During yesterday’s day one of Develop: Brighton, Jamie Brayshaw of Ripstone Games gave a talk titled ‘The Queen’s Gambit: How we developed our first mobile game for Netflix’.
Ripstone Games has a history of turning classic games into video games, such as Poker Club and Chess Ultra. Their focus has mainly been on console and PC development, so creating a chess game based on a popular IP for mobile was a new challenge for the team.
The Queen’s Gambit series on Netflix in 2020 was a huge success, leading to a surge in interest in chess. With Ripstone already having success with Chess Ultra, adapting The Queen’s Gambit felt like a natural fit for the studio.
Netflix IP
After watching The Queen’s Gambit reach over 100 million viewers, Ripstone felt that the IP would resonate well with their audience. However, Netflix was still exploring its game strategy at the time.
Netflix gave Ripstone a week to pitch their ideas, leading to the development of a mobile game based on The Queen’s Gambit.
The team aimed to create a game that captured the essence of the show while also being engaging for players of all skill levels.
Balance and User Experience
The game underwent extensive user testing to ensure the right level of complexity and accessibility for mobile players. The team focused on optimizing the initial user experience to capture players’ attention within the first few minutes.
Design decisions were made based on creating a connection with the characters from the show and highlighting the beauty of chess for both experienced and beginner players.
Developing in Unreal Engine for Mobile
The team utilized Unreal Engine for the project, utilizing tools that enhanced the game’s visuals. They also overcame challenges related to file size and device optimization.
Addressing concerns about heat management on mobile devices was crucial for the team, resulting in a significant performance boost with a simple solution.
Brayshaw shared insights on working with Unreal Engine for mobile games and provided tips for successful development:
- Unreal can create high-fidelity mobile games
- Design from the bottom up to ensure compatibility with various devices
- Utilize tools like Bink and Oodle for optimized performance
- Always prioritize player experience over device specifications
- Regularly test and adapt based on user feedback
- Design for low-end devices to ensure broad compatibility
- Optimize game performance for heat and battery efficiency
Brayshaw emphasized the importance of understanding the IP, respecting both the audience and the development partnership for successful game creation.
