A team spends 3 months creating a demo level, only to find during testing that the controls are unintuitive and players drop the session within the first minute. A prototype built in 2 weeks reveals this in 5 minutes and saves the budget. Our job is to give you a clear answer: does the mechanic work or not? This approach reduces risks: if the core mechanic isn't fun, you'll know before investing in art and polish.
Why Prototyping Saves Budget
Each prototype answers one specific question: "Will mechanic X engage players?" We don't build UI, draw sprites, or compose music. All we use are temporary primitives (Cube, Sphere, Plane) in Unity and quick-and-dirty code. A mistake at this stage costs pennies; a mistake in production costs millions. A prototype costs an order of magnitude less than full production, and the errors it uncovers can save up to 90% of future rework costs.
| Approach | Time | Cost relative to full development | Game design risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype (our method) | 1–3 weeks | 10–20% | < 10% |
| Documentation + design document | 1–2 months | 5–10% | 50–70% |
| Full MVP development | 3–6 months | 100% | 30–50% |
How We Validate Core Mechanics in 2 Weeks
The process looks like this:
- We formulate the hypothesis together with you.
- We build a prototype in Unity, using
[SerializeField]for all gameplay parameters — this allows tweaking values directly in Play Mode without recompilation. - We start testing with 5–10 real users via TestFlight or Firebase App Distribution.
- We analyze metrics: session completion rate, number of restarts, engagement.
The result is a data table and a recommendation: proceed with full development or reconsider the mechanic.
| Step | Duration | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis and hypothesis formulation | 1–2 days | Document with prototype goals |
| Prototype development | 5–10 days | Build (iOS + Android) |
| Testing and data collection | 3–5 days | Report with metrics and conclusions |
| Final report | 1 day | Recommendations for further development |
What Tech Stack We Use
Unity LTS is the foundation. We write code fast and dirty: MonoBehaviour, singletons, no MVVM or DI. This is a conscious choice — prototype code never goes to production. For critical algorithms (e.g., combat calculation) we use Unity Test Framework to avoid spending time on manual regression with every parameter change.
For mobile testing:
- Unity Remote 5 — for quick touch input testing without building a full build.
- Development build with USB deployment — for real FPS and responsiveness feel.
If integration with system services (e.g., push notifications or in-app purchases) is required, we connect native modules via Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android) with minimal wrappers.
When a Prototype Is Considered Ready
A prototype is ready when a stranger can pick up the phone, play for 5 minutes without instructions, and you get an answer to your hypothesis — positive or negative. Both results are equally valuable.
What Is Included in the Work
- Mobile game prototype (build for iOS and Android)
- Source code of the prototype (if needed)
- Report with test results
- Recommendations for project development
- 2 weeks of support after delivery
Prototype readiness checklist
- [ ] Core mechanic works stably - [ ] Controls are intuitive (tested on 5+ people) - [ ] Key metrics collected (retention, completion) - [ ] Verdict: mechanic is fun or notTypical Prototyping Mistakes
One of the most common is trying to make the prototype look good. Remember: a prototype is a tool, not a product. The second mistake is writing code correctly with architecture from the start. This slows down iterations and kills the main advantage of prototyping — speed. The third is testing on yourself. Always give the prototype to outsiders; they see problems you miss.
Experience shows that 80% of game design errors are discovered at the prototype stage. We guarantee that after our prototype you will have a clear understanding of whether it is worth investing in full development. More about prototyping can be found on Wikipedia.
Contact us for a project assessment — we will analyze your mechanics and provide timelines. Order a prototype to save budget from the start.