We have already discussed the different Android target devices for game development. In this chapter, we will take a look at the different ways and tools to develop games for Android. Other than development skill and knowledge, it is very important to know about the helpful software that can make the development process easier and effective.

Android game development is supported or backed by many powerful tools and libraries. Let's have a look at the list of mandatory tools for the development process:

These are the must-have tools that should be installed in an Android game developer's system. Without these, it is impossible to develop anything for the Android platform. Although ADB and AVD are not mandatory for development, they are required to test and deploy the game on physical as well as virtual devices in order to debug the game.

Android SDK

Android SDK is the main development kit required to build any application for Android. Without going into details, it can be said that the SDK is the skeleton for any Android development. This SDK itself comes with dozens of support tools. It contains platform details, APIs, and libraries along with ADT and AVD. So having Android SDK integrated in the system provides the developer with all the necessary tools. It is a very good practice to always update the SDK with the latest platforms and other tools.

Upgrading can be done through the Android SDK manager. However, platform selection is manual, and it is recommended to have only the necessary platforms as per requirements. Another best practice is to have the latest released platform along with the minimum targeted version of Android (image source: http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/1/0/f/highres_441724367.jpeg):