Any published game can become an Android app that you put on Google Play under your own name. You fill in a few fields in the dashboard and press Build. A few minutes later you download the AAB file and upload it to Google Play Console.
What you need
- A game published at its own address (see Publish). The app is built from the version that is live at that moment.
- A Google Play developer account. Google charges a one-time registration fee.
- For rewarded ads: your ad provider set up in the game (LiveOps, Advertising). For purchases: products in Google Play Console and in the game (LiveOps, Purchase). Without them the app works, just without ads or purchases.
Step 01Fill in the app settings
Open the game in the dashboard: Settings, Android app.
- App name: shown under the icon on the phone.
- Package name: the app ID in Google Play, for example
com.mystudio.mygame. Choose it carefully: after the first upload to Google Play it can never change. - Version: what players see, for example
1.0. The internal version number for Google Play grows by itself with every build. - Screen orientation, icon (a square image, 512 x 512 or larger) and, if your ad mediation includes AdMob, the AdMob App ID.
Step 02Build
Press Build version N. A build usually takes 3 to 5 minutes, and you can leave the page. When it is ready you get three files:
- AAB: the file for Google Play.
- APK: installs directly on a phone, to try the app before uploading.
- Project ZIP: the same app as an Android project, to build on your own computer.
Files are kept for 30 days. If a build fails, the reason and the build log are shown next to it.
Step 03Upload to Google Play
- In Play Console create a new app.
- Keep Play App Signing on (it is on by default): Google keeps the main signing key.
- Upload the AAB to the Internal testing track first, install it from there and check the game.
- Fill in the store listing and send the app to production.
Updates
Publish a new version of the game, then build a new version of the app and upload the new AAB. The game inside the app is the version that was live when you pressed Build.
The upload key
Every build is signed with your upload key. It is created with the first build and stored encrypted. The owner of the game can download a copy in the same section, together with its password and the SHA-1 and SHA-256 fingerprints (Google services such as Sign in with Google ask for them). If the key is ever lost, Google can reset it on request, because the main key stays with Google.
Build on your own computer
The project ZIP is a regular Android project. Open it in Android Studio, or run gradlew assembleDebug for an APK. For an AAB for Google Play, put your upload key next to it as upload.p12, fill in its password in creator.properties and run gradlew bundleRelease. You need JDK 21 and the Android SDK; the README.txt inside explains the details.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a build cost?
The real cost of the build x10, at least 10 Aspis. Only a finished build is charged: a failed one is free. The amount is shown next to each build.
Whose app is it in Google Play?
Yours. You upload it to your own Google Play developer account, and ads and purchases in it work with your own settings and pay to your accounts.
Can I change the package name later?
Not after the first upload to Google Play. Google treats a new package name as a different app, with no installs or reviews.
Does the app need the internet?
The game itself starts without it: the published version is packed inside the app. Sign-in, leaderboards, purchases and other online features need a connection, as in the browser.
Is there an iPhone version?
Not yet. Only Android apps for Google Play can be built today.
See also
- Publish and share your game or appHow publishing works on iDos Games - a test version and a live version, your app's own address, a page in the catalog, custom domains and one-click rollback.
- Rewarded ads in the iDos Games appHow rewarded ads work for games played in the iDos Games mobile app: the app shows the video, the server grants the reward, and the game author earns income from the ad.
- What is included in a new projectEvery new iDos Games project starts with sign-in, a lobby and six ready systems; more systems such as a store, leaderboards, events or multiplayer are added when the app needs them.
Make your own game
Describe the idea in a sentence - the AI coder builds it, and it goes live at its own link.