Three months ago, Ri had never built a game. Armed only with curiosity and a willingness to experiment, the developer completed two polished iOS games—without prior Unity experience or formal game development training. The key? Choosing familiar technology over industry-standard tools. Here’s how it worked and what changed along the way.
Why React Native over Unity for first-time games
Many tutorials and peers recommended Unity as the go-to engine for mobile game development. After spending time exploring Unity’s interface and completing introductory tutorials, Ri faced a clear choice: continue learning a complex new system or use existing skills to ship something tangible.
The decision was straightforward. With prior React Native experience, Ri chose to build both games using this framework instead. The rationale was simple—leveraging known tools accelerates delivery. Unity’s steep learning curve risked delaying the first release by months, and the goal was to finish working products, not master new engines.
The two games: minimalist designs with deep mechanics
Both games prioritize simplicity in concept but introduce meaningful depth through design and progression systems.
Linko: One Line Path is a minimalist puzzle game where players connect all dots on a grid using a single continuous line. The challenge ramps up quickly, starting with 5x5 grids for beginners and scaling to 9x9 grids for advanced players. The app features over 5,000 levels, each requiring strategic thinking despite its clean visual presentation.
Bricko: Brick Photo Art offers a more relaxed experience. Players construct images pixel by pixel, placing colored bricks one at a time to recreate photos or artwork. The process is meditative and visually satisfying, appealing to users who enjoy hands-on creation.
Both titles are intentionally casual, ensuring accessibility while maintaining depth through progressive difficulty and unlockable content.
Hidden challenges beyond the code
Building games with React Native introduced unexpected technical hurdles that required careful problem-solving.
Generating valid puzzles for Linko proved far more complex than anticipated. Each level needed to guarantee a solvable path without being trivial, which meant implementing robust validation logic. Ri spent significant time refining algorithms to ensure every grid offered a legitimate one-line solution before appearing in the game.
Performance became a major focus in Bricko. React Native is not optimized for real-time rendering of hundreds of dynamic elements. To maintain smooth frame rates, Ri applied several optimizations including ListView tuning, component memoization, and reducing unnecessary re-renders. These adjustments transformed a sluggish prototype into a responsive experience.
Navigating App Store submission and review
Publishing to the App Store introduced a new set of requirements that extended beyond development. Screenshots, metadata, age ratings, and compliance with Apple’s review guidelines demanded attention and iteration.
The submission process took longer than expected. Ri’s first submission was rejected due to a minor compliance issue. After addressing the feedback and resubmitting, the apps were approved—taking approximately one week from initial submission to store availability.
A marketing misstep to avoid
One of the biggest lessons came too late. Ri focused entirely on development for three months, only turning attention to users after launch. This approach delayed audience engagement and feedback loops.
Building in public—sharing progress, gathering early feedback, and refining direction based on real user input—should have started on day one. Launching without an audience or marketing plan made early growth harder than necessary.
Takeaways for aspiring game developers
Starting a game project doesn’t require mastering engines like Unity from day one. Using familiar tools can reduce friction and accelerate delivery. However, performance optimizations become critical when working outside traditional game frameworks.
For solo developers, early planning around marketing and community building is just as important as technical execution. Sharing progress publicly can uncover insights, attract early adopters, and refine the product before launch.
Both Linko and Bricko are now available on the App Store. They offer free downloads and welcome honest feedback from players.
AI summary
Unity kullanmadan React Native ile ilk oyunlarını App Store’a taşıyan bir geliştiricinin deneyimleri, karşılaştığı zorluklar ve pazarlama ipuçları.
