The iPad has grown from a casual tablet into a real creative workstation. With hyperPad, you can build and publish games directly on iPad, no code required. Pair it with the Affinity creative suite (Designer, Photo, and Publisher) and you can draw and build your whole game without touching a computer.

Here's how to use these apps together to turn your idea into a game.

Step 1: Plan and Sketch Your Game Concept

Start by opening hyperPad and sketching a quick prototype of your game Scene. Use placeholders for characters, buttons, and backgrounds. You’ll replace them later with finished art.

At this stage, focus on:

Basic gameplay flow (menus, controls, player movement)
Object placement and proportions
Notes on what art you’ll need (icons, characters, backgrounds, UI)

Tip: Keep your layout clean. Placeholders let you test interactions early, before you spend time on art.

Step 2: Create Game Assets in Affinity Designer

Next, open Affinity Designer 2 for iPad, a vector app for clean artwork that scales to any size.

Here’s what to do:

Design characters, icons, buttons, or logos as vector shapes so they stay sharp at any size.
Switch between the Vector and Pixel Personas to combine crisp lines with hand-painted textures.
Organize each game element into layers and groups (e.g. “Player,” “Enemy,” “Menu Icon”) so they're easy to export.

Export tip: Export PNG files for hyperPad. PNG is the format hyperPad suggests for Graphics, and it keeps transparency.

Step 3: Refine Textures and Images in Affinity Photo

For raster editing and texture polish, use Affinity Photo 2 for iPad.

Here you can:

Edit or enhance backgrounds, tiles, and character art
Add lighting effects, blur, or filters for atmosphere
Paint custom textures or retouch photos to fit your game’s style

Workflow tip: Save each element as its own image file. Compress it just enough to keep the quality while keeping your hyperPad project light.

Step 4: Build UI Layouts or In-Game Screens with Affinity Publisher

Move to Affinity Publisher 2 for iPad to create interface layouts, dialogue boxes, or instruction pages.

Publisher’s strength is layout precision:

Combine text and visuals for story screens or menus
Prototype UI placement (buttons, score boxes, inventory grids)
Export image slices to import into hyperPad

This suits educational or story-based games made with hyperPad, where text and art work hand in hand.

Step 5: Import and Build in hyperPad

Return to hyperPad, import your Affinity-created assets, and start building!

Use hyperPad’s drag-and-drop Behaviors to:

Animate your characters and Objects
Add touch controls and interactions
Layer your UI designs and backgrounds
Test and fine-tune gameplay directly on iPad

Bonus: When you’re ready, publish your game to the hyperPad Hub right from your iPad. You can also export it to the App Store with hyperPad. That last step needs a Mac, because the upload goes through Xcode. You keep 100% of your revenue, and there's no subscription.

Step 6: Polish, Test, and Share

Playtest your game. Use the Affinity apps for any last-minute art tweaks, and use hyperPad’s built-in tools to adjust performance or add new features.

Then publish it to the hyperPad Hub to get feedback from other creators, or export your finished game to the App Store.

Why This Workflow Works

You design and build everything on iPad (only the App Store upload needs a Mac)
Professional design tools plus a no-code game engine
hyperPad is a one-time purchase, with no subscription
Supports Apple Pencil, multitouch, and keyboard workflows
Works for artists, educators, and indie developers alike

What Next

Affinity handles the art. hyperPad turns that art into a game you can play. With a few apps, your iPad becomes a complete game studio.

Start today:

Test each asset inside the running Scene, not only on its own. Keep it when it makes the action clearer, strengthens feedback, or supports the atmosphere.

Your next game idea is already in your hands.