Over the past few years Flash games have really grown in popularity. The number of people playing casual games online has really spiked, and there is a huge demand for Flash game developers right now. Very few Flash developers get into games however since they see game development as complex, time consuming and difficult. If a solid design and development plan is followed however, games can be created in a reasonable time frame and to a high standard, and is well within the capabilities of most Flash developers.
Games, even the simple ones, are fairly complex applications to develop. Even a little game like a slide puzzle requires a splash screen, help screen, multiple game states, logic, scoring, timing, the list goes on. Flash games usually involved multiple Actionscript files, graphical assets in several formats, audio assets and more. So you can’t expect to develop a solid game just by sitting down, opening Flash and getting started. You need to plan, design the interface and structure of the game, list the assets required, create or collate those assets, and only then can you think about starting to write the game.
After a design has been drafted, creating a mock-up game in Flash is the next step. At this stage the idea is to write the Actionscript code for the game to be functional, but not worrying too much about how the game looks. I often use place holder graphics at this stage, which will later be swapped out with the proper graphics produced by an artist, and unless it is integral to the game I leave the audio out entirely. Once the mock-up has been developed, and tested, the next stage is to integrate the graphics and audio. If the design phase was completed carefully with consideration to the graphics and audio, the artists (if the developer is not creating the graphics themselves) can be producing the graphical assets while the mock-up is being created. This allows the graphics and audio to be integrated relatively quickly and easily, and the game is now fully tested again.
Once the preloaders, splash screens, and final touches are added it’s time for beta testing. This stage allows you to iron out any bugs, and get feedback from your users. Once you’re happy, the game can be published, and you can congratulate yourself on a job well done!
If you’re thinking of getting started in Flash game development then it’s a really good idea to edit an existing game or two first. Making changes to an existing game, such as adding new levels or power-ups, can be a far less daunting task than building a whole game from scratch. You can even take the source code for an existing game and turn it into a new game entirely. Then once you’ve gained more experience you’ll be in a better position to start building your own games from scratch.
Learn how to make flash game, and download articles, tutorials and Flash game source files at http://www.flashgamesclassroom.com
Tags: browser games, flash game development, flash game programming, flash games, game design, internet games, Video game