How to Start Your Own Online Card Game Business

Apart from quality family time, experiments in the kitchen, and hand sanitizer use, the pandemic saw a rise in one more phenomenon – the popularity of online mobile games. As per Statista, in 2020, gaming and video made up the most significant shares of the mobile content market for the year, surpassing even the increase in education-related app usage brought about by the disruption in regular school system settings.

Out of all the game genres, card games are the most popular. People of all ages can enjoy card games. For instance, casino-based card games like Poker, Rummy, and Black Jack are more popular among adults. Similarly, strategy and fun card games like Uno, Marvel Snap, Heart Of Stone, and others like Go Fish, Solitaire, and Memory are liked by both adults and kids. Mobile game development companies sensed this trend and, hence, an opportunity that continues to grow.

It is an exciting time for card game developers at mobile game development companies. It is even more so for those looking to start their own online card game business. Card game development is a complex process, and starting this business should begin with thought and planning. Here are ten essential steps that can guide you:

Ten Key Steps to Start Your Own Online Card Game Business

Begin with market research

Market research is an irreplaceable step, as it helps you make informed decisions and minimizes risks in this highly competitive field of business. Once you have decided what game you want to develop, in-depth research of the card game market is essential.

It entails studying the different aspects of the game, some of which are:

1. Competition – How many games have been developed on the same concept, and what kind of competition are you looking at? How will your application be different from the existing one in the market?
2. Complexity of existing games – What complexity do you see in contemporary games? How can you simplify your project to cash in on this aspect?
3. Target Audience – This helps decide the app’s features and art style.
4. Art Style – You will need to research trending art styles and then arrive at your vision for the game design for your application. Some famous art styles are Flat Art, Vector Art, Cartoon Art, Monochromatic, Geometric Art, Cell Shading, and Pixel Art.
5. Marketing plan – Study how you can market your game digitally. Also, don’t forget to allocate an amount from your budget for paid marketing efforts.
6. Gambling Game – If you are thinking of creating a gambling card game, the first thing to do is find out if your jurisdiction permits it. If not, it is best to discuss the workability of this aspect with the game development company that you will engage.

By the end of it, you will have solidified your basic game plan and identified potential customers for your online card game business.

Work out the features and functionalities.

Once the game has been decided, the features around the core game need to be worked out. These features can vary for Free and Real Money betting games.

• Work out the features that keep players engaged for more extended periods. Real money betting games are crucial for user engagement, but what about using a free-to-play game app? You will get an idea about that when you study similar game apps.
• You don’t have to think about monetization in real money games, as it is the most immediate benefit. However, in free-to-play games, you must rely on advertisement revenue, in-app purchases, or/and subscriptions that the user takes to the game. Think this out, too.
• An important factor we tend to overlook is the information we would like to store at the backend (Admin Panel), like user information, games they played, if the match had Tournaments, then Tournament information, Winner of the tournament, and so on. Keep this in mind.
• It would be best to consider analytics essential, as they give us an idea of how the game is faring. It is not just about studying aspects like the drop rate of the users. Crashlytics logs events for each crash so you can get a sense of the rate of crashes for different versions or regions, allowing you to gain insight into which users are impacted. These insights help improve your game with every update.

Choose a Card Game Development Company

A good game development company will be crucial when starting your card game business. You will need high-quality game software and an experienced and reliable team throughout. While there are innumerable companies to pick from, these are some of the things that you can consider when making a choice:

• Study the company’s portfolio and learn about recent projects similar to your game ideas. If the company has already worked on a similar project, its turnaround time will be less than the first time.
• Study the company’s eye for detail. During the discussion with the company’s representatives, observe if the team discusses every detail of the project and also covers points that may not be given in the specifications but help bridge the gaps.
• Understand from the company what technology they will suggest for your project and why.
• Will the suggested technology be a scalable and stable platform that suits your game?
• Please get to know their design team and check out their reference design work to understand how experienced the UI and UX design team is. This is essential to good game development.
• Quality assurance and round-the-clock post-development support should be ensured.

Real Money Game and Licenses

Card games require licenses, and different jurisdictions have legislation regarding the card game business.

Before launching your website and game, research the necessary gaming license required to operate your card game business in the jurisdiction where you plan to launch it. Government guidelines need to be followed to legalize your card game business.

Remember that making real money betting games for the store is impossible, as Play Store and Apple Store don’t allow that.

Build a Website for Your Business

A good website for your business is as much of a given as the sun rising in the East. Building a quality website that is easy to navigate, aesthetically done, and in keeping with your brand image is necessary. It generates trust among the players. It makes your game more reliable and becomes a platform for other activities. Apart from that, both mobile applications and websites should be constantly updated and well-optimized to ensure faster loading speeds. It should also be compatible with all the available browsers.

Know all about Blockchain and NFTs

Fusing blockchain technology and NFTs with traditional card games is revolutionizing online gaming. Games allow users to integrate their cryptocurrency wallets in a way that is compatible with the blockchain platform used by the game. Users can then either play with cryptocurrency or trade their NFTs. This is also considered a gambling game.

It is believed that in no time, crypto TCGs will dominate the online gaming landscape. Here’s how:

Traditional online card games lack a sense of ownership for the players. The players cannot guarantee the future value and security of digital cards stored on servers. With Crypto TCGs and NFT Authentication, players can truly own their digital cards as unique tokens on the blockchain. These tokens cannot be duplicated, so the value of rare cards increases. This leads to confidence in the long-term value of digital assets.

NFTs and blockchain technology allow cross-platform compatibility so players can quickly transfer and use their digital cards across platforms and games. This seamlessness will enable players to explore new games while preserving the value of their digital assets.

Traditional online card games are centralized; hence, they are open to hacking and data breaches. Blockchain technology offers a solution by decentralizing data storage and transaction validation, securing the system against fraud, and safeguarding the players’ digital assets.

NFT marketplaces create a secure and transparent trading atmosphere to facilitate digital card trading, selling, or buying, thus enabling players to monetize their card collections.

Ensure a Reliable Payment Gateway Provider

The payment gateway provider can make or break your card game business because the reputation of your business rests on it. Your card game business needs to steer clear of any fraud. A trusted and reputed provider will offer secure payment, efficient fraud detection, a multi-currency support system, etc. There is another catch to consider. If your country doesn’t allow real money gambling games, then payment gateways will also refuse to provide their services.

Brand Your Business

You must have read enough about how good branding is a must. It does not cost you much, but it requires a lot of creativity and research. An effective marketing strategy translates into a successful business. Develop a team for your online card game business, which will help enhance your brand awareness.

Check the formalities

By now, you will be ready to hit the market. The final checklist will include essential aspects for legalizing your card game business, like liability protection, tax benefits, and legal and trademark formalities.

Post-launch

You will need post-launch services and support once you launch the card game business. The card game development company you chose in Step 3 should offer maintenance and support and help grow your online card game business.

Starting a business involves planning, making critical financial decisions, and completing legal activities. It also requires funds and patience in equal volumes. Remember, it all begins with a good idea. And once you have a card game app that stands out in the market as a highly creative and cost-efficient solution, with the social and viral aspects fully covered, you are more than ready for this buzzing industry.