Explore the skills that you will need to become a mobile game developer, including programming languages, mobile development tools, user experience, and graphics, as well as the average salary and job outlook for game developers
As a mobile game developer, you will design, build, create, test, and maintain games for users to access on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. The video game industry is in a healthy state, with 83.6 percent of internet users globally playing video games on at least one device []. When you look specifically at the United States market and specifically users accessing video games on a tablet or smartphone, the mobile game market includes 55 percent of adults (and 68 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 34) []. All these gamers contribute to a total worldwide market value of nearly $455 billion, with mobile gaming claiming $126.06 billion of that figure [, ].
To become a mobile developer, you will need to learn many of the same skills as other kinds of game or software developers, including programming, development tools, creative brainstorming, and collaboration. Many game studios create titles you can play cross-platform, which means that you can play the game on several different kinds of devices, including smartphones, PCs, game consoles, or over an internet browser.听
Mobile gaming offers a slightly different format for accessing these games, which has led to changes not only in how mobile games are made and developed but also in how customers relate to and interact with mobile games. You can also learn specific tools to help you create games native to (or designed for) mobile devices.
Explore how to become a mobile game developer, including the skills mobile game developers use to create video games for iOS and Android, as well as what you can expect for average salary and job outlook in the field.听
Game development is usually a collaborative process between a group of developers who, together, represent the range of skills required to make a game. These skills include game theory, graphic design, programming, animation, testing, production, deployment, and more. Depending on your skill set and any areas you specialize in, you might work on tasks that represent the game鈥檚 design (graphic design, animation, sound engineering, narrative development) or on tasks to create the game鈥檚 structure and function (programming, testing and debugging, user interface design, packaging and deploying). Some of the skills that may be helpful for you to learn as a mobile game developer include:聽
Mobile development tools: You can learn a variety of tools to help you create mobile games, including native iOS and Android apps or cross-platform games that users can access through mobile devices or consoles. Mobile development frameworks for building mobile-native frameworks include Android Studio, Kotlin Multiplatform, and SwiftUI.
Programming: To create video games for mobile devices, you will need to know some programming, although the exact language you need to know will depend on what role you play on the team and what kind of games you鈥檙e making. For example, if you鈥檙e making Android-native apps, you will need either Java or Kotlin. If you鈥檙e making iOS-native apps, you鈥檒l need to use Swift. If you鈥檙e using other technology, such as the Unity game engine, you鈥檒l need to know languages to support that tech (for Unity, it鈥檚 C#). Other common languages for mobile gaming include Python and C++.听
Graphics and animation: Video games use 2D and 3D graphics and animations to demonstrate gameplay. You may work with an artist who creates the digital assets for you, but you might find it helpful to have some knowledge about working with these assets.听
User experience: User experience (UX) design is an important tool for making adjustments to your work as you get feedback from clients, collaborators, or players. Part of creating games that people love is listening to what they like about your game and adapting to less positive feedback.听
Other potential skills to focus on include testing and debugging, version control, creativity, collaboration, and attention to detail.听
One way to demonstrate your mobile game developer skills on your resume is to complete courses or earn certifications that you can list in the education section. You can also practice making games and creating projects that showcase your skills, which you can, in turn, add to a professional portfolio to demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.听
Mobile games are different from console, web-based, or PC video games both in how you can develop them and how players engage with them. Compared to traditional methods of developing video games, mobile development is faster and less expensive. Android and iOS architecture make it easy to distribute your mobile game to players as well; you simply upload your game to the Google Play or Apple App Store, and anyone can download it to their device.听
Mobile gaming also helps you reach more potential players. Consoles are popular and widespread, but 71 percent of the world鈥檚 population has a smartphone (represented by 6.7 billion smartphone subscriptions) [闭.听
You鈥檒l need to consider design factors between the different platforms. Mobile devices will have different hardware and storage capabilities, for example. Depending on the game you鈥檙e building, this could play a role in design.听
Mobile games are also different from other kinds of games because users behave differently while playing and engaging with them. Players often pick up mobile games for fast gaming sessions and reserve console gaming for longer, more dedicated gaming sessions. This can indicate that mobile gaming is easier for people to fit into their schedules when they lack the free time they desire for console gaming.听
Another example of how people behave differently toward mobile gaming may arise in their attitude toward price models. Mobile games often follow different pricing models compared to console games, such as offering in-app purchases. These pricing model disparities may give people an overall perception that mobile gaming is less expensive, even when they may spend the same or more money playing mobile games through alternative price models.听
You may design and develop apps differently when you design them for mobile devices, but doing so can allow you to reach a larger audience for your games. If your main drive for becoming a mobile game developer is to create games that people play and enjoy, mobile development may be a career avenue for you.听
The average salary for a mobile game developer in the United States is $105,072 []. You may work to develop mobile games with other career titles, which bring different average salaries. A few other potential job titles you may hold as a mobile game developer include:聽
Game designer: $77,521 []
Game tester: $53,795 []
Video game developer: $74,150 []
Mobile game developers fall under the US Bureau of Labor Statistics category of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers. This sector of the labor market could grow by 17 percent through the next decade []. Mobile gaming has been building over the last decade into a mature industry that attracts new technology and investors. This translates into opportunities for professionals interested in shaping the next generation of mobile games.听
You can explore a range of learning programs to help you learn mobile game development skills. Many mobile game developers hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree, with 69 percent of professionals working in this field holding that credential []. On either side of a four-year degree, 11 percent of professionals have an associate degree, and 11 percent have a master鈥檚 degree []. You may find job postings that ask for candidates with a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree, but you may also find potential roles where your formal education is less important than your skills. In this case, you can often demonstrate your skills with courses or certifications. Some certifications include:
Unity Certified Programmer
Autodesk Certified User certification in Maya
Adobe Certified Professional: Multiplatform Animation Using Adobe Animate
As a mobile game developer, you will work to design, build, and test video games for mobile devices using mobile development tools, programming languages, graphics and animation, UX design, and more. Explore programs on 糖心vlog官网观看 to start learning these mobile game developer skills today. For example, you may enroll in Game Design and Development with Unity Specialization from the University of Michigan. In this program, you鈥檒l learn the game design and development process, including designing and developing 2D and 3D games.
If you鈥檙e ready to dig into mobile app development, consider the IBM iOS and Android Mobile App Developer Professional Certificate, where you鈥檒l gain the job-ready, in-demand cross-platform mobile app development skills employers need, with a portfolio you can talk about in interviews.听
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Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/mobile-games-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,22.htm.鈥 Accessed May 5, 2025.听
Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/game-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm.鈥 Accessed May 5, 2025.听
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