From concept to publisher-ready vertical slice in six weeks

The challenge

• A publishing conversation required something playable, not a pitch deck, on a fixed date.
• The scope had to demonstrate core gameplay, art direction and performance on mid-range Android devices simultaneously.
• There was no room for a second attempt within the window.

The solution

• Locked a single core mechanic in week one and refused additions to it for the rest of the build.
• Built a vertical slice — one level, fully finished — rather than a broad but unpolished demo.
• Profiled on a mid-range target device weekly, not at the end.

Implementation

• Art and engineering worked to the same weekly build so integration never accumulated.
• Performance budgets set per frame at the start and treated as a release gate.
• Playtested internally every Friday, with the mechanic tuned from observed behaviour rather than opinion.

Technology

Outcome

The slice secured a publishing conversation with a regional partner and now anchors the Gaming Division's prototyping process.