← Solo Game Dev
Day 17 of 30✓ Sent
Mobile-First Design — Touch, Performance, and Safe Zones
Understand what makes a mobile game different from desktop — design for the platform from day one.
Email subject:Mobile-First Design — Touch, Performance, and Safe Zones
Topics Covered
- •Touch input: tap, swipe, pinch, hold. Keep it to 1-2 touch actions. Players only have thumbs.
- •Session length: mobile sessions average 2-8 minutes. Design levels/loops for this. No 20-minute levels.
- •Performance targets: 60fps on mid-range devices (iPhone 12, Samsung A series). Profile early.
- •Safe zones: iOS has notch/Dynamic Island, Android has camera cutouts. Use Unity's Safe Area API to avoid these.
- •Screen resolution: design at 1080x1920 (portrait) or 1920x1080 (landscape), use Canvas Scaler in Unity
- •Battery and heat: avoid heavy particle systems, complex shaders, continuous camera access — phones overheat