What Mobile Game Developers in Türkiye Learn About Building for Global Players

A mobile game can be created in one city and downloaded by players across dozens of countries within days.

That sounds like an opportunity. It also means developers are designing for people with different habits, devices, expectations, and reasons for playing.

Habip Şana began his career as a game development intern and later moved into lead developer roles at several mobile game studios in Türkiye. He has worked at OTTO Games, Omnio Games, Piximal Games, Good Mood Games, and now Loop Games.

Loop Games develops mobile puzzle games for a global audience. Its portfolio has reached more than 100 million downloads, 2.5 million positive reviews, and an average rating of 4.6 across mobile stores.

In this interview, Habip explains what he has learned from Türkiye’s mobile game industry, how development changes when a game is built for international players, and what indie teams can learn from studios that test and release games at global scale.

Main Topics:

• Career Growth in Game Development
• Türkiye’s Mobile Game Industry
• Building Games for Global Players
• Prototyping and Player Metrics
• Advice for Indie and Young Developers

Interview with Game Developer Habip Şana

Q: You started as an intern and later became a Lead Game Developer. What helped you grow so quickly?

For me, it all started with curiosity and enthusiasm. As an intern and throughout my career, I always tried to take ownership instead of thinking, “That’s not my job.” I wasn’t afraid to take responsibility.

Whenever I didn’t know something, I tried to learn it. And whenever I learned something new, I enjoyed sharing it with the rest of the team. Focusing on solving problems and keeping communication open within the team played a big role in my growth.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that game development isn’t just another software project. At the end of the day, we’re building entertainment. That means communicating well with artists, designers, and product teams is just as important as writing good code.

Over time, I also learned to think more practically. One analogy that has always stuck with me is this: “If you’re making a sandwich, you buy the bread—you don’t grow the tomatoes yourself.” In other words, instead of reinventing everything from scratch, it’s usually better to use the right tools for the job.

Another thing I’ve always kept in mind is that there are developers, and there are game developers. You can’t build games without playing games, but simply playing games doesn’t automatically make you a good game developer. Finding that balance has shaped the way I approach game development.

Later in my career, I had the opportunity to take on Lead Game Developer roles at two different studios. It didn’t feel like my daily work changed overnight. By then, I had already been taking ownership and responsibility naturally. The title simply reflected responsibilities I had gradually grown into.

Q: You have worked at several mobile game studios in Türkiye. What do Turkish teams do especially well?

The mobile games market changes incredibly fast, and I think one of the biggest strengths of Turkish teams is how quickly they adapt to those changes while keeping a close eye on market trends.

Another thing I’ve noticed is our approach to R&D. Rather than spending all our time debating ideas in theory, we usually prefer to build a prototype, test it, and learn from the results.

When someone comes up with an interesting mechanic, we try to validate it as early as possible. Seeing what works—and what doesn’t—through real player data helps teams make much better decisions.

Q: What changes when you build a mobile game for players around the world?

When you’re building for a global audience, everything scales. Even a small improvement—or a small mistake—can have a much bigger impact because you’re reaching players across many countries.

You also have to think about different cultures, economic conditions, internet infrastructure, regulations, and player expectations. Every market is a little different.

Instead of trying to create something that everyone will absolutely love, I think it’s often better to focus on themes that are abstract enough that almost nobody finds them uncomfortable or off-putting.

From a technical perspective, optimization becomes one of the highest priorities. Not everyone plays on the latest flagship device.

If the game lags, crashes, or runs poorly, you’ll lose players quickly. That’s why it’s essential to keep the game lightweight and make sure it performs well across a wide range of devices.

Q: Loop Games has reached more than 100 million downloads. What does a mobile game need to attract such a broad audience?

First of all, I’d like to mention that I joined Loop Games about five months ago. The company was founded in 2019, and reaching more than 100 million downloads is the result of years of work and experience built by the team long before I arrived.

Looking at successful mobile games in general, I think everything starts with creating the best gameplay experience you can.

If you want to reach a broad audience, the game needs to feel smooth, responsive, and satisfying to play. Visual feedback, accessibility, and clarity all matter.

A player should be able to pick up the game and start enjoying it without needing a long explanation. When you combine that level of simplicity with solid execution, you have a much better chance.

Q: How do mobile teams test whether a game idea has global potential?

My own role is focused on software engineering and game development, so I can only speak from a general industry perspective rather than any specific studio’s internal process.

In general, teams build an early prototype and evaluate how real players respond to it. Metrics such as retention, playtime, CPI, and ROAS are commonly used across the industry to understand whether an idea shows promise.

Of course, prototypes can always be improved, but if the initial signals aren’t strong enough, it’s generally unlikely that the project will completely turn around later.

In those situations, many teams choose to redirect their time and resources toward a new prototype instead of continuing to invest in the existing one.

For Indie Developers

Q: What is one lesson from Türkiye’s mobile game industry that a small indie team could use immediately?

I always give the same advice: keep the scope small, build a strong core gameplay loop, and focus on creating a clean prototype.

For an indie team, one of the best habits you can develop is consistently turning ideas into playable prototypes.

Teams that start small, stay focused, and keep repeating that process are much more likely to discover an idea with real potential and eventually grow it into a larger project.

For Young Game Developers

Q: What advice would you give to young developers who want to grow from their first role into a lead position?

If I had to give just one piece of advice, it would be this:

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be afraid to take responsibility. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t know something. Don’t be afraid to learn or improve yourself.

Take ownership of your work instead of only completing the tasks you’re assigned, and learn how to make decisions.

I also think it’s important to know yourself well. Understand both your strengths and your weaknesses.

Keep building on your strengths, and learn how to manage your weaknesses instead of letting them define you.