Amazon GameLift Cheatsheet

• A fully managed service for deploying, operating, and scaling dedicated game servers for session-based multiplayer games
• Handles up to 100 million concurrent players in a single game and can launch up to 9,000 game servers per minute
• Built on AWS global infrastructure with 99.95% availability SLA across 26 Regions and 9 Local Zones

Amazon GameLift Family

• Amazon GameLift Servers – Dedicated game server hosting for session-based multiplayer games with managed or self-managed infrastructure options
• Amazon GameLift Streams – Game streaming service that delivers up to 1080p resolution at 60 fps to any browser-enabled device

Amazon GameLift Key Features

• Deploy game servers globally with multi-location fleets spanning AWS Regions and Local Zones for lowest possible latency to players

• Choose from managed EC2 hosting (Windows/Linux), managed container hosting (Linux containers), or GameLift Anywhere (your own hardware)
• Auto-scale capacity based on player demand using target-based scaling or manual adjustment, with support for both On-Demand and Spot Instances
• Use FlexMatch matchmaking to connect 2 to 200 players based on custom rules including skill level, latency, team composition, and player attributes
• Leverage game session queues that intelligently place players across multiple locations based on cost, latency, and availability
• Integrate with Unity and Unreal Engine using full-featured plugins, or use Server SDKs for C++, C#, and Go

Amazon GameLift Architecture Components

• Game Client – Runs on player devices and sends matchmaking or game session requests to your backend service with player data and latency information
• Backend Service – Coordination layer that makes API calls to GameLift for game session placement, retrieves session information, and handles authentication
• Game Server – Integrated with GameLift Server SDK to manage game sessions, report status, and handle player connections during gameplay
• GameLift Fleet – Collection of EC2 instances or containers running your game servers with configured capacity and scaling policies
• Game Session Queue – Processes placement requests and locates available resources using algorithms that optimize for player experience

Amazon GameLift Hosting Options

• Managed EC2 Hosting – Deploy on compute-optimized (C-family), memory-optimized (R-family), or ARM-based Graviton instances with Windows or Linux
• Managed Container Hosting – Deploy Linux-based containers with efficient resource utilization by running multiple game servers per instance
• GameLift Anywhere – Use your own hardware, on-premises infrastructure, or other cloud providers while leveraging GameLift’s session management capabilities
• Hybrid Hosting – Combine managed fleets and Anywhere fleets for migration scenarios or to integrate with existing infrastructure

Amazon GameLift FlexMatch Matchmaking

• Customizable matchmaking service that evaluates players based on attributes like skill level, character choice, latency, and player preferences
• Supports team-based matches for competitive or cooperative gameplay with automatic team balancing across composition
• Includes match backfilling feature to fill available player slots in existing game sessions and keep games full
• Rules can be expandable, meaning they relax over time to balance match quality with acceptable wait times
• Optional player acceptance workflow where matched players must accept before game session is created

Amazon GameLift Pricing

• Pay only for EC2 instance usage with per-second billing (1-minute minimum) plus data transfer out charges
• Spot Instances save 50-85% compared to On-Demand prices while maintaining the same performance and capabilities
• Graviton instances provide up to 20% better price-performance compared to x86-based instances for compatible workloads
• Linux instances cost significantly less than Windows Server instances due to operating system licensing differences
• Scale to zero by setting fleet capacity to zero during off-peak periods to eliminate costs when no players are online
• Volume discounts available for games with monthly costs exceeding $80,000

Amazon GameLift Monitoring and Operations

• Real-time metrics available through Amazon CloudWatch for game sessions, player activity, fleet performance, and instance health
• Automatic game server log collection with retrieval capabilities for troubleshooting and performance analysis
• Built-in OpenTelemetry (OTel) metrics collection with support for custom telemetry metrics from your game servers
• Fleet event tracking for state transitions and creation events accessible via DescribeFleetEvents API
• Remote access to instances using AWS Systems Manager (SSM) instead of SSH for secure operational management

Amazon GameLift Security Best Practices

• Use backend service pattern to make GameLift API calls rather than exposing AWS credentials to game clients
• TLS encryption for communication between game clients and game servers ensures data protection in transit
• Replace fleets every 30 days to maintain security updates and patches (fleet age warning appears at 90 days)
• Server Side Encryption (SSE) for SNS topics using AWS KMS for matchmaking event notifications
• AWS IAM for fine-grained access control and permissions management across GameLift resources

Amazon GameLift Common Use Cases

• Session-based multiplayer games including battle royale (up to 200 players), competitive shooters, team-based games, and casual multiplayer
• Hybrid cloud solutions for migrating from on-premises to cloud or combining managed fleets with existing infrastructure
• Local development and testing using GameLift Anywhere to redirect game session requests to local development environments
• Game streaming for instant-play demos, game storefronts, subscription services, and back catalog monetization without requiring downloads

Amazon GameLift AWS Service Integration

• Amazon Cognito for player authentication and identity management across your game infrastructure
• Amazon DynamoDB and Aurora DSQL for game state persistence, player data storage, and leaderboards
• Amazon S3 for game content storage and delivery of assets to game servers and clients
• Amazon Kinesis for real-time game analytics and processing of player behavior data
• Amazon Chime SDK for voice chat functionality integrated directly into your multiplayer experience
• AWS Lambda and API Gateway for custom backend logic, player parties, and game-specific features

Amazon GameLift Limitations

• Maximum 200 players per game session by default (can request increase for larger matches)
• Fleet replacement recommended every 30 days for security updates with warning appearing at 90 days
• Per-second billing with 1-minute minimum charge per instance means very short sessions still incur minimum costs
• Managed container hosting supports Linux-based containers only, Windows containers not currently available

References

• https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/
• https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/gamelift-intro.html
• https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/flexmatchguide/match-intro.html
• https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftstreams/
• https://docs.aws.amazon.com/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/reference-serversdk.html