Development That Feels Like Conversation

Our methodology combines technical expertise with genuine understanding, creating games through collaboration rather than specification alone.

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The Foundation of Our Approach

Games as Social Infrastructure

We view games primarily as spaces where people connect. This perspective shapes every development decision, from interface design to feature prioritization. Technical excellence serves social goals rather than existing for its own sake.

When we say a game works well, we mean players feel comfortable interacting, conversation flows naturally, and the mechanics support rather than dictate social dynamics. This focus on social infrastructure distinguishes our games from technically impressive but socially awkward alternatives.

Quality Through Understanding

Development quality emerges from genuine understanding of what makes each project special. We invest time learning your vision, questioning assumptions gently, and ensuring we grasp not just what you want built but why it matters.

This patient approach means development starts properly rather than requiring significant mid-project corrections. When we understand the purpose behind features, we build them right the first time and suggest improvements that enhance rather than divert from your original intent.

Core Development Principles

Transparency

Clear communication about progress, challenges, and realistic timelines throughout development.

Flexibility

Adapting to discoveries during development while maintaining project scope and timeline.

Sustainability

Building technical foundations that support growth and evolution beyond initial launch.

The Dovecon Ab Oy Development Method

Our structured approach balances creative collaboration with professional project management, ensuring games develop naturally while meeting timeline expectations.

1

Discovery and Understanding

We begin by understanding what makes your concept special. Through comfortable conversations, we explore your vision, intended player experience, and practical requirements. This phase establishes shared understanding before any code is written.

Key Activities:

  • • Vision articulation and refinement
  • • Player experience mapping
  • • Technical feasibility assessment
  • • Timeline and budget alignment
2

Collaborative Design

Design happens together. We present wireframes, gameplay flows, and feature proposals that translate your vision into concrete plans. Your feedback guides refinement until the design captures what you had in mind.

Key Activities:

  • • Interface wireframe creation
  • • Gameplay mechanic documentation
  • • Social feature planning
  • • Technical architecture design
3

Iterative Development

Development proceeds in visible stages. You see working versions early and often, testing gameplay feel and providing feedback while changes remain straightforward. This iterative approach prevents surprises at launch.

Key Activities:

  • • Core mechanic implementation
  • • Regular playable builds
  • • Feature integration and testing
  • • Performance optimization
4

Launch and Evolution

Launch marks the beginning of your game's life, not the end of our relationship. We provide launch support, monitor performance, and remain available for updates as your player community grows and evolves.

Key Activities:

  • • Final testing and optimization
  • • Deployment and monitoring
  • • Player feedback collection
  • • Ongoing feature development

Built on Proven Principles

Industry Standards

We follow established game development best practices including version control, automated testing, and modular architecture. These standards ensure code quality and maintainability.

Version Control: Git-based workflow with proper branching

Testing: Automated and manual testing protocols

Documentation: Clear code and API documentation

Security Protocols

Player data protection and secure communication channels are fundamental requirements. We implement appropriate security measures from the start rather than retrofitting them later.

Data Protection: Encryption and secure storage

Authentication: Secure user verification

Communication: Encrypted data transmission

Quality Assurance

Systematic testing ensures games work reliably across platforms. We test functionality, performance, and social features thoroughly before considering development complete.

Functionality: Feature testing and validation

Performance: Load testing and optimization

Compatibility: Cross-platform verification

UK Development Standards

Operating within the UK game development landscape means adhering to relevant regulations and understanding local requirements. Our Westminster location places us within the regulatory environment we navigate daily.

Regulatory Compliance

We understand UK data protection requirements, age rating considerations, and consumer protection standards. Games we develop comply with relevant regulations from the start.

Professional Standards

Our development practices align with UK professional standards for software development, including proper contracts, clear deliverables, and transparent communication.

Where Conventional Development Struggles

Technical Focus Without Social Understanding

Many developers excel at building technically impressive games but miss the social dynamics that make gaming engaging. Features work perfectly yet players feel isolated. The game functions but doesn't create community.

Our approach: We prioritize social experience alongside technical implementation, ensuring gameplay mechanics support rather than hinder player interaction.

Specification-Driven Rather Than Vision-Guided

Traditional development treats specifications as rigid documents. What gets built matches the specification but may not match the original vision, particularly when specifications fail to capture intangible aspects like atmosphere or feel.

Our approach: We maintain focus on your vision throughout development, ensuring technical implementation serves the intended experience rather than just meeting listed requirements.

Launch-and-Leave Mentality

Many studios consider projects complete at launch, leaving clients to handle post-launch challenges alone. Games launch successfully but struggle to evolve as communities develop and needs change.

Our approach: Launch begins our ongoing relationship. We remain available for updates, feature additions, and technical support as your game evolves with its community.

Inadequate Communication

Development often happens behind closed doors with minimal client involvement until major milestones. Misunderstandings compound over time, leading to late-stage corrections and frustration.

Our approach: Regular communication, early playable versions, and collaborative decision-making keep everyone aligned throughout the development process.

What Makes Our Approach Different

Social Gaming Expertise

We specialize in games where player interaction matters. Whether developing pub-style competition or voice chat systems, we understand the subtle dynamics that make social gaming comfortable rather than awkward.

This specialization means we anticipate social challenges before they arise, design features that encourage natural interaction, and create environments where communities form organically.

UK Tax Relief Knowledge

Understanding UK Video Games Tax Relief gives our clients financial advantages many miss. We provide practical guidance on qualifying for VGTR, preparing cultural tests, and organizing documentation properly.

This knowledge helps studios access available relief without overwhelming complexity. We translate regulatory requirements into straightforward action steps.

Welcoming Development Process

Development feels collaborative rather than transactional. We communicate in plain language, explain technical decisions accessibly, and maintain the kind of partnership where questions are welcomed.

Clients appreciate working with developers who prioritize clear communication and genuine collaboration over impressive jargon and distant professionalism.

Sustainable Architecture

We build technical foundations that support growth and evolution. Games remain stable as player numbers increase, new features integrate naturally, and technical debt stays manageable.

This sustainable approach means your game continues serving players well months and years after launch, adapting to community needs without requiring complete rebuilds.

How We Track Success

Success means different things for different projects. We establish clear progress indicators that align with your specific goals while maintaining realistic expectations.

Player Engagement Metrics

For social games, engagement quality matters more than raw numbers. We track return rates, session comfort, and community formation patterns rather than just time-on-site.

  • • Weekly player return rates
  • • Average comfortable session length
  • • Community formation indicators
  • • Voice chat adoption and quality

Technical Performance

Games must work reliably across platforms and connection conditions. We measure technical stability, cross-platform compatibility, and performance consistency.

  • • Uptime and stability metrics
  • • Cross-platform functionality
  • • Load handling and scaling
  • • Update deployment smoothness

Client Satisfaction

Your experience during development matters as much as the final product. We track communication clarity, timeline adherence, and overall partnership quality.

  • • Communication effectiveness
  • • Timeline and budget adherence
  • • Feature delivery alignment
  • • Post-launch support satisfaction

Realistic Expectations

Success doesn't mean viral growth or immediate profitability. We focus on building solid foundations that support sustainable growth. Your game might start with modest player numbers but stable engagement and community formation.

This realistic approach sets projects up for long-term success rather than quick spikes followed by decline. Sustainable games grow steadily as word spreads through genuine player satisfaction.

Development Philosophy in Practice

Game development methodology reveals studio values and priorities. Our approach combines technical expertise with genuine understanding of social gaming dynamics, creating development partnerships that feel collaborative rather than transactional.

The Dovecon Ab Oy method emphasizes early playable versions, regular communication, and flexibility within structure. We believe games develop best through iteration and feedback rather than rigid adherence to initial specifications. This philosophy creates better outcomes because it allows discovery during development while maintaining professional project management.

Based in Westminster, London, we understand the UK gaming landscape from regulatory requirements to cultural preferences. Our knowledge of Video Games Tax Relief helps clients access available benefits, while our social gaming expertise ensures games create the kind of player engagement that builds sustainable communities.

Quality emerges from proper foundations rather than last-minute polish. We invest time understanding project vision, building sustainable technical architecture, and maintaining clear communication throughout development. These fundamentals create games that work reliably, evolve naturally, and serve their communities well beyond launch.

Our methodology continues evolving based on project learnings and industry developments. We remain committed to development that prioritizes player experience, client collaboration, and technical sustainability. This approach creates games people enjoy playing and studios appreciate building.

Experience Development Done Differently

Our methodology creates games through collaboration, technical excellence, and genuine understanding. Let's discuss how this approach might serve your project.

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