If you’ve ever played a mobile game, an indie platformer, or a AAA blockbuster like Elden Ring or Call of Duty, you might have wondered: how long did it actually take to make this? The answer isn’t simple. Game development is a complex, multi-stage process that depends on the scope, budget, and team size involved. Whether you’re a solo developer tinkering with ideas in your spare time or working with a full-scale Game Development Company, the journey from concept to finished product is anything but overnight.
As someone who has collaborated with both indie devs and mid-sized studios, I’ve seen firsthand how timelines can stretch or shrink based on planning, experience, and resources. In this article, I’ll break down how long it typically takes to develop a game and what factors influence that timeline—including how App Development Companies fit into the equation.
Understanding the Game Development Lifecycle
Before diving into numbers, it helps to understand what goes into game development. It’s not just coding and design—there’s a full production cycle that includes:
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Pre-production: Concept development, storyboarding, prototyping, and technical planning.
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Production: Coding, level design, art creation, UI/UX, music, and integration.
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Testing: Bug fixing, balance adjustments, playtesting, and compliance checks.
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Post-launch: Updates, patches, content expansions, and community support.
Each phase comes with its own set of challenges and timeframes, especially when you’re aiming for quality and performance on multiple platforms.
How Long Does It Take to Develop Different Types of Games?
The type and complexity of a game massively affect the timeline. Let’s look at a few real-world examples:
1. Hyper-Casual or Simple Mobile Games
These are often developed in 2 to 6 months. These games rely on straightforward mechanics, minimalistic design, and quick production cycles. Many App Development Companies are pivoting into this space, using agile teams to push out polished titles quickly. Think of games like Flappy Bird—which famously took only a few days to create, though that’s the exception, not the rule.
2. Indie Games
Indie games like Stardew Valley or Celeste often take 1 to 3 years to develop. These are typically built by small teams or even solo developers. Despite the long timelines, these games can be innovative, deep, and wildly successful. Here, delays often come from wearing multiple hats: a single developer might handle everything from design to music.
3. Mid-tier or AA Games
Games developed by medium-sized studios—often subcontracted through an App Development Company or Game Development Company—can take 2 to 4 years. These games usually aim for console or PC releases and come with richer storylines, higher-end graphics, and complex mechanics. Timelines vary based on whether assets and tools are built from scratch or reused from previous projects.
4. AAA Games
High-end productions like The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed, or Red Dead Redemption 2 can take anywhere from 4 to 8 years or more. These projects involve hundreds of team members, multiple departments across different countries, voice actors, motion capture, custom game engines, and significant marketing efforts. For these giants, the pre-production phase alone can take over a year.
Factors That Influence Game Development Timelines
Time isn’t just about the game’s size. Here are some key variables that determine how long development will take:
1. Team Size and Expertise
An experienced Game Development Company with a solid pipeline and veteran developers can work much faster than a small, newly formed studio. The larger the team, the more parallel tasks can be completed—but only if there’s strong project management to avoid bottlenecks.
2. Technology Stack
Are you building on Unity or Unreal Engine? Using a custom engine? Tools like Unity can speed up the development of mobile or 2D games thanks to built-in asset stores and scripting systems. A custom engine may offer better performance but usually comes with longer development times.
3. Platform and Device Support
A game made solely for iOS will develop faster than one intended for iOS, Android, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Cross-platform optimization is time-consuming and sometimes requires dedicated engineers for each platform.
4. Feature Scope
The more features you add—multiplayer, VR support, rich AI, procedural generation—the longer it will take. Even a seemingly small feature like online multiplayer can add months of network testing, security implementation, and bug fixing.
5. Iteration and Testing
A big portion of game development is iteration—playtesting and refining mechanics until they feel just right. Even after the main content is built, this phase can stretch out timelines significantly. Skimping on testing often leads to poor reviews and post-launch failures.
Where App Development Companies Come In
While many people associate App Development Companies with productivity or lifestyle apps, many of these companies now include game development divisions. Their experience with mobile performance optimization, UI/UX design, and app store compliance makes them well-suited for mobile and casual game projects.
Some startups even begin by hiring an app-focused company to create a prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product), then transition to a dedicated Game Development Company for full-scale production. This approach saves time and allows founders to test ideas before investing heavily.
Real-Life Example: From Concept to Launch
Let’s consider a mid-sized project I worked on: a 2D side-scrolling puzzle game for mobile. It was built by a small indie team with some outsourced support from a mobile app company. Here’s how the timeline broke down:
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Pre-production: 2 months of concept art, prototyping, and market research.
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Production: 6 months of development with iterative level design, music composition, and art asset creation.
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Testing: 2 months of internal testing and beta feedback.
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Launch: Soft-launched in one region, followed by global release 1 month later.
In total, the game took around 11 months to develop. Having access to tools and development frameworks from the App Development Company accelerated UI development and app store optimization. Without their support, we likely would have needed another 2 to 3 months.
Should You Hire a Game Development Company?
If you’re thinking of building a game—whether for fun, business, or as an investment—you’ll face a key decision: build in-house or outsource?
Hiring a professional Game Development Company can be a game-changer. They bring structure, experience, access to assets, and workflows that cut down on trial and error. Most importantly, they understand how to manage timelines realistically.
The downside? It’s more expensive than going solo or building an in-house team from scratch. But if speed to market, quality, and scalability are important to you, it’s worth the cost.
Final Thoughts: There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Answer
So, how long does it take to develop a game? It could be anywhere from a few weeks to nearly a decade. It all depends on what you’re building, who’s building it, and how efficiently the process is managed.
If you’re new to game development, start small. Create a simple prototype, maybe even with the help of an App Development Company, and iterate from there. As your ambitions grow, partnering with a specialized Game Development Company can help bring your vision to life at a professional level.
No matter the timeline, remember that quality takes time, and a game that’s rushed to market rarely achieves long-term success. Focus on building something fun, engaging, and polished, and the time investment will be worth every second.
