Volley Royals King: India's Beloved Desi Volleyball Mobile Gaming Phenomenon

Development History: From Concept to Cultural Phenomenon

The journey of Volley Royals King began in early 2021, when the leadership team at Daman Interactive Studios identified a significant gap in the Indian mobile gaming market. While cricket games dominated the sports genre (accounting for over 70% of sports game downloads in India at the time), there was a noticeable lack of high-quality games based on other popular Indian sports. Volleyball, in particular, presented a unique opportunity: it is widely played across India at the grassroots level (in schools, colleges, and local tournaments), has a dedicated fan base thanks to the Pro Volleyball League (PVL), and offers fast-paced, action-packed gameplay that translates well to mobile devices.

“We noticed that Indian gamers were hungry for sports games beyond cricket,” says Ankit Patel, the CEO of Daman Interactive Studios. “Volleyball is a sport that resonates with people across the country—from small towns to big cities. It’s a game of teamwork, skill, and quick reflexes, which are perfect ingredients for a mobile game. But what really excited us was the chance to create something that wasn’t just a copy of international volleyball games. We wanted to build a game that felt uniquely Indian—something that players would look at and think, ‘This is our game.’”

Research & Pre-Development (2021)

Before any code was written, the development team embarked on an extensive research phase that lasted six months. This phase was crucial to ensuring that Volley Royals King would authentically reflect Indian volleyball culture and meet the needs of Indian gamers. The team conducted three key types of research:

• Cultural Research: The team traveled to 12 different states across India (including Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala) to observe local volleyball matches. They studied everything from player techniques and team dynamics to the banter and celebrations that are an integral part of desi volleyball. They also documented regional variations in how the game is played—for example, the faster pace of matches in North India compared to the more strategic style in South India.
• Gamer Research: The team surveyed over 10,000 Indian mobile gamers (aged 12-45) to understand their preferences. Key insights included: a preference for short match durations (under 10 minutes), intuitive touch controls, regional language support, and a strong desire for cultural relevance (e.g., local characters, familiar locations, and festival themes). Gamers also expressed frustration with pay-to-win mechanics in other mobile games, which led the team to commit to a fair, skill-based model.
• Technical Research: Given that a large portion of Indian mobile gamers use budget smartphones with limited processing power, the team conducted extensive testing on low-end devices to ensure the game would run smoothly. They also researched internet connectivity patterns in India and designed the game to handle intermittent connections (e.g., allowing matches to resume after a brief disconnection).

Armed with these insights, the team finalized the core concept for Volley Royals King: a multiplayer volleyball game that combines authentic volleyball mechanics with desi cultural elements, optimized for Indian devices and gaming habits. The game would focus on 4v4 multiplayer matches (the most popular format in Indian grassroots volleyball) and feature a range of game modes to cater to both casual and competitive players.

Development Phase (2021-2022)

The development phase officially began in September 2021, with a team of 35 developers, designers, artists, and testers working on the project. The team was divided into four key groups:

One of the biggest challenges during development was balancing authenticity with playability. The team wanted the game to feel like real volleyball, but they also recognized that mobile gamers prefer fast-paced, action-packed experiences. To resolve this, they made several key design decisions:

• Reduced the number of players per team from 6 (standard volleyball) to 4, which made matches faster and easier to control on mobile devices.
• Simplified certain rules (e.g., allowing three touches per team instead of the standard three, but with faster ball speed to keep the game intense).
• Added special character abilities that add a layer of strategy without compromising the core volleyball experience.
• Implemented a "stamina system" that rewards skillful play (e.g., well-timed spikes and blocks consume less stamina than missed attempts).

Beta Testing (Late 2022 - Early 2023)

Beta testing for Volley Royals King began in November 2022, with 100,000 selected players from across India invited to participate. The beta was released in two phases: a closed beta for existing Daman Games users and a public beta that was open to anyone who signed up through the game's website or social media channels.

The beta testing phase was crucial for gathering feedback and making final adjustments to the game. Over 45,000 players submitted feedback forms, and the team monitored gameplay data to identify issues such as control sensitivity, match balance, and performance on low-end devices. Some of the key feedback points and the team's responses included:

• Request for more regional languages: The team had initially planned to support 5 languages, but based on feedback, they added 3 more (Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam) before launch.
• Concerns about match length: Beta testers felt that the initial 10-minute match duration was too long. The team reduced it to 5-7 minutes by adjusting the scoring system (from 25 points to 15 points per set).
• Desire for better communication features: Players requested more ways to communicate with teammates. The team added regional language quick chat phrases (e.g., "Pass karo yaar!" in Hindi, "Thirumbu vittu!" in Tamil) and a voice chat option with adjustable volume.
• Performance issues on low-end devices: The technical team optimized the game further, reducing the minimum RAM requirement from 3GB to 2GB and improving frame rates on devices with 1.4GHz processors.

The beta phase was a resounding success, with over 90% of testers indicating that they would recommend the game to friends. The team also noticed strong engagement metrics: the average beta tester played 8-10 matches per session, and the retention rate (players returning after 7 days) was 75%—well above the industry average for mobile sports games (which is around 50%).

Launch & Marketing (June 2023)

Volley Royals King was officially launched on June 22, 2023, across the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The launch was accompanied by a massive marketing campaign that leveraged multiple channels to reach Indian gamers:

• Celebrity Collaborations: The game partnered with Indian volleyball stars such as Pankaj Sharma (captain of the Indian national volleyball team) and Anjali Babbar (PVL champion), who promoted the game on their social media channels and participated in launch events.
• Influencer Marketing: The team collaborated with over 200 Indian gaming influencers (across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok) with followings ranging from 100,000 to 5 million. These influencers created gameplay videos, live streams, and challenge videos that showcased the game's features.
• Regional Marketing: To reach players in different parts of India, the team ran targeted campaigns in regional languages. For example, they partnered with Tamil film actors for promotions in Tamil Nadu and Telugu TV personalities for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Launch Events: The team organized launch events in four major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai) where fans could play the game, meet volleyball stars and influencers, and win prizes such as smartphones, game merchandise, and in-game currency.
• App Store Optimization (ASO): The game's app store listings were optimized with regional language keywords, high-quality screenshots and videos, and positive user reviews from beta testers.

The marketing campaign paid off: Volley Royals King crossed 1 million downloads within the first 48 hours of launch and became the top-grossing sports game on the Google Play Store within a week. The game also trended on social media, with the hashtag #VolleyRoyalsKing generating over 5 million posts on Instagram and Twitter in the first month.

Post-Launch Development (2023-Present)

Since its launch, the development team has maintained a consistent update schedule, releasing new content every 6-8 weeks. This commitment to regular updates has been key to keeping players engaged and growing the game's community. Some of the most significant post-launch updates include:

A key aspect of the post-launch development process is the team's focus on community feedback. The developers regularly engage with players through social media, Discord (which has over 300,000 members), and in-game surveys. They also host monthly "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions with the development team, where players can ask questions and suggest new features.

“Our community is the backbone of Volley Royals King,” says Riya Mehta, the Community Manager at Daman Interactive Studios. “We read every piece of feedback we receive, and many of our most popular features—like the clan system and regional language quick chat—came directly from player suggestions. We want players to feel like they're part of the game's journey, not just consumers.”

The team also places a strong emphasis on balancing the game and ensuring fairness. They regularly monitor gameplay data to identify overpowered characters or abilities and release balance updates as needed. They also have a strict anti-cheat system in place to prevent hacking and cheating, which is a major concern for competitive gamers.

Gameplay: Fast-Paced, Strategic, and Uniquely Desi

At its core, Volley Royals King is a multiplayer volleyball game that stays true to the basic rules of the sport while incorporating elements that make it perfect for mobile gaming and Indian audiences. The game is designed to be easy to learn but hard to master—making it accessible to casual players while offering enough depth to keep competitive gamers engaged for months.

One of the key strengths of Volley Royals King's gameplay is its balance between authenticity and fun. The game retains the core mechanics of volleyball (passing, setting, spiking, blocking, and digging) but simplifies them for mobile controls and speeds up the pace to make matches more exciting. Whether you're a fan of real volleyball or new to the sport, you'll find the gameplay intuitive and engaging.

Core Gameplay Mechanics

The basic objective of Volley Royals King is simple: two teams compete to hit the ball over the net, land it in the opponent's court, and prevent the ball from touching their own ground. Each team can hit the ball a maximum of three times before it must cross the net, and players cannot touch the net or step into the opponent's court (doing so results in a point for the opposing team).

Matches are played in a best-of-three sets format, with each set being played to 15 points (with a two-point lead required to win the set). The first team to win two sets wins the match. However, unlike traditional volleyball, matches in Volley Royals King are designed to be fast-paced, with each set lasting 2-3 minutes on average—making the total match duration 5-7 minutes, which is perfect for mobile gaming sessions.

What sets Volley Royals King apart from other volleyball games is its focus on teamwork and strategy. While individual skill is important, the best teams are those that communicate effectively, coordinate their moves, and play to each other's strengths. The game encourages teamwork through its quick chat system, which allows players to call for passes, signal attacks, and warn teammates about incoming spikes—all in their regional language.

Controls: Intuitive and Customizable

Volley Royals King features touchscreen controls that are optimized for both left-handed and right-handed players, with all essential actions within easy reach. The default control layout is designed to be intuitive, but the game also offers extensive customization options so players can adjust the controls to their preferences.

The game also includes several accessibility features to ensure that it is playable by as many people as possible:

• Colorblind Mode: Three different colorblind modes (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia) that adjust the game's colors to make it easier for colorblind players to distinguish between elements.
• Text Size Adjustment: Players can increase or decrease the size of in-game text to improve readability.
• Voice Chat Volume Control: Separate volume controls for voice chat, sound effects, and background music.
• Vibration Feedback: Toggleable vibration for actions like spiking, blocking, and diving (helpful for players who prefer tactile feedback).

Game Modes: Something for Every Gamer

Volley Royals King offers a variety of game modes to suit different player preferences, from casual quick matches to competitive ranked play. Each mode has its own rules, rewards, and challenges, ensuring that there's always something new to play.