Go back

The iPad has evolved from a casual tablet into a serious creative workstation. With hyperPad, you can build and publish real games directly from iPad, no code required. Pair it with the Affinity creative suite (Designer, Photo, and Publisher), and you’ve got everything you need to design, illustrate, and launch your own game without ever touching a computer.

Let’s break down how to use these apps together to turn your ideas into reality.

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 polished 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, sprites, backgrounds, UI)

💡 Tip: Keep your layout clean. hyperPad makes it easy to visualize interactions early before you invest time in art.

Step 2: Create Game Assets in Affinity Designer

Now, open Affinity Designer 2 for iPad. Your vector powerhouse for scalable, clean artwork.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Design characters, icons, buttons, or logos as vector shapes so they stay sharp at any size.

  2. Switch between the Vector and Pixel Personas to combine crisp lines with hand-painted textures.

  3. Organize each game element into layers and groups (e.g. “Player,” “Enemy,” “Menu Icon”) to keep things easy to export.

🎨 Export tip: Use PNG or SVG for hyperPad imports. PNG keeps transparency, while SVG is ideal for simple, scalable UI.

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 and compress it just enough to maintain quality while keeping hyperPad projects lightweight.

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 lies in layout precision:

  • Combine text and visuals for story screens or menus

  • Prototype UI placement (buttons, score boxes, inventory grids)

  • Export as image slices or PDFs for quick integration into hyperPad

This is perfect for 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 visual logic 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, you can publish your game to the App Store or the hyperPad Hub, keeping 100% of your profits and royalties! No subscriptions, no desktop required.

Step 6: Polish, Test, and Share

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

Then, export your final build and share it, or upload directly to the hyperPad community to get feedback from other creators.

Why This Workflow Works

✅ 100% iPad-native: no need for a computer 

✅ Professional design tools + no-code game engine

✅ One-time purchases. No subscriptions

✅ Supports Apple Pencil, multitouch, and keyboard workflows

✅ Built for creatives, educators, and indie developers alike

What Next

The Affinity suite and hyperPad perfectly complement each other. One provides design freedom, the other brings your creations to life. Together, they show what’s possible when your iPad becomes a full creative studio with just a few apps.

Start today:
🎮 Download hyperPad on the App Store
🎨 Get the Affinity Suite for iPad

Your next game idea is already in your hands.

Be in the know

Be the first to hear about new blogs, updates and fun events!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

recent posts

See all posts