There has been a real explosion in the popularity of Flash games in recent years. While demand has shot up, the number of developers on the scene has only risen by a relatively small percentage. Part of the reason for this is that developing games for the Flash platform requires quite a diverse range of skills. A good developer needs to be competent in Flash and Actionscript with solid programming practices, graphical skills, audio skills, a methodical and analytical approach, and the patience of a saint. Here is a guide to how the average developer tackles a games project.

Games are quite complex applications. Not only is the game specific code quite unique (you won’t see path finding algorithms, or collision detection in an office app!) but they tend to have lots of extras like game over screens, and pregame animations which all add to the amount of work and time required to develop them. So the only way to develop a game methodically is to start with a solid written design, and then a list of required assets (graphics, audio etc.) and only then should you consider starting to code.

The first step once the design is completed it to create a mock-up – an outline demo in Flash using placeholder graphics, which can be used to test and develop the game logic. Once that is nearing completion you can begin to start adding graphical assets and audio. It’s a good idea to leave out all extras at this stage however. Things like splash screens and mid-level animations can slow testing down considerably, so leave them for the beta version.

Once the game reaches the later stages of development, when the game engine is mostly complete and tested, the final touches can be added. Introductions, help screens, preloaders and game over screens should all be added at this point. Leaving these until now means that testing is quicker, with less clicks, keypresses or waiting is required to restart levels or replay the game. Then finally you’ll have a completed game, ready for final beta testing. Even though we started with a complex project, by breaking the design and development process down into bite sized chunks it became manageable.

If you’re just getting started with Flash game development then I highly recommend modifying an existing game, and perhaps adding new levels or extra features, before tackling your own entire game from scratch. That will build your confidence and give you the experience needed to take on larger project in the future. Learn the skills one step at a time, and before long you’ll be building the next blockbuster!

Find flash games tutorials and articles at www.ViralFlashGames.com, and download editable Flash game source files at http://www.viralflashgames.com