supported include Windows, iOS, and Android.

Games: Skrobol, Bouncing Brendan, and Echoes III

Pricing

• Classic App Game Kit: $49,99.
• Unlimited App Game Kit: $66,98.
• Customised packs as per individual requirements.

5. Amazon Lumberyard

Amazon has ventured into the mobile game app development arena with the release of Lumberyard, a game creation engine. Games created using it can then be launched on a variety of platforms thanks to its cross-platform capabilities. With Lumberyard's Twitch integration, developers can engage their users with visually rich content. Platforms that are supported include iOS, Android, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation4 among others.

Games: Crucible and Breakaway.

Pricing:

• Free

Conclusion:

We've described the most common engines that can assist in the creation of stunning top Android / iOS games. Consider your budget (although some platforms are free), ideas, requirements, and expectations when selecting a platform for game app development.