Create IO Game Websites

IO top level domains have been getting swept up by the indie game industry ever since the rise of the popular Agar.io. This is a free multiplayer game where you play as a circular object that moves around absorbing other smaller circular objects some even being other players. Some games have evolved to a team-based style, but all follow a similar format and are free and multiplayer. If you are ready to create another addictive IO game that will keep the adrenaline pumping, read the following guide below for a few tips to help you get started.

Have a good idea

This one seems obvious right? Well it’s important to get it right otherwise your io game will fail. Your game must be able to follow the addictive format that makes an IO game what it is, unless, that is, you have another idea that will revolutionize gaming. If that’s the case, you’ve transcended creativity beyond an IO game and therefore your idea would probably require a new name. 

Fast Entry

Being able to jump right in upon loading the game is the first thing to make sure a player is able to do. These games are all browser based with a small download size, so avoid Flash unless you have a really good reason for using it. HTML5 is the standard for modern browsers so there is a trade-off if you decide to use Flash. HTML5 may not be supported in legacy browsers, but it is an obsolete technology that Adobe will cease to support by 2020. You will also be adding an extra unnecessary step for Chrome users to enable Flash since it is disabled by default. That’s almost 80% of internet users. Your choice.

The barrier to entry is also low due to nothing but a name entry and or click of a mouse to start.

Easy to learn, Hard to master

IO games are very easy to get started playing, but very hard to win. You are jumping into a pool mixed with novice and expert players and it will most likely take many deaths before you get the hang of it and understand the expert tricks. This is one property that makes IO games so addicting.

Power-Up and Conquer

Becoming as powerful as you can to overpower your opponents is the common factor with successful IO games. These games take advantage of what makes RPG games so addicting it’s hard to put the game down. Agar.io had a simple power-up which was dependent on just eating as many other blobs as possible so you that you become so large you are inedible to most players. Other games will have unlockables or upgrades for you as you gain points for staying alive and performing well in the game. These upgrades help you continue to succeed over the new players just entering without upgrades.

Multiplayer

As mentioned earlier, all of these games are multiplayer. It’s important to also make it obvious to the viewer that they are versing other humans and not AI. First timers who may not know what an IO game is may not realize that other humans are involved. You want to try and get everyone addicted including the casuals and even non-gamers if you can.

Find an HTML5 engine or framework

Now that you are ready to make a game, you need to build a game compatible for browsers, but more importantly something that can integrate nicely with multiplayer networking. It would probably be remiss not to point out that creating IO games is a complex task to pull off and therefore is not for the non-programmer. You’re not loading a separate game state for each individual, you are loading the SAME game state for each individual that continues to be updated multiple times a second. Networking optimization is key here to mitigate the enormous lag that is inevitable with online multiplayer. The more you can manage to optimize with less bandwidth will also help keep costs down.

Get an io domain

Next you’ll need to register an IO domain on a domain registry. There are many available to choose from. Usually the name of the domain corresponds to the name of the game such as Agar.io. Dot io (.io) is one of the many top level domain choices available other than dot com (.com). When you choose to buy the domain is up to you. Keep in mind that just because it’s available the first time you check it, doesn’t mean it will always be available.

Find a hosting provider

This one is important, because all hosting services are not created equal. Unlike a domain registry, what you pay for is not going to be the same somewhere else. It is recommended to keep these to services separate. Many hosting service providers will try to hook you into registering your domain with them, but do not do this. Yes it may seem convenient, but it will save you a ton of hassle in the long run if you ever decide you want to jump ship. 

Because it is a online game assumed to be played anywhere in the world you need a CDN (Cloud Distribution Network) connected to your hosting. This is something you can do to start off to save a little bit more money, but the utmost recommended thing to do is to go with scalable cloud services such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc. These services allow you to build the infrastructure you need and can scale your app to meet the demand of your game. So if your game becomes popular overnight, your site won’t crash due to bandwidth limitations or anything else.

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