Skillz’s developers are masters of turning ideas into addictive skill-driven mobile games that keep players hooked. Whether it’s Big Run Studios digging deep into player motivation, ePlay crafting simple yet fierce competitive experiences, or TouchMechanics obsessing over every control detail, these creators bring passion and precision to every project. 

In this exclusive behind-the-scenes look, they share their game creation secrets and expert advice, perfect for anyone ready to level up their own game development journey.

We asked each of these studios the same question: Can you walk us through your game creation process?

Big Run Studios: Diving Deep into Player Motivation

From the very start of every product we make, we deep dive into the audience. Who are we making this for? What do they care about? What motivates them? What do they find fun? From there, we use a small team of industry veterans to prototype and play lots of different versions of the games we have ideas about. Once we think we have the right mix of what our audience will love and what we think we’ll be successful with, we bring on a larger team to take the game to market, pushing for the highest quality product we can.

ePlay: Keeping It Simple, Competitive, and Fair

Absolutely. My game creation process starts with identifying a simple, familiar concept that can be turned into a competitive experience. I look for ways to add layers of skill, strategy, and real stakes to make it exciting. Once I have a clear idea, I work with my team to build a rough prototype and test the core gameplay early.

From there, we focus on refining the experience, improving visuals, polishing controls, and making sure the game feels fair and rewarding. I also ensure Skillz is integrated smoothly so the competitive elements are seamless. Before launch, we run internal playtests and gather feedback from real players. Once the game is live, I monitor performance and update based on player behavior and feedback.

For me, it’s about building games players love to compete in and keep coming back to.

TouchMechanics: Precision and Passion in a Duo

Our game creation process starts with an idea between the two of us. We then use this to start building it. Because there are only two of us, there isn’t much in the way of managing development.

We both know which problems each of us needs to solve. The most important part of our development process is fine-tuning the controls and gameplay.

We started developing Speed Pool in November 2024 (we had already done some work on a pool game before, so we had 3D assets ready to go). By the end of December 2024, we had something rudimentary running. We then spent six months working on the gameplay, experimenting with cameras, control layouts, and controls. This is where the game really comes alive and starts to work.

For the first time ever, we had feedback from outside Touch Mechanics as Brooks was distributing it around Skillz. One particular bit of feedback was that the Skillz staff were playing it in a way we didn’t intend, in a top-down view only. Our game was designed to be played in a first-person view like real pool, so that shots take as much skill as in real life. This feedback made us remove the top-down camera so players had to make shots in the first-person view only.

What Top Developers Want You to Know

The insights shared by these Skillz developers highlight the importance of understanding your audience, iterating on gameplay, and remaining open to feedback. Whether working with a large team or as a small duo, success comes from passion, precision, and continuous improvement. For anyone looking to break into competitive mobile gaming, these lessons offer a roadmap to creating not only fun and fair experiences, but also a lasting connection with players.