Empires Rise, a 4X-style turn-based strategy game, was an ambitious internal project that pushed the boundaries of what's possible in mobile gaming. Our goal was to create a complex system of economy, warfare, and exploration that ran smoothly on mid-range hardware, without sacrificing depth or performance.

Developing a turn-based strategy game presents unique technical hurdles when targeting mobile devices. The challenge lies in balancing procedural generation, complex AI, and UI density to create an engaging experience. We had to find innovative solutions to these challenges to deliver Empires Rise successfully.

Procedural Map Generation: The Key to Replayability

One of the key features of Empires Rise is its replayability. To achieve this, we implemented a modified Perlin Noise algorithm layered with cellular automata rules for procedural map generation in Unity. This allowed us to create balanced, interesting worlds on the fly.

To optimize our solution, we utilized Unity's Tilemap system combined with chunk-based loading. This drastically reduced the memory footprint, enabling larger maps on devices with limited RAM. The result was near-instant map generation that provides unique tactical challenges in every session, maintaining a steady framerate even when the entire map is revealed.

Engineering Performant Mobile AI

In a strategy game, AI doesn't just need to "act"; it needs to "plan." On a PC, you have CPU cycles to spare. On mobile, inefficient AI logic causes the device to overheat and the battery to die. We developed a Utility-Based AI system that evaluates actions based on a "score" of current needs (e.g., Is my economy weak? Prioritize resource gathering.).

To prevent UI lag during the enemy turn, we utilized Coroutines to distribute AI calculations across multiple frames. This "time-slicing" approach ensures the UI remains responsive to the player, even while the engine is calculating complex pathfinding and military strategy in the background.

Scalable Architecture for Future Porting

Empires Rise was built on a modular code architecture, decoupling the core logic from the input system. This means the game isn't "hard-coded" for touchscreens. The systems we built allow for rapid porting to PC or Console (Controller support) with minimal refactoring — a standard we apply to all client porting projects.

The Outcome

Empires Rise successfully launched with a 4.5+ star rating average, validating our approach to mobile optimization. It stands as a testament to our ability to deliver "heavy" gaming experiences on "light" hardware.

Contact us to discuss your Unity mobile development needs and learn how we can help you create an AI-powered strategy game that excites and engages your audience.

What We Delivered:

• Implemented procedural map generation using Perlin Noise with cellular automata rules

• Built chunk-based Tilemap loading for near-instant map generation on limited RAM

• Developed a Utility-Based AI system for intelligent multi-empire decision making

• Utilized Coroutine time-slicing to keep UI responsive during complex AI calculations

• Engineered modular architecture decoupling core logic from input for cross-platform portability

• Achieved 99.8% crash-free users and sub-3-second load times on flagship devices

• Optimized battery usage through efficient event-driven programming patterns