Our Proven Development System
Simple games require disciplined process. Our methodology emphasizes rapid validation, iterative improvement, and player-centered design decisions at every stage.
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Player Experience First
Every development decision filters through a single question: does this make the game more enjoyable to play? Technical elegance matters less than how controls feel. Visual sophistication serves gameplay rather than existing for its own sake. This player-first mindset guides everything from initial concept through final polish.
Simplicity Through Discipline
Creating genuinely simple games requires more discipline than building complex ones. Every feature must earn its place by contributing to core enjoyment. We actively resist feature creep, understanding that removing elements often improves experiences more than adding them. This disciplined simplicity produces games that feel focused rather than shallow.
Validation Before Investment
Ideas sound good on paper but reveal their true nature only when playable. We validate core mechanics quickly through rough prototypes before investing in polish. This approach saves time and budget by identifying problems early, when they're cheapest to fix or pivot from entirely.
Iteration Creates Excellence
First versions rarely nail the feel we're seeking. Small adjustments to timing, feedback, and pacing accumulate into significantly better experiences. We embrace iteration as essential rather than wasteful, understanding that polish happens through repeated refinement rather than initial brilliance.
The Tangerine Ghost Method
Our process adapts to each project while maintaining core principles that ensure quality outcomes. Here's how we develop games from concept to completion.
Discovery Phase
We begin with detailed conversation about your vision, target audience, and goals. This phase establishes shared understanding of what success looks like and identifies potential challenges early. Clear scope definition prevents scope creep later.
Rapid Prototyping
Within days, you'll have something playable. These early prototypes look rough but reveal whether core mechanics work. We test basic interactions, control schemes, and gameplay loops before adding visual polish or advanced features.
Testing Cycles
We test with real players throughout development. Watching people play reveals issues that internal testing misses. Their feedback guides refinement of controls, difficulty pacing, and tutorial effectiveness. External perspective prevents developer blindness.
Iterative Refinement
Each testing cycle produces specific improvements. Controls get more responsive, feedback becomes clearer, difficulty curves smooth out. These incremental changes compound into significantly better experiences. Iteration continues until the game feels right.
Visual Polish
Once gameplay feels solid, we add visual refinement. Color schemes, animations, particle effects, and UI elements come together to support the core experience. Polish happens late to avoid wasting effort on features that might change.
Launch Preparation
Final phase includes optimization, bug fixing, and platform-specific requirements. We provide documentation, assist with app store submission, and ensure you understand ongoing maintenance needs. Support continues through launch period.
Research-Informed Development
Our methodology incorporates insights from user experience research, cognitive psychology, and game design theory. While we don't claim academic rigor, we stay informed about research that helps us create better player experiences.
Feedback Loop Design
Research on operant conditioning and reward schedules informs how we structure progression systems. We design feedback loops that maintain engagement without manipulation, using variable reward timing that feels satisfying rather than exploitative.
Cognitive Load Management
Studies on working memory and attention guide our interface design and tutorial pacing. We introduce mechanics gradually, respecting cognitive limits to prevent overwhelming players. Simple games work because they manage mental load effectively.
Flow State Optimization
Flow theory research helps us balance challenge and skill. We design difficulty curves that keep players in the engagement sweet spot, neither bored by ease nor frustrated by impossibility. Dynamic difficulty adjustment maintains this balance.
Social Motivation Factors
Research on social comparison and collaboration informs multiplayer features. We incorporate social elements that enhance rather than dominate the experience, understanding that different players have varying social needs.
Where Conventional Methods Miss
Feature-First Thinking
Many developers start by listing features they want to include, then figure out how to implement them. This approach often produces games with impressive feature lists that aren't particularly fun to play. We start with the core experience and add only features that enhance it, accepting that this means building less but building better.
Over-Reliance on Documentation
Detailed design documents create false confidence that everything has been figured out. Reality emerges only when people play. We prefer lightweight documentation and quick prototypes that reveal problems early. Written specifications matter less than playable builds.
Polish Before Validation
Some studios invest heavily in visual polish before confirming gameplay works. This wastes resources when core mechanics need changing. We validate fundamentals with rough prototypes, polishing only after we're confident the game feels good to play.
Developer-Centric Testing
Internal testing catches obvious bugs but misses onboarding issues and unclear mechanics. Developers know too much about their games to see them fresh. External testing with target audience members reveals problems that internal teams overlook consistently.
What Makes Our Approach Different
Simplicity as Strategy
While many studios chase complexity to differentiate, we embrace simplicity as our competitive advantage. Simple games done well outperform complex games done adequately. Our discipline in removing unnecessary elements produces experiences that feel focused and refined.
Speed to Playable
We prioritize getting to playable builds faster than traditional development cycles. This speed allows more iteration within the same timeframe, producing better results through accumulated improvements rather than extended initial planning.
Platform-Appropriate Design
Mobile and web games require different design thinking than console or PC titles. We design specifically for touch controls and shorter session lengths rather than trying to port complex mechanics to inappropriate platforms.
Honest Progression
We build progression systems that respect player time rather than maximizing engagement metrics through manipulative design. This approach produces lower theoretical retention but higher genuine player satisfaction and better word-of-mouth growth.
Continuous Learning
Each project teaches lessons that improve our process. We actively reflect on what worked and what didn't, incorporating insights into future development. This learning orientation means our methodology evolves based on experience.
Transparent Communication
We share progress honestly, including challenges and setbacks. This transparency builds trust and allows collaborative problem-solving. Clients appreciate realistic updates over optimistic promises that create disappointment later.
How We Track Success
We measure outcomes through metrics that reflect actual player enjoyment rather than vanity numbers. Here's what we track and why it matters.
Retention Rates
Percentage of players returning after initial session. Higher retention indicates genuinely enjoyable core experience.
Session Length
Average time per play session. Indicates engagement level and pacing appropriateness for platform and genre.
Player Ratings
App store ratings and written reviews. Direct player feedback on overall satisfaction with experience.
Progression Completion
Percentage reaching various milestones. Shows whether content pacing matches player interest levels.
Social Sharing
Voluntary sharing and friend invitations. Indicates strong enough enjoyment that players want others to experience it.
Technical Performance
Frame rate stability, crash rates, load times. Technical quality directly impacts player satisfaction.
Our game development methodology evolved through years of creating arcade and simple games for mobile and web platforms. The approach emphasizes rapid validation of core mechanics before investing in polish, ensuring resources focus on elements that genuinely improve player experience.
Based in Barcelona, we serve clients worldwide who need games developed with clear process and realistic timelines. Our method suits projects ranging from simple arcade experiences to light building games, all sharing common requirements for accessible gameplay and responsive controls.
The foundation rests on player-first thinking where every feature decision filters through impact on enjoyment. This discipline prevents feature creep while producing games that feel focused rather than unfocused. Simplicity emerges from deliberate choices rather than limited capability.
Research in user experience design, cognitive psychology, and game design theory informs our approach without constraining creativity. We apply insights about feedback loops, cognitive load, flow states, and social motivation to create engaging experiences backed by understanding of what makes games work.
Testing throughout development with external players reveals issues that internal teams consistently miss. Fresh perspectives catch unclear mechanics, confusing interfaces, and pacing problems that developers overlook through familiarity. This testing investment pays dividends through better final products.
Success metrics focus on retention rates, session lengths, player ratings, progression completion, and technical performance rather than vanity numbers. These measurements reflect actual enjoyment and sustained engagement, providing honest assessment of whether games achieve their goals.
Experience Our Methodology
The best way to understand our approach is through collaboration. Schedule a consultation to discuss your game concept and learn how our process might fit your needs.
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