Best Practices for Games

Follow these best practices to create engaging, performant, and successful game lenses on Snapchat.

Fullscreen Mode

Game Lenses automatically enter Fullscreen mode when the user taps the screen. This is an exclusive feature for Game Lenses, allowing you to build immersive fullscreen experiences and utilize the full screen real estate for your game UI. Fullsceen mode automatically blocks default touch behavior to prevent the user from accidentally swiping out of the game.

Performance Optimization

• FPS Target – Aim for at least 30 FPS across devices globally.
• Prioritize Mechanics – Keep mechanics (swipe, tap) lightweight and responsive rather than relying on heavy assets.
• Remote Assets – Store assets in Lens Cloud and download them on demand, rather than bundling them into your Lens. This reduces the Lens package size and improves load times.
• Bitmoji Considerations – Bitmoji 3D can impact FPS, especially on older devices. Use the latest version of Bitmoji 3D to set texture and mesh optimizations to ensure the best performance.

Input and Interactions

• Override Default Touch Behaviors – Prevent Snapchat's default swipe gesture from pulling players out of the Lens during high-frequency tap or swipe mechanics with Touch Blocking. This avoids interrupting gameplay during actions like tap-to-shoot or swipe-to-move.

Spotlight and Engagement

Camera On Backgrounds	Picture-in-Picture	Fully Designed Backgrounds	Camera Toggle

If you wish to optimize your Lens for better performance on Spotlight or greater video engagement, consider ways to keep the player's face visible. Games that perform best on Spotlight don't hide the camera — they highlight it:

• Camera On Backgrounds: Gameplay overlays the live camera feed so reactions stay front and center. This approach prioritizes the player's expression over the scene, and tends to drive more posts, sends, and virality on Spotlight. Avoid opaque backgrounds if your goal is video engagement.

• Picture-in-Picture Backgrounds: A camera widget (ideally ~30% of the screen) sits on top of gameplay to capture reactions clearly. If the widget is too small, it won't increase engagement. This setup lets players see both the game and themselves, making reactions part of the content.

If you wish to optimize your Lens for deeper engagement — like longer playtime and high quality shareable gameplay — consider these approaches:

• Fully Designed Backgrounds: Disable the camera feed entirely and use a fully developed background instead. This creates an immersive experience where scenery, assets, or other visuals take center stage.

• Camera Background Toggle: Give players the option to switch between an opaque, fully designed background and the live camera feed. This flexibility lets players choose: share their reactions publicly when they want, or play privately in a distraction-free immersive mode.

Keeping the camera on as a background is not a requirement for Game Lenses! Choose whichever approach best fits your game's design and goals. To add a virtual background, change the Clear Color option on the Camera component.