How to Create a Mobile Game Like Dungeon Heroes

In the ever-evolving world of mobile gaming, dungeon crawler games have carved a special place among fans who crave exploration, adventure, and strategic combat. Titles like Dungeon Heroes, Raid: Shadow Legends, Diablo Immortal, and Dungeon Hunter have redefined the action RPG (role-playing game) experience by combining immersive storytelling, multiplayer mechanics, hero customisation, and high-end graphics.

If you’ve ever wondered how to create a mobile game like Dungeon Heroes, this guide will take you step-by-step through every phase—from concept creation to game design, development, monetisation, and marketing. Whether you’re an indie developer or part of a professional studio, you’ll find the insights here invaluable for launching your own successful dungeon adventure game.

1. Understanding the Core Concept of Dungeon Heroes

Before diving into the technical details, it’s essential to understand what makes Dungeon Heroes such a compelling game. It’s not just about monsters and loot—it’s about creating an immersive world filled with challenges, stories, and progression systems that keep players coming back.

Key elements that define DungeonHeroes:

Hero progression system: Players level up characters, unlock new abilities, and enhance their stats.
Dungeon exploration: Randomly generated maps or handcrafted levels full of traps, puzzles, and treasures.
Enemy variety: Different classes of monsters, bosses, and elite enemies with unique attack patterns.
Loot and equipment: Weapons, armour, artefacts, and potions for upgrading heroes.
Multiplayer or co-op mode: team-based dungeons where players collaborate to defeat powerful foes.

Understanding these fundamentals helps in designing your game mechanics and narrative direction.

2. Research and Competitor Analysis

To make your mobile game stand out, you must study the competition. Analyse the top-rated dungeon crawler and RPG games to identify what makes them successful.

Games to research:

Dungeon Hunter 5
Darkness Rises
Eternium
Diablo Immortal
Shadow Fight Arena

Focus on the following during your analysis:

Gameplay balance (combat pacing, difficulty scaling, rewards)
Art style and animation
Monetization approach (ads, in-app purchases, premium features)
User experience and feedback

By understanding these aspects, you can spot gaps and opportunities for innovation—perhaps by integrating AI-driven enemies, improved co-op features, or an open-world exploration mode.

3. Planning and Game Design Documentation

A strong foundation begins with a Game Design Document (GDD)—a comprehensive blueprint detailing every element of your game.

Your GDD should include:

Game overview: Concept, story, and genre.
Gameplay mechanics: combat system, levelling, resource management, and exploration.
Art direction: Visual theme, environments, and character style (realistic, stylised, 2D, or 3D).
Technical requirements: game engine, development platform, and system specifications.
Monetisation strategy: ads, in-game purchases, battle passes, or subscription models.
Marketing and launch plan.

This document will serve as your roadmap, ensuring your team stays aligned throughout development.

4. Choosing the Right Game Engine

Selecting the best game engine is crucial for performance and flexibility.

Top engines for Dungeon Heroes-like games:

Unity 3D: Ideal for cross-platform dungeon games. It offers powerful tools for 3D rendering, animation, and multiplayer integration.
Unreal Engine: Best for high-end graphics and cinematic storytelling.
Godot Engine: Open-source and lightweight, perfect for 2D or hybrid dungeon crawlers.

If you’re targeting both Android and iOS, ensure your chosen engine supports cross-platform builds and efficient asset optimisation.

5. Designing Characters and Dungeon Environments

Character Design

Start by creating diverse heroes—warriors, mages, rogues, and healers—each with unique skills and visual identities. Use Blender, ZBrush, or Adobe Substance Painter for 3D modelling and texturing.

Focus on:

Smooth animations using Mixamo or Maya.
Distinct silhouettes for each character class.
Skill effects with particle systems for immersive combat visuals.

Dungeon Environments

Design dark, mysterious, and atmospheric levels filled with hidden traps, glowing crystals, secret doors, and ambient sounds. Tools like Unity Terrain Editor or Unreal’s Landscape System help build interactive environments.

Incorporate procedural generation for endless replayability—ensuring every dungeon run feels fresh and unpredictable.

6. Game Mechanics and Combat System

Combat mechanics define player satisfaction. The gameplay must be fast, responsive, and rewarding.

Core systems to implement:

Real-time combat engine: Integrate physics-based attacks and skill cooldowns.
Targeting system: Auto-target or manual lock-on options.
AI enemy behaviour: Program smart AI that adapts to player strategies.
Loot and drop system: Randomised item generation with rarity levels (common, rare, epic, and legendary).
Skill tree and levelling: Reward players for continuous play and achievement milestones.

For multiplayer or co-op battles, use Photon Unity Networking (PUN) or Mirror Networking to enable smooth online gameplay.

7. Storytelling and World-Building

Dungeon Heroes’ appeal lies in its rich fantasy lore. Create a story-driven world that gives purpose to every quest and battle.

Tips for building narrative depth:

Develop lore around ancient civilisations, gods, or magical realms.
Add cutscenes or dialogue-driven missions to engage players.
Introduce factions, guilds, and rival heroes to expand the universe.

A well-written storyline transforms your game from a simple dungeon crawler into a memorable RPG journey.

8. Sound Design and Music

Audio plays a vital role in immersion. Create ambient dungeon themes, battle music, and enemy sound effects that match the atmosphere.

Use software like

FMOD or Wwise for adaptive sound design.
Audacity for basic sound editing.
Hire composers or use royalty-free music libraries for high-quality background scores.

A mix of eerie dungeon echoes and epic combat music enhances player engagement dramatically.

9. Monetization Strategies

Creating a great game is only half the battle—making it profitable is equally crucial.

Effective monetisation models include:

In-app purchases (IAP): Sell weapons, skins, or premium heroes.
Battle passes: Offer exclusive rewards for completing seasonal challenges.
Rewarded ads: Allow players to earn in-game currency or items by watching ads.
Subscription models: Provide daily bonuses or ad-free experiences.

Balance monetisation carefully—players should never feel forced to pay to progress. Fair pricing and player satisfaction lead to higher retention.

10. Testing and Optimization

Before launch, thoroughly test your game across devices to ensure stability and performance.

Testing phases include:

Alpha testing: Internal testing for major bugs and gameplay flow.
Beta testing: Public release for collecting real-user feedback.
Performance optimisation: Reduce lag, fix frame drops, and enhance loading speed.

Use Unity Profiler or Unreal Insights to identify performance bottlenecks. Always maintain a high frame rate for smoother gameplay, especially in action-heavy combat.

11. Launching and Marketing Your Game

A successful launch depends on a well-planned marketing strategy.

Pre-launch activities:

Create a teaser trailer showcasing gameplay and characters.
Launch a website or landing page for early access registration.
Run social media campaigns on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram targeting RPG fans.
Reach out to gaming influencers and streamers for early reviews.

Post-launch strategies:

Collect user feedback and implement quick fixes.
Release new heroes, dungeons, and events regularly.
Use App Store Optimisation (ASO) to improve visibility and downloads.

Consistent updates and community engagement are key to long-term success.

12. Cost to Develop a Game Like Dungeon Heroes

The cost varies based on scope, graphics quality, and features.

Estimated cost breakdown:

Pre-production (Concept & Design): $5,000 – $10,000
Game development: $25,000 – $80,000
Art & animation: $10,000–$30,000
Sound & music: $2,000 – $8,000
Testing & optimization: $5,000 – $10,000
Marketing: $10,000–$20,000

A simplified version may cost around $20,000–$30,000, while a full-scale RPG experience can exceed $100,000 depending on complexity.

13. Post-Launch Support and Updates

The gaming journey doesn’t end after launch. Continuous updates help maintain engagement.

Focus on:

Adding new dungeons, heroes, and challenges.
Hosting limited-time events and tournaments.
Enhancing UI/UX based on feedback.
Fixing bugs and improving performance.

Community-driven updates create loyalty and extend your game’s lifespan.

14. Building a Loyal Player Community

Games like Dungeon Heroes thrive on community involvement. Encourage player participation through:

Discord or Reddit groups for fan discussions.
Leaderboards and PvP tournaments.
Regular developer updates and Q&A sessions.

A strong community builds organic word-of-mouth marketing and long-term retention.

Conclusion

Creating a mobile game like Dungeon Heroes requires creativity, planning, and technological expertise. From conceptualising the fantasy world to designing challenging dungeons and building rewarding gameplay loops, every detail contributes to the player’s journey.

By combining engaging combat mechanics, rich storytelling, immersive visuals, and fair monetisation, you can develop a game that not only competes with popular titles but also establishes its own fanbase.

The key is to start small, iterate constantly, and let your passion for gaming drive the process. With the right tools, strategy, and commitment, your dream of developing the next big dungeon RPG mobile hit is entirely achievable.

Author

He is a SaaS-focused writer and the author of Xsone Consultants, sharing insights on digital transformation, cloud solutions, and the evolving SaaS landscape.

How to
Create a Mobile Game Like Dungeon Heroes