How do you manage stress while developing mobile games?

Developing mobile games can be a rewarding and exciting career, but it can also be stressful and demanding. You have to deal with tight deadlines, technical challenges, user feedback, and market competition. How do you cope with the pressure and maintain your well-being while creating engaging and fun games? Here are some tips to help you manage stress while developing mobile games.

1 Identify your stressors

The first step to managing stress is to recognize what causes it. Is it a specific task, a client, a colleague, or a personal issue? Once you identify your stressors, you can try to avoid them, reduce them, or deal with them more effectively. For example, if you find coding a certain feature stressful, you can delegate it, ask for help, or break it down into smaller steps. If you find a client or a colleague stressful, you can communicate your expectations, set boundaries, or seek support.

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David Cantón Nadales

Microsoft MVP | Senior Full Stack Software Enginner @ SCRM Lidl International Hub | Author: Build Your Own Metaverse with Unity | Entrepreneur & Inventor 💡 | Founder: Unity3D Sevilla 🎮 | Top Developer Award Winner 🏆
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Let's start from the premise that before making a game, which in my opinion is a big project, we must have a vision of what we want to achieve. I recommend first closing the functionalities for an MVP, something simple, to test if it engages and is successful. You won't be able (or want) your first game to be a Call Of Duty, ambition in the creation of games leads to defeat, you won't get it if you are alone. Start small, share it, get feedback, keep improving it, and above all, have fun. Did the "0.0.1" version of the Fall Guys game have all the features it has now? ;)

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2 Plan your work

One of the best ways to prevent stress is to plan your work ahead and prioritize your tasks. Having a clear and realistic schedule can help you stay focused, organized, and motivated. You can use tools like calendars, to-do lists, or project management software to keep track of your progress and deadlines. You can also set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to help you achieve your desired outcomes.

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Dheeraj Sharma

Senior Staff Engineer (iGaming) at Nagarro
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In my opinion, identifying the consumers will help a lot while developing any mobile game. It will help you to generalize the requirement and design the look and feel to fit well and load efficiently in the consumers devices. The devices configurations and network infrastructure of the consumer's base region will really help to figure out the major problems of any mobile game that will be fixed in advanced which will give the consumers a better experience and keep you out of unnecessary stress.

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3 Take breaks

Working long hours without breaks can lead to burnout, fatigue, and reduced productivity. Taking regular breaks can help you recharge your energy, relax your mind, and boost your creativity. You can use the Pomodoro technique, which involves working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. You can also use your breaks to do something enjoyable, like playing a game, listening to music, or chatting with a friend.

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4 Practice self-care

Developing mobile games can be mentally and physically demanding, so you need to take care of your health and well-being. You can practice self-care by eating well, sleeping enough, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated. You can also practice mindfulness, meditation, or breathing exercises to calm your nerves and improve your mood. You can also seek professional help if you feel overwhelmed or depressed.

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5 Learn from feedback

Feedback is an essential part of developing mobile games, as it can help you improve your skills, fix bugs, and meet user expectations. However, feedback can also be stressful, especially if it is negative, harsh, or conflicting. You can learn from feedback by being open-minded, respectful, and constructive. You can also filter out irrelevant, biased, or abusive feedback and focus on the ones that are helpful, specific, and actionable.

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6 Have fun

Developing mobile games should be fun, not stressful. You should enjoy the process of creating something that you are passionate about and that brings joy to others. You should also celebrate your achievements, no matter how big or small. You can have fun by playing your own games, joining game jams, collaborating with other developers, or exploring new genres and platforms.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Daniel Montenegro

Product manager | Scrum Master | Full stack developer | Founder Director of Runaway2k
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Fast and simple answer: Make a plan, set realistic goals, and use the agile model. Hard and complex answer: Meditate, make Zazen part of your life

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How do you manage stress while developing mobile games?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your stressors

2 Plan your work

3 Take breaks

4 Practice self-care

5 Learn from feedback

6 Have fun

7 Here’s what else to consider

Gaming Industry

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How do you manage stress while developing mobile games?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your stressors

2 Plan your work

3 Take breaks

4 Practice self-care

5 Learn from feedback

6 Have fun

7 Here’s what else to consider

Gaming Industry

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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