mobile-games_skill

Overview

This skill covers core mobile game development principles focused on touch input, battery and thermal management, performance targets, and app store requirements. It distills practical strategies to design responsive, efficient games that respect device constraints and user attention. The guidance applies to both casual and mid-core mobile titles and highlights common anti-patterns to avoid.

How this skill works

The skill inspects platform constraints and translates them into concrete design and engineering practices: touch target sizing, gesture handling, and UI responsiveness. It outlines performance budgets and thermal/battery strategies like dynamic quality scaling and FPS limits, plus checklist items for iOS and Android store compliance. Monetization patterns and common anti-patterns are summarized to guide decisions across design, engineering, and ops.

When to use it

• Designing input and UI layouts for touch devices
• Setting performance and battery budgets during prototyping
• Preparing builds and metadata for App Store / Google Play submission
• Choosing a monetization model aligned with game type and audience
• Implementing thermal and battery-aware runtime behavior

Best practices

• Use minimum touch targets of ~44x44 points and provide immediate visual feedback
• Support both portrait and landscape when appropriate; avoid forcing one orientation unless core to gameplay
• Aim for ~30–60 FPS depending on genre; lower FPS and reduce effects when device warms
• Throttle quality and limit CPU/GPU work on thermal events; pause noncritical tasks when backgrounded
• Minimize continuous GPS/network usage; cache and sync to reduce battery and data use

Example use cases

• Designing a mobile puzzle game with large tap areas and clear feedback
• Implementing dynamic resolution or effect toggles when device temperature rises
• Configuring iOS privacy labels and preparing screenshots for multiple device sizes
• Selecting ad-driven monetization for hyper-casual or IAP/subscription for retention-based games
• Building pause and resume logic to handle interruptions and conserve battery