Integrate AWS GameKit features into your game

This topic outlines an implementation path to follow when using AWS GameKit to build cloud-based game features with AWS GameKit. Each step provides a link to detailed documentation.

1. Get the AWS GameKit for your game engine.

   • Download the plugin for your development environment.

   • Install the AWS GameKit plugin. For more information, see Install the AWS GameKit plugin with Unreal Engine.

2. Get an AWS account and set up user accounts for your game project.

   • Create an AWS account or use an existing account. You manage all your AWS GameKit resources and services through this account. For more information, see Sign up for an AWS account.

   • Set up an AWS user for every person who works with the AWS GameKit plugin. This step includes adding access permissions for AWS GameKit. Each user must have security credentials for use with the plugin and (optionally) sign-in credentials to use the AWS Management Console. For more information, see Set up a user with AWS GameKit access.

3. Set up an AWS GameKit cloud project.

   • Use the AWS GameKit UI in your game engine to define cloud project settings, including a game title/alias, a working environment, and a location for the backend services. This step creates a set of configurations and templates that AWS GameKit uses to build your backend on AWS. For more information, see Set up the AWS GameKit plugin for your game.

   • Link the project to an AWS account by providing your user security credentials.

4. Configure the identity and authentication game feature and deploy AWS resources.

   All other AWS GameKit features require identity and authentication, so you must create the backend for this feature before setting up other features. For more information , see Add identity and authentication to your project.

   • Use the AWS GameKit plugin project settings to configure the identity and authentication feature for your game.

   • Create AWS resources for the authentication backend. You can track the deployment process, redeploy or delete resources from the AWS GameKit UI.

     Note

     You might begin incurring AWS charges when you deploy AWS resource, depending on whether your account is eligible for AWS Free Tier benefits.

   • Optionally, activate an operational metrics dashboard for your newly deployed identity and authentication backend. For more information, see Work with game feature dashboards.

5. Add identity and authentication workflows to your game frontend.

   Create workflows in your game frontend to let players register with your game, log in and out, and other identity-related tasks. With the identity and authentication backend in place, you can use the AWS GameKit sample materials to prototype and test the workflows. For more information, see Work with the identity and authentication examples.

6. Configure and deploy game backends for additional AWS GameKit features and connect game functionality.

   • Achievements

   • User gameplay data

   • Game state cloud saving