HTML5 game development

HTML5 games can be played on smartphones, computers, browsers, social networks and even instant messengers. Thanks to the many platforms for distribution, they have become more popular than older flash games and have carved a separate niche in the game development industry.

HTML5 games are not limited in genres.

With the help of standard technologies for the web, developers can create not only casual projects, but also multiplayer RPGs and RPGs, which also affects the popularity of this direction.

In this article, we are talking about the main engines, libraries and assets that are used to create HTML5 games.

Creating a browser game can be done using the basic tools of a front-end developer: the page is formed on HTML, styles are described in CSS, and the JavaScript language builds the entire logic of the application. But this approach is irrational, because it takes a lot of time and resources, which are more appropriate to redirect to marketing. Therefore, most often, engines and frameworks are used for development, which contain ready-made tools for working with graphics, animations, audio, and other components.

Here are some of the technologies that are most commonly used to create HTML5 games.

Construct 2

A powerful framework for developing 2D games. It provides over 20 plugins and 70 effects for visual design, as well as the ability to set up physics and object control in minutes, without even resorting to programming. This significantly speeds up the game production process and saves the budget.

CreateJS

A set of four open source JavaScript libraries that can be used together or separately, independently of each other:

• EaselJS – for creating graphics and setting up interactions with HTML5 Canvas.
• TweenJS – for working with animations.
• SoundJS – for playing audio and creating sound effects.
• PreloadJS – to preload application resources.

Phaser

A free and open source engine that allows you to develop game projects using the Canvas element and the WebGL library.

PlayCanvas

A popular game engine used in games from companies such as Nickelodeon, IGT and Zynga. It can work with 2D and 3D graphics and is ideal for creating HTML5 games. Main advantages:

• Open source.
• Browser support on legacy mobile devices such as the iPhone 4S.
• Provides high loading speed through the use of lazy loading of secondary resources, the function of combining scripts and other features.
• Contains many command functions that simplify the interaction of technical specialists involved in the development of the project.
• There is an official free version of PlayCanvas for public projects.

PixiJS

Open Source engine with a powerful community that is extremely efficient for rendering 2D graphics. The advantages of the technology include:

• high speed of work;
• multiplatform;
• support for sprite sheets;
• multiservice input recognition;
• intuitive API;
• advanced text rendering.

A wrapper is a wrapper that encapsulates a software product and makes it compatible with different operating systems. With the help of such tools, it is possible to “turn” a game developed in HTML5 into a native one for IOS and Android, and place it in the appropriate app markets.

Here are some examples of wrappers you can use:

• Ejecta is a library that was part of the Impact game engine in the past, but has subsequently been used in other projects. Used to adapt HTML5 games to iOS.
• PhoneGap is a free framework based on Apache Cordova that is used to transform JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS into applications for mobile operating systems.

HTML5 browser games are very flexible in terms of distribution and outperform most other games. Let’s look at a few basic approaches:

• Site placement. HTML5 games work correctly in browsers of different devices, thanks to which they can be published directly on the company’s website. This option will be especially relevant when it comes to promotional games used to gamify marketing and attract customers.
• Game galleries in social networks and instant messengers. Many popular companies are developing their own platforms for distributing HTML5 games. For example, to post a project on Facebook, you can use special plugins or the Cocos2d-X engine, and in the Telegram messenger, publication is carried out using the official @BotFather bot.

• Publication in app markets. Due to the possibility of placement in PlayMarket and AppStore, HTML5 projects can be advertised as regular smartphone games.
• Placement on specialized platforms. There are many platforms on the web that are primarily used for publishing and distributing HTML5 games. Here are some of the most popular ones: html5games, kongregate, newgrounds.

To maximize the promotion of the project, you can use not one, but several distribution methods at once, but it is important to take into account the additional burden on marketing.

In recent years, web development tools have grown significantly, and allow you to create powerful HTML5 multiplayer games with excellent graphics and addictive gameplay.

AVADA MEDIA will help you bring a project of any complexity to life: from the development of a concept and sketches of the first prototypes, to placement on relevant platforms.