Building Multiplayer Card Games: Insights from CardsJD.com

10/22/24 • 50 min

Jimmy Dickinson, the creator of CardsJD.com. Jimmy shares his journey from early console gaming to becoming a full-time indie developer, shedding light on the unique challenges of building multiplayer games. The discussion covers his transition from Intel to game development, offering insights into successful platform ports and the importance of versatile coding skills. James emphasizes marketing strategies, including App Store Optimization (ASO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), alongside his rebranding journey for better platform recognition.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Game Development Insights: They will hear about Jimmy Dickinson’s journey in game development, including his move from corporate jobs to full-time indie development.
Challenges in Multiplayer Game Development: Jimmy discusses the intricacies and challenges, especially around maintaining chat and player interactions in multiplayer games.
Entrepreneurship and Game Monetization: Insights into Jimmy's entrepreneurial mindset, strategies for monetizing games without disrupting player experience, and the balance between in-app purchases and ads.
Community Building: Learn about Jimmy's emphasis on community building, from running chess tournaments to managing Facebook groups effectively.
Technical Aspects and SEO Strategy: How Jimmy deals with technical challenges such as implementing leaderboards, optimizing for different platforms (iOS, Android), and his strategies for SEO to increase game visibility.
Innovative Problem Solving: Hear about Jimmy’s unique approach to solving various problems with innovative tools, making offline functionalities more robust, and how he leverages his coding skills.

Check out Jimmy's Resources:

https://cardsjd.com/
https://cribbagecalculator.com/
https://twitter.com/jamesfdickinson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfdickinson/

Where to play Online:

Cribbage JD - https://cardsjd.com/cribbage/
BracketJD - https://BracketJD.com

eCribbage - http://ecribbage.com/

PlayOK cribbage - https://www.playok.com/en/cribbage/

Cribbage Pro - http://www.cribbagepro.net/

Facebook - https://fb.gg/play/jimmy-cribbage

Contact:
[email protected]

(00:00) - Introduction to Multiplayer Games
(00:43) - Welcome to the Hey Good Game Podcast
(01:33) - Jimmy Dickinson's Background and Career
(02:24) - Early Programming and Game Development
(05:02) - Entrepreneurial Journey and Challenges
(10:13) - Developing and Marketing Games
(24:20) - Chess Tournament Software and Innovations
(26:23) - Adapting to COVID: Transforming Tournament Software
(26:52) - Building a Community Through Online Tournaments
(29:57) - Challenges in Multiplayer Game Development
(31:07) - Enhancing User Experience with Leaderboards and Achievements
(36:45) - Monetization Strategies for Indie Developers
(48:54) - Managing and Growing Game Communities
(51:18) - Conclusion and Contact Informatio

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com

In this episode, you'll learn:

Game Development Insights: They will hear about Jimmy Dickinson’s journey in game development, including his move from corporate jobs to full-time indie development.
Challenges in Multiplayer Game Development: Jimmy discusses the intricacies and challenges, especially around maintaining chat and player interactions in multiplayer games.
Entrepreneurship and Game Monetization: Insights into Jimmy's entrepreneurial mindset, strategies for monetizing games without disrupting player experience, and the balance between in-app purchases and ads.
Community Building: Learn about Jimmy's emphasis on community building, from running chess tournaments to managing Facebook groups effectively.
Technical Aspects and SEO Strategy: How Jimmy deals with technical challenges such as implementing leaderboards, optimizing for different platforms (iOS, Android), and his strategies for SEO to increase game visibility.
Innovative Problem Solving: Hear about Jimmy’s unique approach to solving various problems with innovative tools, making offline functionalities more robust, and how he leverages his coding skills.

Check out Jimmy's Resources:

https://cardsjd.com/
https://cribbagecalculator.com/
https://twitter.com/jamesfdickinson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfdickinson/

Where to play Online:

Cribbage JD - https://cardsjd.com/cribbage/
BracketJD - https://BracketJD.com

eCribbage - http://ecribbage.com/

PlayOK cribbage - https://www.playok.com/en/cribbage/

Cribbage Pro - http://www.cribbagepro.net/

Facebook - https://fb.gg/play/jimmy-cribbage

Contact:
[email protected]

(00:00) - Introduction to Multiplayer Games
(00:43) - Welcome to the Hey Good Game Podcast
(01:33) - Jimmy Dickinson's Background and Career
(02:24) - Early Programming and Game Development
(05:02) - Entrepreneurial Journey and Challenges
(10:13) - Developing and Marketing Games
(24:20) - Chess Tournament Software and Innovations
(26:23) - Adapting to COVID: Transforming Tournament Software
(26:52) - Building a Community Through Online Tournaments
(29:57) - Challenges in Multiplayer Game Development
(31:07) - Enhancing User Experience with Leaderboards and Achievements
(36:45) - Monetization Strategies for Indie Developers
(48:54) - Managing and Growing Game Communities
(51:18) - Conclusion and Contact Informatio

Check out our brainy games:

Previous Episode

From Side Project to 35,000 Monthly Users: The MathHeads Story

Aman Rawal and Ben Hollier, the minds behind MathHeads, a game designed to make mental math enjoyable. The conversation spans the development journey and multiplayer features of MathHeads, elaborating on backend challenges, user experience, and the game’s reception. It further explores strategies in managing a mix of game modes and user engagement through platforms like Discord. The discussion highlights marketing strategies leveraging Reddit and Google Ads, tackles the intricacies of monetization and infrastructure, and showcases unexpected collaboration opportunities, such as with the World Mental Calculation League.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Community Engagement: The importance of engaging with users through platforms like Discord. MathHeads utilized user feedback extensively to improve their site and gather data on user behavior.
Iterative Development: The value of releasing basic versions of the game to get early feedback and iterating based on user responses.
Monetization Challenges: The journey to monetizing the platform, including failed attempts with Google AdSense and deciding to build a larger user base before focusing heavily on monetization.
Backend Challenges: The complexities of developing real-time, head-to-head multiplayer functionalities and managing cross-platform issues (iOS vs. Android).
Partnerships and Accountability: Highlighting the importance of having a team or partners to stay accountable and motivated, which can be crucial for maintaining momentum in developmental projects.
User Personalization: Offering different game modes and difficulty levels to appeal to a wide range of users.
Networking and Exposure: Through community and organic growth, they came across various partnerships and opportunities, albeit some didn’t align perfectly with their current capabilities or goals.
Regular Updates and Communication: Ensuring to keep the user base informed about updates through regular communication on platforms like Discord.

Check out Ben and Aman's Resources:

https://mathheads.net/

(00:00) - Focusing on User Experience and Growth
(00:47) - Introduction to the Hey, Good Game Podcast
(01:01) - Meet the Creators of Math Heads
(02:16) - Favorite Games of the Creators
(03:55) - The Origin Story of Math Heads
(06:13) - Challenges and Features of Math Heads
(16:39) - User Engagement and Community Building
(18:25) - Discord's Role in QA and Community Management
(19:52) - Marketing Strategies and Initial Launch
(22:42) - Challenges with Monetization and Ads
(24:56) - Unexpected Opportunities and Collaborations
(28:33) - Future Plans and Team Dynamics
(30:17) - Advice for Aspiring Game Creators
(31:45) - Balancing User Feedback and Data
(34:36) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Check out our brainy games:

Next Episode

From Hobby to Hit: The Ninja.io Journey with Rens Rongen

Rens Rongen, the creator of the popular web game Ninja.io, to discuss the intricate process of game development, his inspirations, and how he balances his corporate work with his passion for creating engaging games. Rens shares insights into his creative process, the challenges of launching a multiplayer game, and the importance of community feedback in refining a project. He also touches on the role of publishers, the impact of advertising, and the joy of seeing users engage with his creations. As he prepares for the next chapter in both his personal and professional life, Rens reflects on the lessons learned and his plans for future projects.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Childhood Influence: Rens’ interest in game development was sparked in his childhood through drawing and playing games like Warcraft and Starcraft that allowed creating custom maps.
Design Iteration: The episode highlights the importance of continuous iteration and how skills in design and graphics can evolve over time with practice.
Technical Evolution: The transition from Flash to HTML5 significantly impacted Rens' development process, enabling more sophisticated multiplayer implementations.
Feature Creep: The game development journey showed how feature creep can gradually turn a hobby project into a serious commitment.
Importance of Feedback: Early user feedback is crucial. Releasing the game early, even in an imperfect state, allows for iterative improvements based on player responses.
Choosing a Domain and Branding: The process of choosing a memorable and marketable domain name, such as ninja.io, is discussed, including challenges with availability and cost.
Monetization Strategies: Understanding monetization via ads and considering other forms like selling customizations.
Leveraging Publishers: Partnering with publishers like Poki can significantly amplify reach but may require compromises such as implementing language filters to meet platform standards.
Handling Traffic Surges: Preparing for and managing server loads during significant spikes in user traffic after a major launch.
Building a Community: Using platforms like Discord to engage users, gather feedback, and create a sense of community which may include organizing tournaments and user-generated content.
Maintaining Balance: Balancing direct user interaction with productivity, as it can be both beneficial and distracting.
Adaptability and Learning: Applying lessons learned from Ninja.io to future projects, including avoiding technical debt and setting up more organized and sustainable development processes.
Life Changes: Handling personal life changes (like expecting a child) while managing ongoing projects and planning future endeavors.
Perfectionism: The challenge of overcoming perfectionism and understanding that initial releases won’t be perfect but can improve significantly through iteration.
Balancing Innovation and Stability: The need to innovate while ensuring the stability and scalability of the game’s infrastructure.

Overall, this episode offers an in-depth look at the holistic development process of an indie game, from inspiration to long-term planning, and integration of user feedback, providing valuable lessons for aspiring game developers and entrepreneurs.

Check out Rens's Resources:

https://ninja.io/
https://x.com/NinjaIO_game https://www.reddit.com/r/ninjaio/
https://www.youtube.com/@NinjaIO
https://discord.com/invite/yAYmSWZ