Every indie developer eventually hits the cross-platform question. A 2D game may run perfectly on a development machine, then immediately expose awkward questions about phones, consoles and handhelds: what stays shared, what gets abstracted, and what will simply need different treatment on each platform?

The good news is that sprite-based games are easier to move around than most 3D projects. Rendering is simpler, input models are more forgiving, and there is usually more performance headroom to work with. That still does not make cross-platform 2D development automatic. It only means the architectural mistakes are less expensive if you catch them early.

Start with the architecture

The most important cross-platform decision comes before gameplay code starts to pile up: separate platform-dependent code from platform-independent code.

Thin abstraction layers

Keep platform-specific functionality behind small abstraction layers.

Game Logic (pure, platform-independent)
    │
    ├── Renderer Interface
    │   ├── PC / OpenGL implementation
    │   ├── Mobile / OpenGL ES implementation  
    │   └── Console-specific implementation
    │
    ├── Input Interface
    │   ├── Keyboard + Mouse
    │   ├── Touch
    │   └── Gamepad
    │
    ├── Audio Interface
    │   ├── Desktop audio backend
    │   └── Mobile audio backend
    │
    └── Storage Interface
        ├── Desktop filesystem
        ├── Mobile sandboxed storage
        └── Console save system

Gameplay code - AI, physics, level loading and the rest - should not call platform APIs directly. It should talk to interfaces. Platform-specific implementations handle the details underneath.

Engines like HGE already provide some of that separation. The system state management and rendering APIs hide many platform details, although mobile-specific concerns still need their own layer.

Keep resolution out of gameplay logic

Design the rendering pipeline so it does not depend on one screen size.

Use a virtual coordinate system for game logic, for example 1920x1080 logical units. Scale and letterbox to fit the actual screen. Keep the UI separate from game rendering so it can adapt to different aspect ratios. Test at multiple resolutions early - phones range from 720p to beyond 1440p, and the awkward cases show up fast.

What each platform demands

PC: the easiest place to move fast

Windows, Linux and macOS are the least restrictive targets.

Input usually starts with keyboard and mouse, with gamepad support optional but increasingly expected. Performance is rarely the main problem, so the real work is keeping frame timing steady rather than chasing raw throughput. Distribution is straightforward through Steam, itch.io or direct download. It is also the easiest environment to iterate on because the hardware spread is so wide.

Mobile: tighter input, tighter power budget

iOS and Android are constrained in ways that matter quickly.

Most players use touch only, even if some attach controllers. Thermal throttling is a real issue, so a stable 30fps is often a better target than an erratic 60fps. Battery life needs profiling, not guesswork. Memory is tight, background apps get killed aggressively, and save state needs to be written frequently. App Store guidelines also vary by platform, including review processes, content restrictions and monetisation rules.

Console: fixed hardware, fixed rules

Console development is controlled, but the bar is higher.

Certification is strict. Console manufacturers expect features such as achievements, controller disconnect handling and save data management, and they will reject submissions that miss those requirements. Input is gamepad only, so every feature has to work through a controller. Fixed hardware means optimisation can be precise, but you cannot assume players will simply have better machines. Development kits are also gated behind application and approval, which rules out some indie teams entirely.

Input has to work everywhere

Input is where cross-platform design gets awkward in practice. The same game needs to feel responsive on a keyboard, a touchscreen and a gamepad, and those are not interchangeable just because the menu says so.

Build for the least forgiving input first

Start with gamepad or touch, then add keyboard and mouse refinements. That way, every interaction works with the limited input set first, and keyboard users get the nicer version rather than touch users getting the compromise.

Touch needs its own rules

On touch devices, virtual buttons work for simple controls but fall apart once the input gets busy. Gesture-based controls such as swipe, drag and tap zones often feel more natural. Auto-aim and generous hit detection help offset the fact that touch is not precise. UI elements also need to be larger - minimum 44pt touch targets is the sensible baseline.

Remapping should not be optional

Let players remap controls on every platform. It is a small quality-of-life feature, but it pays back quickly in accessibility and in fewer complaints about awkward defaults.

Assets need to scale cleanly

Ship more than one resolution

Plan for multiple asset resolutions and load the right set at startup.

@1x suits mobile phones and low-resolution displays. @2x covers tablets, HD displays and most PCs. @4x is optional for 4K displays; for pixel art, @2x upscaled often looks fine anyway.

Pack sprites with platform limits in mind

Texture atlasing should be per platform. Mobile GPUs favour different atlas sizes from desktop GPUs, and the batching gains are not identical across devices. The HGE sprite system already gives efficient batching on desktop, but mobile platforms need equivalent optimisation.

Audio should not use one format everywhere

Different platforms prefer different audio formats for memory use and decoding efficiency. Abstract the audio loader so the game can select the right format at runtime instead of hard-coding one choice and hoping it behaves.

Testing without pretending the matrix is manageable

The testing matrix problem

Once you have N platforms, M device configurations and P input methods, exhaustive testing stops being realistic. The answer is not to test everything badly. Be selective.

Tier 1 is your primary platform, where everything gets tested. Tier 2 is one representative device per additional platform, focused on core gameplay and critical paths. Tier 3 is edge-case devices, which are better handled through community beta testing than through wishful thinking.

Automated tests catch the dull regressions

Automated gameplay tests that run headlessly on any platform are worth the effort. Simulate input sequences, verify game state and catch regressions without manually replaying the same session for the third time.

Betas fill the gaps

For platforms that are difficult to cover in-house, structured beta programmes with clear feedback channels are invaluable. The community forum approach works well for platform-specific feedback, especially when the issue only appears on a particular device or OS version.

Build once, configure per platform

One build pipeline

Use a build system that can target every platform from one codebase.

CMake is the obvious fit for C/C++ projects across PC, mobile and console. Platform-specific build scripts can then invoke the shared build with the correct flags. CI/CD should build all platform targets on every commit, not just the one everyone happens to use.

Use configuration instead of branching code

Platform differences belong in configuration rather than code branches.

config/
├── pc.json
├── mobile.json
└── console.json

Each config should define resolution defaults, input mappings, audio quality settings and any platform-specific features.

A practical route for small teams

For a small team building a 2D game with cross-platform ambitions, the order matters.

Start on PC. It is the fastest place to iterate and the easiest to debug. Put abstraction layers in from day one, even if the first release is PC only. Add mobile second, because it forces the most design changes. Leave console until last, since it brings dev kits and certification knowledge into the picture. Use the strengths of your framework too - HGE’s rendering and input handling are a solid PC base to build on.

The point is not to do more work for its own sake. It is to do the right work once, with the right structure, so each new platform becomes an extension rather than a rewrite.

Check our projects page to see cross-platform thinking in practice, or explore the HGE engine documentation for a look at how abstraction works in a real 2D framework.