Hire Expert iOS Game Developers

Mobile phones are now an inseparable part of our lives, and mobile games have become important avenues for entertainment. iOS is one of the most popular mobile platforms. It’s no wonder that many iOS games have such a large fan following. Do you want to cash in on this market of iOS mobile games? If you do, you will need to hire competent iOS game developers.

The soaring popularity of iOS games has resulted in a huge demand for iOS game developers. You need to make sure you get it right when you hire them.

For example, hiring freelancers might seem like a great way to get the skills and save money, however, you expose your project to numerous unnecessary risks by doing so. To save your project from these, and yourself the headaches, you should hire developers or dev teams from a trustworthy software development company like DevTeam.Space.

Before you choose a hiring platform, you need to be clear on the skill requirements for iOS mobile game development. These are as follows:

Primary iOS game development skills

iOS game developers need the following primary skills:

• Sound knowledge of Swift, the modern programming language preferred by Apple;
  
• In-depth experience in working with Swift SDKs;
  
• Proficiency with the relevant frameworks, APIs, SDKs, and libraries offered by Apple;
  
• Extensive knowledge of Xcode, the popular IDE (Integrated Development Environment);
  
• Sound knowledge XCTest;
  
• Thorough understanding of frameworks like Core Data and Core Animation;
  
• Familiarity with important services like Apple Push Notification service (APNS);
  
• Knowledge of open-source and free version control systems like Git;
  
• Understanding of programming languages like Java and C;
  
• Deep knowledge of Human Interface Guidelines (HIG);
  
• Experience in working with popular game engines like Unity, Unreal Engine, etc.
  

Important note: In any iOS game development project, knowledge of game engines is critical. iOS game developers should never have to use tutorials in order to work with these game engines, if they do, they don’t have the experience your project needs. They need to understand back to front how the production of a game is achieved using these game engines.

Developers don’t always need to know the intricacies of the code that makes these engines work. However, they should know the important features such as graphics editor work, etc. Programmers must also be familiar with the tools used by artists to create designs and models, etc. This will allow them to more efficiently implement the code to support the graphics side of the game.

Other software development skills needed by iOS game developers

Experienced iOS game developers need the following additional skills:

A. Application security skills required for iOS game development

All over the world, cyber-criminals exploit the popularity of computer or mobile games to target users. Your proposed iOS game needs to have sound data security and privacy mechanisms. 

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You expose your game app to high risks if you don’t create and implement a robust data security strategy. You need developers with the required application security skills.

iOS game programmers need the following knowledge:

• Detecting and mitigating important application security vulnerabilities;
  
• Defect prevention since hackers routinely exploit bugs in software;
  
• Encryption for data-at-rest and data-in-transit;
  
• Using tools like antivirus, firewalls, and digital signatures;
  
• API security mechanisms;
  
• How to resolve security and compliance testing issues;
  
• Cloud security mechanisms.
  

B. API development skills needed to develop iOS games

The client side of web applications, websites, and mobile applications needs APIs to communicate with the back end. You will likely use APIs in your proposed iOS game app. While you might use a few 3rd party APIs, you will likely develop your own APIs for core functionalities. You need iOS game developers with the following API development skills:

• Whether to use GraphQL vs REST APIs;
• How to develop RESTful APIs;
• Hosting APIs using cloud platforms;
• API development and documentation tools, e.g., Postman, Swagger, etc.;How to test APIs;
• API security mechanisms like authentication, quota, throttling, and encryption;
• How to design API endpoints smartly;
• Formulating rules for API requests and responses.
  

C. A knowledge of the use of cloud platforms and tools

We can’t overstate the role of cloud computing in modern software development projects. Your iOS game development project can make great use of it too. Look for developers with sufficient cloud computing skills. They should know the following:

• The differences between different kinds of cloud platforms like IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), MBaaS (Mobile-Backend-as-a-Service), etc.;
  
• Cloud services offered by the leading cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform;
  
• Different cloud deployment models like public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud;
  
• Relevant software development and testing tools that are offered by cloud providers;
  
• Leading MBaaS platforms.
  

D. Code review skills needed for iOS game development

If you plan to create amazing games for the iOS platform, you need to implement a thorough code review process. Code review helps you to detect defects early in the life cycle. In turn, that keeps the software development costs under control.

Not all developers can review code effectively though. Proactively look for developers with systematic and structured code review experience. You need iOS game developers that know the key code review strategies.

E. Software engineering and software development methodologies skills required for iOS game development

If you want to bring to life the great iOS game ideas you have, you need to execute a software development project effectively. You need team members with good software engineering skills. Look for iOS game developers that know the following:

• Software development lifecycle phases;
  
• Popular software development methodologies like agile and waterfall;
  
• Coding guidelines;
  
• Software development best practices;
  
• Quality management practices, processes, methods, and tools;
  
• Processes, methods, tools, and practices of software testing and DevOps.
  

F. Software architecture skills that iOS game developers need

Your proposed iOS game should make the best use of your selected computing resources. You need the game to be performant. It should scale well when the number of users increases. The game should be maintainable and testable. Choosing the right software architecture pattern is important for this. You should look for developers with a good knowledge of software architecture and architectural decision-making.

G. Competencies that the expert iOS game developers need

Smart iOS game developers that design and develop amazing games need certain competencies. We often call them “soft skills”. These are as follows:

• Teamwork: You need a team that functions effectively to create an iOS game that is able to succeed in this competitive market. Individual developers need to demonstrate teamwork. They should feel happy with the achievements of their peers.
  
• Communication skills: Communication skills are important in any successful company. You need game developers that communicate effectively with the relevant stakeholders. This includes being proactive in warning about issues that could cause problems.
• Problem-solving skills: Creating an exciting iOS game can be a complex project. You need developers with problem-solving skills.
• Commitment: There can be several challenges in an iOS game development project due to inherent complexities. You still need to meet the project quality, budget, scope, and schedule objectives. You need committed developers.
  
• Passion for excellence: You might have a great vision of an exciting game. It is only by taking care of the little details as well as the big ones that will make your project successful. Look for developers with an eye for excellence who will take care of the little details without being asked.
  
• Empathy: What will the users need to play your game without hindrances and what little touches will help them love your game? You need developers to understand your game from the perspective of users. For this, developers need empathy.
  

How to find the best iOS game developers?

You now know the skill requirements for iOS game development. Start the hiring process now. You need to take the following steps:

1. Decide the kind of platform to hire iOS game developers

iOS is a highly popular mobile platform, and many product owners have created quality products for this mobile operating system. 

You need to offer an excellent and enthralling game to attract and retain users. Essentially, you need to execute a top-notch game design and development project. Finding the right game developers is key to your success in this. You ought to make the right hiring decisions to find such programmers.

You might think it’s a good idea to hire freelancers. After all, freelance platforms enable you to negotiate a low hourly rate.

We don’t recommend this approach though. Creating a high-quality iOS game can be hard. Freelancers work part-time on your project, and executing complex projects with part-timers can be challenging.

This becomes harder with remote part-timers. Imagine yourself in San Diego, USA, and having to manage the work of remote freelancers in India, for example.

Freelancers may also leave your project mid-way. In such a case, you will need to find replacement developers. Note that freelance platforms don’t offer any project management support and don’t cover your losses should your freelancer let you down. 

We recommend you hire dedicated iOS game developers from a trustworthy software development community like DevTeam.Space. We offer highly skilled developers. Our full-time programmers are experienced and vetted. We routinely encourage our developers to upskill, therefore, they are highly motivated.

DevTeam.Space offers project management support. Our dedicated account manager works closely with your project manager. They provide management oversight for our developers and to be there should you need any help or advice. Only hire developers from a company that offers this level of service. 

2. Interview iOS game developers

Upon choosing a hiring platform and posting the job ad, you have now received lots of applications. Conduct focused interviews. You can ask friends or colleagues to help with the interviews if you don’t have iOS development skills. You can also consult interview questions found online, e.g., our iOS interview questions.

Ask questions that cover all technical skill areas. Don’t confine yourself to only one or two skill areas. Likewise, don’t ask theoretical questions only. Ask questions that help you assess the hands-on skills of candidates.

Ask candidates to describe their problem-solving experience on earlier projects. Describe your project requirements. Ask candidates about how they would meet those requirements. You should expect specific suggestions. Consequently, red flags should go up if a candidate only talks in vague jargon.

Note: If you hire from a software development company, you will not need to do an extensive interview of their developers as they will already be vetted by the platform. 

3. Provide detailed information about your mobile game development project

By conducting detailed interviews, you should have now found the right iOS game developers. You want them to get up to speed quickly. Developers need effective onboarding to become productive quickly.

Explain the functional and non-functional requirements of your project. You need to share the relevant documents with the new developers. These might include business requirements, technical solutions, etc.

New developers need access to the project’s technical environment. Work with the appropriate people to grant them the necessary access. These could include code repositories, test environments, etc.

Introduce your new team to the existing team. Explain the roles and responsibilities. Describe the project plan and project schedule to the new developers. Explain the project milestones, furthermore, describe the work intake and approval processes. Set up a communication channel with the new team. You should establish accountability.

Interviewing tips to hire expert programmers for developing iOS games

We offer the following interview tips for when you hire iOS game developers:

A. Look for developers that routinely review popular games and learn lessons

The world of mobile game development is dynamic. New innovations and trends emerge all the time. You need developers that routinely check out popular games. They should review a representative sample from different game categories like board games, puzzle games, etc. Look for developers that have learned useful lessons by studying these games.

B. Hire sufficiently experienced developers

You might think that hiring junior developers will suffice, however, an iOS game development project can be complex. You need a team with the right mix of experience. Hire sufficiently experienced developers.

C. Hire one software development team from DevTeam.Space instead of multiple developers from different platforms

You might need multiple developers for your iOS game development project. Hiring individual developers from different platforms can make project management harder for you. Programmers hired from different platforms might work in silos. We recommend you hire a cohesive team from DevTeam.Space if you need a development team.

Examples of coding questions to ask when hiring developers that create iOS games

Ask questions that go beyond theoretical knowledge. You should ask questions that help you assess the relevant skills of iOS game developers. The following are a few examples:

A. Describe your experience of using any of the leading game engines.

Answer: 

In response to this open-ended question, expect candidates to talk about the features of game engines that were useful. They might talk about game engines like Unity, Unreal Engine, etc. Developers might describe the graphics design tools, tutorials, etc.

B. Explain how you ensured the performance and scalability of games developed earlier.

Answer: 

Developers should talk about practical steps that they took in reply to this open-ended question. They might talk about cloud infrastructure, software architecture, application performance tuning, etc. Developers might describe their experience of optimizing the content used in the game.

C. Describe the key factors you considered during the user interface design of iOS game apps developed earlier.

Answer: 

In response to this open-ended question, expect developers to talk about how they utilized the Human Interface Guidelines. They might talk about how the icons, menu options, illustrations, color schemes, etc. were designed. Candidates should talk about the complex UI design and development issues that they faced.

Submit a Project With Zero Risk

iOS games are popular, however, developing iOS mobile games can be complex. Why take the risk of hiring anything but the best iOS game developers?

DevTeam.Space is a community of experienced field expert software developers. All of our dedicated iOS game developers have been vetted and trained in our unique agile software development process.

We match only the most suitable developer or development team to your project specifications. If you would like to learn more, simply fill out our DevTeam.Space product specification form and one of our experienced account managers will get in touch to answer any questions you might have.