Have a great idea for an iOS game but are turned off by the hours of tedious work involved in bringing your concept to life? The good news is that getting started in the gaming industry has never been easier.
Mobile gaming has a 60% market share. Smartphones are the leading gaming platform. Casual gaming keeps growing. New games are released into the market every day to cater to the diverse tastes and preferences of different market segments.
You too can turn your great idea for an iOS game into a reality without having to reinvent the wheel. One way to get started is with CodeCanyon's brilliant range of game templates for iOS.
Top-Selling iOS Game Templates for 2021 on CodeCanyon
In order to choose the best genre for your mobile game, familiarity with mobile game genres is important. Your choice will be determined by the popularity of the mobile genres, what new ideas you bring to a particular genre, and the cost of developing a game within a particular genre.
The best place to start is the mobile game industry reports that break down the popularity of each genre and sub-genre by percentage of downloads.
This list of genres is not comprehensive: arcade, adventure, action, battler, board games, cards, casino, casual, family, sport, simulation, strategy, and role-playing games (RPG).
There's a place where you can find all types of game templates: CodeCanyon. Here's a handpicked selection of the top iPhone game templates for your next app.
18 Best iOS Game Templates
To get you started, we’ve scoured through the almost 300 iOS game templates we have available and found the best and most current we have available today.
1. BUILDBOX 3D PACK—Hypercasual Game Templates For iOS
If you want to attract new users, you've got to check Hypercasual game templates. Several reports reveal that hypercasual games are among the most popular mobile games during 2020 and 2021.
This game template pack comes with five 3D hypercausal games. It's perfect if you're looking for the best iPhone game templates.
2. Solitaire—iOS Card Game Template
Looking for popular game templates for your next app? Card game templates are a great bet. Solitaire is a classic and popular game that the users will love.
This card game template features an eye-catching design, multiple difficulty levels and an attractive UI.
3. Wood Block Puzzle—iOS Board Game Template
Who doesn't like board games? This board game template is exactly what you need for your next app.
This iPhone game template features two boards, four player modes and a nice design. This cool board game template has the option to play offline, so your users can take it anywhere!
4. FIVES—iOS Xcode Game Template
One of the top sellers at CodeCanyon, FIVES challenges players to create as many five-letter words as they can before the game’s timer runs out. Every time players match a word, the timer decreases its time a little, to give them a bit of a reward. Players also have the option of sharing their best scores on Facebook and Twitter.
The FIVES Xcode game code uses Xcode 8.x and Swift. It supports internationalization to multiple languages and comes with a comprehensive PDF user guide to help you customise the game to suit your interests and tastes.
5. Little Snowplow—iPhone Game Template
Little Snowplow is an endless type game that works like this: To clean the road, tap right or left to turn the snowplow. Dodge enemies and collect coins.
The game is based on the SpriteKit engine and is written using Swift. You can share the game on social media to increase your audience and send notifications. You can change skins easily. It comes with a game center and tutorial. To monetize your game, the template allows you to set up in-app purchases, and you can also earn money from AdMob ads.
6. Kenny the Monkey Buildbox—iPhone Game Template
If you're nostalgic for arcade games, the Kenny the Monkey app template will take users back to the golden age of video games, but this time on their mobiles. The app evokes the spirit of classic arcade and console games. It comes with more than 100 levels to play, amazing graphics and sounds, and a Buildbox file.
7. Quiz Online—iPhone Game Template
8. Hangman—iOS Universal Xcode Game Template
Hangman is a remake of a classic word game template where you have to guess words without hanging your stick man. It has different categories and stores your best scores for each category you play into a dynamic TableView. This Xcode game code template is a native XCode project built using the Swift language. It's also easy to reskin.
9. Numberz—iOS Universal Swift Game Template
Numberz uses native Xcode and Swift. It comes with a game center leaderboard so you can always update your score. You have to match as many tiles as you can within 60 seconds, or even before the game board is filled with tiles. Be quick and be careful to not tap the wrong tiles, or else the game will end!
It has two game modes: 60 seconds and Endless. In the 60 seconds mode, you have to tap tiles within 60 seconds and collect as many points as you can. In Endless mode, you have to keep matching numbers as long as you can and reach the highest score you can.
10. Catch The Monsters Geolocation Game
The goal of Catch The Monsters is for the player to find monsters in their area or an area they're visiting. When the app locates a monster, the player needs to get within at least 50 meters of them in order to catch them, earn points, and move up the Top 10 Leaderboard. Players can also share their stats on social media, by email, or via SMS.
The Catch The Monsters template comes with an admin interface, using the Parse SDK on back4app, which allows an administrator to name the monsters and place them anywhere in the world. The app comes with a PDF user guide and PSD icons.
11. Jump Hero—iOS Universal Xcode Game Template
If you want to make waiting for an appointment less boring, then Jump Hero is the ideal template. The Xcode game code is built with Swift on Xcode 9.x, Jump Hero comes with game center leaderboards, PSD graphics, and AdMob integration.
In Jump Hero, you have to jump as many stairs as you can with your character before the timer ends. Be careful not to fall down, but be quick as well! Once you collect many stairs, you can unlock new characters and play with them.
12. Wordzy—iOS Universal Xcode Game Template
Wordzy is built with the Swift language on native Xcode. It's very easy to customize and comes with well-commented documentation and a user guide. It supports multi-language translation. In addition, it comes with AdMob for monetization.
Here is how Wordzy works: you have to unscramble 4, 6, and 9-letter words arranged in a grid of buttons on the interface. You can insert your words into a simple .plist file. Start by inserting the 4-letter words, then the 6-letter one,s and lastly the 9-letter ones. If you get stuck on a word, you can ask your friends for help via social networks, email, and SMS.
13. Tap Roulette—Popular Top Paid iPhone Game Template
The Tap Roulette template allows you to tap into a game whose popularity is growing. It has lightweight, clean code that is easy to read and understand. The app supports up to four fingers at a time. It comes with sound effects and vibrates when one finger is randomly selected. For monetization, it supports Google AdMob interstitial ads.
14. Four Dots—iOS Universal Xcode Game Template
Four Dots is an endless type game template that is easy to customize. Users can share their scores on Twitter, Facebook, and so on. You can monetize the game using AdMob banner ads. It comes with extensive documentation, and PSD files are included.
The game itself: The rose has four circles. Dots that fall down the screen collide with the circles. The colors of the circles turn to match the color of the dots. Dots are generated randomly. The more dots you get, the more points you collect. You must be quick and tap anywhere on the screen to catch all the right dots.
15. Play It—iOS Minimal Xcode Game Template
Play It is the perfect app for users to exercise their memory and musical skills while trying to beat the highest score. They can share their best score through Facebook, Twitter, Mail, and SMS.
To get you building your app immediately, Play It comes with extensive documentation, well-commented code, and well-organized project folders and files. It is easy to customize, and you can set your own skin for the game screen.
16. Pair—iOS Xcode Game Template
When playing Pair, you have to quickly tap either the left or right big button to change the color of the fired arrow and beat the highest score. You can also share your best score through social network apps, Mail, and SMS.
The code is neat and clean. You can customize colors and arrow images. In addition, app icons and buttons are stored in a PSD folder for easy image replacement. And you can get some revenue from AdMob banner ads.
17. Paper Airplane—Xcode Game Template
This Xcode game code is fun and addictive. Users will navigate a paper plane and avoid obstacles to win. This iPhone game template is packed with cool graphics and the latest AdMob SDK. Check out this Xcode game code today!
18. Math For Kids - Full iPhone Game Template
iOS games like this can be a great resource for parents with children. This cool iPhone game template features four interactive math excursuses for kids aged 5 to 9. Check out all you can do with this game template!
Things to Consider When Choosing a Game Template
The gaming app market is very competitive. To create an app that stands out, some thought should go into selecting the template. Here are some things you should consider:
First Impressions
More than half of game installers make their decision based on first impressions. How your game interface is designed is crucial to increased conversions.
Translation Is Localization
Localization widens your reach and vastly increases your audience. Users will pay for a game even if it is partially translated into their language. It's important to translate the description of your app, the menu, and some navigation.
Popularity
You want to make a game that people will pay for. Consider seriously what other users have to say. The best place to begin is to look at the number of downloads and reviews of as many game templates as possible. Also read game industry reports that break down the popularity of each genre and sub-genre by percentage of downloads before you choose.
Social
These are not optional, they are a necessity: logging in using social media and sharing on social media.
Monetization
Look at templates that offer different ways to monetize your game.
Security and Regular Updates
These are important to plug any vulnerabilities that may put user data at risk of being exposed.
Choosing the Best Monetization Model for Your Mobile Game
Free games or paid games? It's not an easy choice. There are a lot of considerations involved:
- What are your revenue goals?
- How broad or limited is the audience you are targeting?
- What kind of game do you have?
- Does your game lend itself well to the paid game model or the free game model?
- Is it a game for casual consumption, e.g. puzzles?
- Is it a game that requires a lot of technical skill and has multiple advanced levels that serious gamers won't mind making in-app purchases to unlock?
Monetizing Free Games
Free games get a lot of downloads. But how do you monetize them?
Advertising
- banner ads at the bottom
- full-screen images between levels
- opt-in videos: if users choose to watch, the developer makes some money
But ads can be frustrating to users and may lead to bad reviews.
In-App Purchases
In this case, you make your app available free but with limited functionality and features. Users can unlock more features through in-app purchases.
Paid Games
This model works well for games designed for a specialized audience. It focuses on technical skills. Users pay once and download the app.
You can go further and use the paidmium model in which users pay to download the app, and if they need to access more advanced features or game levels, they pay for them as well.
Explore More Awesome App Templates For Your Next Project
Do you want to improve your skills building iOS games? Looking for more cool app templates? Check out some of the ever so useful mobile development tutorials and courses we have on offer.
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Launch Your Game App With Premium Templates
This article lists just a few of the popular iOS game templates available on CodeCanyon. If you are looking for inspiration or you're building an application and need help with a particular feature, then you may find your answer in some of these templates.
Put one of these templates to use right now, or check out some of the other templates for complete apps available on CodeCanyon.
Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Maria Villanueva. Maria is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+.