Game development for Telegram

A few years ago, Telegram announced the launch of its own in-messenger gaming platform, and by 2022 has become a popular gaming destination where millions of users around the world can enjoy individual or multiplayer projects. Of course, it is not very suitable for complex games like MMORPGs or shooters, but exciting puzzles, arcades, strategies and other casual games look quite organic here and are in high demand.

Here are some reasons to use Telegram to host games:

• more than 500 million users actively use the messenger;

• over 15 billion messages per day are sent within the network;
• 1.5 million new users sign up for Telegram daily;
• the total number of messenger downloads in PlayMarket has long exceeded 1 billion.

As for the players themselves, for them games in Telegram are an opportunity to have fun, without having to download and install anything on their smartphone. All actions take place within the messenger and consume little traffic.

To create games in the messenger, a standard set of front-end developer tools is used: HTML5, JavaScript and CSS. With their help, you can create a project completely from scratch, but, often, this is not entirely advisable, since it requires a lot of resources.

Instead, in order to increase the speed of the project to the market, developers use engines to create browser games. They contain ready-made libraries and assets that make it easier to work with graphics, sound effects, object physics, etc.

The choice of engine depends on the technical parameters of the future game.

For example, Construct is ideal for creating projects with 2D gameplay. It contains over 20 pre-built plugins and over 70 visual effects that are completely free to use. For 3D games, PlayCanvas is a good choice, it is an open source engine that provides high speed application loading, which is used by many large publishers.

In addition, games for Telegram can be created in the @BotFather developer bot through a specialized API.

Today, there are many bots in Telegram that offer players a large list of entertainment. Consider the most popular of them.

Gamee (@gamee)

This is the first bot to offer HTML5 games. Today, it features more than 37 unique projects with individual or multiplayer gameplay, including arcades, racing, puzzles and even shooters. Despite the simple graphics and uncomplicated gameplay, the projects have their own charm and attract tens of thousands of users.

Ludei Games (@ludeiBot)

The main specialization of Ludei is the release of HTML5 games on its own Cocoon platform. In the Telegram bot, the company offers gamers 4 popular projects: iBasket, Sumon, JumpingSubmarine and AngryPiano. All projects can be played alone or with friends.

Games HD Bot (@GamesHDBot)

The bot offers gamers to play one of two exciting games. The first is a classic quiz in the format “Who wants to be a millionaire?”, And the second is the Catastrophe arcade.

Dev Runner (@ForaGamesBot)

The bot offers gamers only one game, which is in great demand among IT specialists. The gameplay is built around a programmer who constantly runs away from the deadline, collecting parts of the code along the way, with the help of various bonuses and virtual colleagues, such as managers and designers.

In addition to graphic 2D and 3D projects, text games are in demand in the messenger. It can be strategies, quizzes, quests and more.

One of the clearest examples of such games is the Hello Stranger series, where a virtual interlocutor who finds himself in an unusual situation communicates with a person in real time, and his further fate largely depends on the player.

Modern games can be used not only for the purpose of entertainment. Many companies use them to gamify their marketing and more effectively attract fresh, loyal audiences and retain existing customers. This trend is due to the fact that users receive thousands of advertising messages every day, which makes it increasingly difficult to win their attention. At the same time, promotional games help brands communicate the value of their product and prove their competence.

Today, Nike, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Samsung corporations use promotional games in their marketing strategies, and by the end of 2021, the total gamification market has grown to $180 billion, which proves the feasibility of using this approach.

Telegram games are great for such tasks, due to their relatively low cost and the ability to quickly launch.

The development of each new game is a complex process consisting of many stages:

• planning;
• development and proof of concept;
• gameplay development;
• creating an attractive in-game space;
• game logic programming;
• testing – during which all bugs and technical flaws are fixed;

• placement on Telegram and, if necessary, on other platforms. For example, using wrappers, you can encapsulate a project for further placement in mobile application stores for IOS and Android.

This approach allows you to create interesting projects with a well-thought-out gameplay that will become attractive to users and receive recognition. We, at AVADA MEDIA, have practical experience in the implementation of games of various sizes and will help bring to life almost any of your ideas.