Wild Soccer Game Design & Development, 2023

We love games.

Video games have always been a source of inspiration and joy for our team. After years of creating applications and tools for others, we decided to build something that combines our passion for gaming with our technical expertise. Wild Soccer is the result - a turn-based multiplayer online game that should bring people together through the universal language of soccer - and cute animals!

Motivation

The project served as a showcase for modern game development technologies and practices, demonstrating how powerful tools like Godot and Nakama can be combined to create compelling multiplayer experiences without the resources of a large studio. We tried game development (in Unity) before with Icarus and we failed in our aspiration. This time, we wanted to do it right. We wanted to create a game that is not only fun to play but also developable and maintainable for our small team.

We brought in some working students from the Berlin Games Academy to help us with the game design and development. They brought fresh ideas and perspectives, and we were able to mentor them in the process. The collaboration was a great experience for everyone involved, and we learned a lot about game design, networking, and working in a team.

As expected, we spent a lot of time on the game mechanics and design while building the game at the same time. This was a challenge, but it also allowed us to iterate quickly iterate. What we definitely underestimated was the amount of time it takes to create art assets for the game. We had to make some compromises in this area, but we are still proud of the final result.

Features

Wild Soccer offers a comprehensive multiplayer experience with several key elements:

Matchmaking System: Intelligent player matching based on skill level and connection quality
Real-time Gameplay: Responsive controls and network code optimized for turn-based animal soccer action
Cross-platform Support: Play on multiple platforms with the same account
Quick Authentication: Multiple login options including guest accounts, username/password, and OAuth 2.0 integration with providers like Google

The game maintains persistent player profiles, tracking statistics and progression to provide a sense of accomplishment and growth as players improve their skills.

Technology

Wild Soccer leverages modern game development technologies to deliver a robust and enjoyable multiplayer experience:

Godot Engine: The client is built with this powerful open-source game engine, providing excellent 2D rendering, physics, and cross-platform support
Nakama Server: A feature-rich, open-source game server providing authentication, matchmaking, and realtime multiplayer functionality
Docker: Containerized server deployment for consistent development and production environments
OAuth 2.0: Secure authentication with popular identity providers

The architecture follows a client-server model with clear separation of concerns. The client handles rendering, input, and game state prediction, while the server manages authoritative game state, matchmaking, and player data persistence.

Our custom RPC (Remote Procedure Call) system facilitates communication between client and server, allowing for flexible gameplay mechanics while maintaining security. The development workflow supports rapid iteration, with tools to quickly test different connection scenarios and user accounts.

Development Insights

Building Wild Soccer has been an educational journey in game networking and multiplayer architecture. One of the most significant challenges was planning out the game mechanics and implementing them at the same time. Our solution employs client-side prediction with server reconciliation, providing a smooth experience while ensuring fair play.

The project’s modular design allows us to continuously add new features without disrupting the core experience. From new character abilities to additional game modes, the foundation is in place for ongoing expansion of the Wild Soccer universe.

Future Plans