Paper.io-Style Android Game

I’m building an original, territory-capture mobile game for Android that delivers the same “draw a trail, close the loop, claim the land” excitement of Paper.io but with its own identity. The first release must already include every core feature: smooth territory-capturing gameplay, smart offline AI opponents, unlockable skins, an online leaderboard, and AdMob ads.

Visual direction
The look I’m after is bright and colorful, almost cartoon-like, with lively animations that make each captured area feel satisfying. Nothing may be lifted from Paper.io or any other title; all art, audio, and UI assets have to be brand-new.

Progression & monetisation
Players earn new skins in three parallel ways: collecting coins during play, watching rewarded ads, and hitting gameplay milestones (for example, a certain number of wins). This system should be easy to tweak from an inspector or config file.

What I need from you
• Development in Unity or Godot—whichever you’re strongest with.
• An optimised APK/AAB that passes Play Console pre-launch checks.
• Full, well-commented source code and project files.
• Integrated AdMob (banner, interstitial, rewarded).
• A lightweight backend or Google Play Games Services setup for the leaderboard.
• Simple documentation that shows me how to swap assets, change ad IDs, and publish future updates.

When you reply, please include:
1. Links to any similar “.io” or arcade projects you have shipped.
2. A brief outline of your approach to AI pathfinding and performance optimisation on mid-range devices.
3. Your estimated timeline and cost, broken into milestones if possible.

I’m ready to move quickly and will provide prompt feedback throughout, so let’s create a standout Paper.io-style game that’s Play Store-ready from day one.