I am developer of Thrive island mobile survival game. AMA

Have you heard of thelegend27?

Yeah he keeps kicking my ass

What was your development stack/engine for the game?

Unity3D

Has creating this game been profitable? Like can this be your sole job?

Would you care to share the metrics on time spent, and earnings?

Rather not share earnings metrics. But as far as hours invested it's been too many. I work around 60-80 hours a week on it for the last 3 years.

It's profitable from ads and full game purchases and I'm full time working on it.

80 hours per week is a lot! Congrats on your discipline. How did you fund that time?

Ads and purchases, of course :p

I believes he means how he funded the time before the game was released.

Minimally. Small savings and lots of ramen noodles

If I may ask, what prompted you to go full time? Did you have previous game development experience, did you have a regular job that was crushing your soul?

Yeah the job. I had no previous experience but I had some good ideas. I just took a leap and tried my best

Was it worth it?

Yes

What's your advice to someone who is trying to make their own mobile game?

I would say start small and be unique for the platform and work from there with updates. Lots of mobile games are the same style. Small, simple and pay to win.

Do you think freenium is bad or just the reality of mobile gaming?

I think freemium can be good, there's some games who do it well. But there's alot of games that are just boring and only way to get any further enjoyment is by paying.

What's your game about? I've personally never have heard of it! I am very interested in survival though! Looking forward to hear back from you!

It's a beta mobile survival stranded type of game focused on survival and exploration. Aimed to be more realistic rather than zombie type of games.

Like ARK for mobile?

Without the dinosaurs maybe

Like rust?

Without the dangly bits

Why are all zombie games in beta stage?!>?!

They're never ending

Is the character modeled after your image?

Yeah the female one. Will be adding more characters in the next update

What's your favorite mechanic in the game? What mechanic was hardest to implement that you insisted be in the game? What is the thing you are looking forward to putting in the game the most before it's finished?

My favorite mechanic is the radiation system as it makes looting in caves risky but rewarding. The hardest mechanic so far has been transport such as boats as it is tricky to balance the time needed to travel Vs reward (still working on that). The thing I've been looking forward to the most is multiplayer. That's the most requested feature and will be very cool to play with other players realtime

How's it going chief?

Good, thanks

Hey there, being self employed, do you ever worry about job security? What happens to you when this game fades from popularity?

Yes, it motivates me to work harder and keep the game fresh.

Your game hasn't been updated in almost a year, how is that motivation?

Upto that point, I was releasing updates every other week but felt it was just delaying the inevitable. Since then I've completely remade every aspect of the game and added online modes which is due to release soon

How did you become interested in game development?

I've always loved playing games. Runescape took up most of my childhood. I've always liked messing with code and mods too. So it was just natural thing to do. I decided to quit my job one day and decided to fully focus on a new game

Oh snap! Runescaper spotted! You still play the game?

I try not to play any mmorpg these days, I get too hooked. I play casual browser games lately so I don't spend too much time

Read or listen to any LitRPG? I don't play MMO's anymore for similar reason, just too absorbing, but it's awesome listening to audio books / reading books in relation to them. If you haven't check out the mirror world series by Alexey Osadchuk or Alterworld series by D. Rus.

Not heard of it. Will check it out

Can you add a reddit easter egg?

Maybe

Haven't heard of the game, but will check it out!

1. What makes your game better than others of the same genre?

2. What's the best advice you have for someone starting the game?

I decided to focus on this game as more of a realistic survival sim rather than zombies and pc. I felt when I started and still to this game that there are no great survival open world games on mobile other than Minecraft so I decided to try my best to bring that to mobile.

For advice I'd say build a bed asap to get your spawn sorted

How did you learn how to code? If self taught, how would you recommend that someone else do the same? What languages and frameworks did you use, do you recommen them and why?

That's all, keep up the good work man! People like you are an inspiration to us all!

Self taught and most of my learning was just messing with code and modelling programs. YouTube has videos on anything and everything you could need to know.

I chose and recommend Unity because the learning curve is not steep, there's huge amount of resource information and documentation online and is also able to publish on tons of platforms.

How young were you when you started? Do you think a 20-something year old can still take the path you took?

I was young when messing with html and game codes but I never fully understood programming until later on.

It's never too late to start, I decided to learn unity and focus full time on game Dev at 25

Is there a bright future in game dev for 15 year olds?

Yes. Great age to start

I've not played the game, but will check it out now. Based on the ratings, controls gets the lowest score out of the 3 categories. Are you doing anything to improve the controls, and if so what?

In the next update I am releasing. I've completely redone all of the controls and character controller. It makes controls 10x better. Much more fluid and easier to control. Similar to GTA style controls. Also added controller support

I stumbled on your game awhile ago. It's fun and definitely unique. But, do you have any plans to make it more stable? It crashes constantly on iOS. Particularly when I am navigating between the map and such.

Yes. The new update has a whole new optimised and designed world. Also all code has been optimised. I have tested it on low end devices which couldn't run the game at all previously and now they can run it with good FPS.

1) Are you the sole developer, or do you have anyone else working on the game with you?

2) Are there any plans to bring the game to other platforms, or will it be mobile-exclusive?

I'm the sole developer. Some models have been contracted, some assets purchased.

Eventually maybe I will release on other platforms once I feel it is great enough and more content available outside beta. There is plans to release on iOS and Microsoft store soon once online is added

[deleted]

I wouldn't say it's optimal return on time investment

Will I be able to play this game offline? My data charges are already through the roof and I'd like to be able to play this when I don't have access to WiFi.

Currently the game is single player and will always be an option to play. Online will be optional

The reviews seem like there are a lot of intrusive ads. Does the paid version completely eliminate ads?

Ads are removed when purchased but they are something I want to improve in the next update. For online they will be minimal at game start or endings but I am leaning more towards reward ads which can be optional.

what sort of ongoing costs do you need to be aware of when developing a game with a large user base (servers etc...) -- does that influence the kind of game you choose to develop?

Starting out costs are minimal. Unity engine is free to start with. As for servers the cost is affordable these days and you can scale up to meet demand. I think within reason costs don't influence me too much although I don't have any salaries to pay or offices.

How would/did you pitch the game. What makes it special?

I would pitch the game as a realistic survival game for on the go

What's you're favourite mobile game and why mobile game development?

My favorite mobile game I've played is probably a game called Warspear. It's like a pixel style mmo. It's been a while since I've played but it's a cool game.

I chose mobile because I feel alot of mobile games are the same. Freemium pay to win games and feel there is alot of potential to create unique games. Mobile is still in early days

I just downloaded and played it for a few minutes. Seems like i could have fun with it, but it was rather glitchy. Also, i didnt know what i was doing. Am i suppose to attack stuff? Or just free roam? Maybe a "how to" when you first open the game. What the buttons are for... i ended up falling into a river and spend 4 minutes swimming with walls on both sides of me. And thats where i came back here. That stamina decrease is insane. I couldnt swim for 5 seconds without having to stand still. Maybe a slower swim when out of stamina. And one arm stroke of a swim shouldnt take 10 percent of stamina. But i will be trying to figure out this game. How do i get clothes? How do i use this axe thing? A tutorial is needed for non expert gamers like i. Good work though.

Lot of these issues have been addressed for the next update. Stamina will be improved. Also the world has been redesigned to avoid endless swimming and running. I do plan to add an introduction guide too.

Start by collecting logs and stones around the world and clothing can be made by finding sugar canes by rivers and hides from animals. Hatchets for trees, pickaxe for stones

What would be the funniest glitch you came across during development?

And what was the most frustrating thing in development? And if you needed help to figure out that problem who/ what did you look to for guidance?

The funniest glitch I saw was a flying cow early on which would follow players.

The most frustrating thing has been online multiplayer as I have had to recode so much work from before. Google/forums usually has the answers to everything

What were you doing before getting into game development full time?

Do you have a degree?

How many ideas did you put down on paper, or whitebox, or whatever your ideation process is, prior to arriving at the one you finally stuck with for Thrive?

When you first started with Unity, did you envision developing for the mobile platform or was it something that arose through experience?

When working solo, how did you motivate yourself to continue the grind? -- I freelance, and I take mostly short term work because I tend to struggle to motivate myself to continue my own projects after working on them for a month or so. I'd love to hear about your experience working towards success so that it might help me continue to work on something of my own for longer.

I was working in a computer company that destroys data. I don't have a degree.

Before starting Thrive island I prototyped a few ideas like racing games, infinite runners and similar games but felt they had already been done a million times on mobile.

When I settled on the idea of a mobile survival there was none at all other than Minecraft so felt it was urgent to get a foothold in that market.

Players comments and ideas motivate me to continue and the thought of going back to a real job helps me work harder.

Mr. Wright what is your day job?

Game development

Not sure if you're still answering or not, but what do developers like yourself do against people stealing your namesake? I've seen a lot of garbage games on apple called things like "thrive island survival simulator" and things of that nature that completely rip your game off, and it's definitely a pretty common practice in mobile app development. Is there any way to combat it?

I once emailed Google play about it and they wanted a letter from a lawyer. I contacted a lawyer and they wanted extortionate rates to write a letter to cease and desist. So I just ignored it and warned players on social media. Since then Google just removed it, I haven't contacted Apple until I release there.

I've learned to just accept it as I would be spending all my time stopping that stuff so I just focus on my game.

Is there an iOS version of this?

Not yet. Will be releasing after online update

I'm assuming you initially developed this for Android. How much extra work was it to port it to iOS? For beginners, would you recommend only sticking to one platform? If yes, which one?

EDIT: It looks like the iOS version is a ripoff, but you're developing for iOS as well so the question still stands.

Porting to iOS won't be a huge change as all controls are same. The main reason I've been holding off iOS is I want to release once the game is at a point where I feel there is enough content, fun and multiplayer.

I'm hoping I don't get ant hassle releasing considering that game copied my game name and released first on iOS.

I'm sorry but what type of game is this? I ran around for ten minutes and didn't see anything.

Logs and stones on the floor with help you get started

Mr. Wright do you you ever ask questions to other people in there AMA'S?

I read alot of AMAs

This game looks a lot like rust and the forest building wise, did you get any inspiration from those games or is it a coincidence? Also how do you rate unity VS unreal engine for a new developer.

Building was inspired by ark although I want to expand on it to make it more realistic when adding parts.

I've not tried unreal engine so wouldn't have an opinion although I think unity is a great way for new Devs to learn

Ya played knack?

Nope

Thanks for doing this AMA. I never really see people ask or devs talk about this so my question is:

What are the 3 things you hate the most about developing mobile games? (Or bug you the most, being that it is your full time occupation)

The amount of work it takes for one person bugs me sometimes, and also the business side of things. I'm not a businessman, I just like making games. I think they both come with the task and you just have to accept it

Don't you think that cloning Rust is just an extra contribution to help gaming industry getting drowned in mediocre halfassed idea rehashes?

I think every game is inspired by other games to some extent. I'm focus on making my own game and don't intent to clone any game.

How much money do you make per download?

Ranges from $0.001 to $3.50

How do you think your profits would change if you sold the game for $5, or $10, or whatever dollars, but had zero in-app purchases?

It has no inapp purchases so not too sure. It's very rare to charge $5-$10 for mobile game too

Ohh, my bad, your link shows no price but "in-app purchases available".

There's a one off in app for the full game

Can an Ipad Mini 1 run it without constantly crashing every 3 minutes?

I haven't tested it yet but will be aiming to optimize it as best as as i can to run stable on as many Apple devices as possible when releasing on iOS.

Does the game work on Windows phones? If not, is there a plan to make it work on Windows phones in the future?

Every time I get excited about a game it turns out not to work on my phone....

Yes it will be available on iOS and Windows phone soon after online update is released

Is it on iOS?

Not yet. Will be releasing on iOS after the online is released. Although I did notice there is a game on the iOS store copying my game name

What programming language do you think is most suitable for mobile game development?

I think it's personal preference. I like c#

If you dont mind, i just thought of other questions to ask, like did you create the visuals yourself or did you have a 3rd party dev? Have you developed any other programs or apps other than games? Do you have any future plans for any other games? On different platforms? I read that you were self taught for programming, but did you go to schooling for game dev or anything?

I created some visuals myself and outsourced others. I haven't developed any other apps or games, just some hobby things. In the future I'd like to make a browser type of mmo game like those io games although I won't commit to anything yet while I'm focused on this game.

I self taught everything myself online, no schools

Are you the developer of Thrive island mobile survival game?

Yeah

What kind of phone do you use as your daily driver?

Nexus 5

When iOS?

June/july

Can you tell me why the game crashes every 5 minutes when I'm playing on my iPhone?

This game isn't on iPhone yet, you're probably playing the rip off version on iOS. Sorry

Why do you continue to harm the gaming market by releasing garbage mobile games? That development could be spent on real PC games, with enjoyment...

I enjoy mobile games. There's alot of potential on mobile and you can't play pc games on the go

Have you ever heard of a game called rust?

Yeah

Do you get lots of comments calling your game a clone of another game?

Yeah

What are your favourite videogames (aside from your own probably)?

I don't play games as much these days but Runescape was one of my all time favorites. These days I play casual games like agario and moomoo.io

I am trying to get into app development and I want to start with android, so I'm trying to find the best way to learn Java, do you recommend anything?

I don't know too much about java but searching for tutorials on Google and YouTube would help alot

Is this on iOS?

Not yet, June/july

Does your game offer controler support?

I've added controller support on the new update which is coming soon

Are you thinking of making an iOS version of this game?

Yes June/July

What is your favorite dinosaur?

Dunnosaurus

What extra curricular do you do to help cope with the stress that comes with such a popular game. Hike?swim?

Doesnt have to be physical im just saying stuff to keep your mind off work for periods of time.

Occasionally will go for hikes but usually I'll play some games if I need to chill

Does it have controller support and I can't get it to work or if not is there a plan to add it?

Yes I've added controller support for the next update when I redid all of the character controls and animation

What inspired you to create games?

Playing other games and a passion for coding and messing with mods

Will you be working on anything that requires voice acting? I'd REALLY like to get my feet wet considering I'm in college right now for communications solely to go into that profession.

Not at the moment there's lots of things with more priority. But never say never

Hey! Should I play thrive island? Also, what tools (hardware, software) did you use to make this?

Yeah you should. I started with a laptop and unity and eventually upgraded to a computer

Is there co-op or are there any plans for it?

Yes, co-op, last man standing and open world are coming in next update

What would be your inspiration to create this game? And what drove you to develop it for 3 years?

When I first started there was no survival mobile games so I thought I would spend a few weeks on making some sort of open world game. I probably wouldn't have started it back then if I knew I'd be working on it 3 years later, but the enthusiasm and ideas from players keeps me developing it.

What's the worst part about coding these games?

It takes so much time working solo so don't get much of a social life. But worth it when new updates are released and appreciated

Any advice to someone who wants to get into game developing but doesn't have any specific skills and doesn't know where to start?

Learn a skill in programming or design starting from YouTube. Start with a small idea and go from there. Focus on your strengths, if you're a good designer focus on an engine that don't need so much code where you can dedicate your time to art and design.

what were your biggest coding challenges? I've made some stuff but all of it was management software. I imagine gamedev has its own set of difficulties. real examples would be appreciated if any comes to you

Each aspect of the game has challenges but I think the biggest challenge is being consistent enough to reach a point of releasing

Did you know your game looks like shit?

The new update will improve it a lot. The UI needs work and the world has been redesigned