Our Process
How Game Development Works
A clear, honest walkthrough of how we take a game from a one-line idea to a live release — what happens at each stage, what you walk away with, and how involved you need to be.
Every game we build follows the same backbone: concept, design, prototype, test, and launch. The details change with the project, but the shape does not — because a repeatable process is what turns a good idea into a shipped game instead of an unfinished prototype.
Below is exactly how each stage works at Buried Games Studio: what we do, what you receive at the end of it, and how much of your time it asks for. We keep it transparent on purpose, so you always know where your project is and what comes next.
The 5 steps, in detail
- 01
Concept
We turn your idea into a clear, agreed game brief and scope.
What happens
We start with a discovery conversation about your idea, audience, platforms, and goals. We pin down the core fantasy of the game, the must-have features, and what success looks like, then translate that into a written game brief and a realistic scope.
What you get
A written game brief, a defined feature scope, target platforms, and a roadmap you can review before any production begins.
Your involvement
High. This stage needs your vision and quick answers — it is where your input shapes everything that follows.
- 02
Design
We design the core loop, mechanics, art direction, and UX.
What happens
We design the core gameplay loop, the systems and mechanics, the progression, and the art direction. For Arabic-first projects we plan the right-to-left UX from the start rather than retrofitting it. You see designs and references and we iterate together before a line of production code is written.
What you get
Game design documentation, the art direction, UX flows, and a clear picture of how the finished game will look and play.
Your involvement
Medium-high. You review and approve designs at milestones; we handle the craft in between.
- 03
Prototype
We build a playable prototype to prove the fun is real.
What happens
We build a playable prototype of the core loop — often rough on the surface but real underneath. This is where we prove the game is actually fun before committing budget to full production. If something is not working, this is the cheapest possible place to change it.
What you get
A hands-on, playable build of the core gameplay that you can try yourself — and an honest read on what to keep, cut, or change.
Your involvement
Medium. You play the prototype and give gut-feel feedback — your reaction is the most valuable signal here.
- 04
Test
We build out, balance, and test the game across real devices.
What happens
With the fun proven, we build out the full game in sprints, then balance and test it. We run QA across real target devices, tune difficulty and pacing, fix bugs, and polish the rough edges. For multiplayer titles we load-test the backend so it holds up under real concurrent players.
What you get
A balanced, optimized, device-tested build that is ready to submit to stores — with the bugs and rough spots ironed out.
Your involvement
Low-medium. You review builds and sign off on the release candidate; we drive the testing.
- 05
Launch
We ship the game to stores and support it after release.
What happens
We prepare store listings and assets, submit the game to the App Store, Google Play, Steam, or the web, and support launch day. After release we can keep going with updates, events, analytics, and community support under an agreed live-ops plan.
What you get
A live game in your players' hands, launch-day support, and an optional ongoing plan to keep improving it.
Your involvement
Medium. You approve the final submission and decide the post-launch plan; we handle the mechanics of shipping.
How we engage
We work in one of two ways, depending on whether your project has a defined finish line or needs an ongoing partner.
Fixed scope
We agree on a defined scope and deliverables up front, then build to it. Best when you know what you want and need a predictable plan from concept to launch.
Best for: A clearly defined game with a known feature set and a launch target.
Ongoing partnership
We work as your ongoing game team across sprints, evolving the game with you. Best for live games that need continuous updates, events, and iteration after launch.
Best for: Live-service games and products that keep growing after release.
Budget
What a project costs
We do not publish a price, because any studio quoting one on a web page is guessing at your project. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the number, so you can sanity-check any quote you receive — including ours.
What moves the number
Scope
The count of distinct game modes, screens and rules — not the length of the wish list. Two features that share a system cost far less than two that do not, which is why scoping is a conversation rather than a checklist.
Art direction
Where estimates diverge most. A stylised 2D title and a realistic 3D one can differ by a multiple for identical gameplay, because the art is the volume of work — every character, environment and animation is made by hand.
Real-time multiplayer
The most routinely underestimated line. Online play brings servers, matchmaking, reconnection and anti-cheat with it, and those are architecture rather than features — they cannot be added cheaply to a game budgeted as single-player.
How settled the design is
The quiet one, and the one clients feel most. Building against a design that is still being argued about turns engineering into rework. A playable prototype that answers the fun question early is usually the cheapest thing you will ever commission from us.
Send us the idea — the platform, the audience, and roughly what you picture players doing — and we will come back with a scope and an honest estimate rather than a number designed to win the meeting.
Communication cadence
We work in short sprints with regular playable builds, so you see real progress throughout — not just at the end. Expect a steady rhythm of updates, milestone reviews, and quick decisions during your working day. Because we work across the same timezone as the GCC, you are not waiting overnight for answers.
The tools we use
We are honest about our stack: we build in Unity and Unreal Engine for games, and Next.js and NestJS for web titles and multiplayer backends. We pick the engine to fit the game, not the other way around — and we tell you plainly when a tool is the right fit and when it is not. No buzzwords, no over-engineering.
Explore our services
Each part of this process maps to a service. Dive deeper into the one that fits your project:
Ready to start your game?
Tell us about your idea and we'll walk you through exactly how we'd take it from concept to launch.