How can I publish my own video game?
Sophia Bowman
Updated on April 20, 2026
In the meantime, here are 11 places you may want to be aware of and explore further as options for publishing your game:
- Steam. Steam offers the largest and most well established PC distribution service around.
- Itch.io.
- Game Jolt.
- Gog.
- Humble Bundle.
- Kongregate.
- Gamers Gate.
- Game House.
Similarly, you may ask, how much does it cost to publish a video game?
The exact licensing fee varies based on the manufacturer, as well as any deals they may give a publisher, but it can generally be anywhere from $3 to $10 per unit.
Similarly, do I need a publisher for my game? If your experience is mainly in developing games but you have limited experience with the business side of things, you should definitely consider a publisher if you want to scale. But if you want to remain small and maintain full control, self-publishing may be a good option.
Hereof, where can I publish my game for free?
The 5 Best Free Places to Publish Your Game
- ITCH.IO. Itch.io is hands down the best platform available for indie game publishing.
- INDIEGAMESTAND. IndieGameStand is a robust platform to market your game, and is great for strong short term sales if you choose their pay-what-you-want deal.
- DESURA.
- KONGREGATE.
- ROAST MY GAME.
How much does it cost to publish a game on Steam?
Steam Direct, Valve's upcoming replacement for Steam Greenlight, will require a fee of just $100 for developers to publish their games on Steam, the company announced today. As previously announced, a developer will have to pay the fee for each game they want to release on Steam.
Related Question Answers
How long does a game take to make?
Simple hypercasual games can be developed in one or two months, while midcore games usually take more than half a year of developing. If you have an idea for a game, feel free to contact us, so we can help you to understand how much time and money is needed for transforming your dream into reality.How hard is it to make a phone game?
If you know what you want in your final product and have a basic knowledge oft game engines and programming, it is not that difficult to create an Android game. There are many indie developers who have successfully created games with hundreds of downloads and all it takes is a vision and the right tools.Why does it cost so much to make a video game?
Game budgets often include marketing costs, too. Rising game budgets have created breathtaking, cinematic experiences. But not everyone is happy. Higher costs have made publishers timid, preferring to serve up more of what their customers like rather than risk tens of millions of dollars on something new and untried.How much does it cost to make a small video game?
A game development process may take from one month to a few years. You will sum the costs of a development team with rights, devices and software costs and get the right amount. So, a game can cost you from $500 for a simple version with limited features to $300 mln for an action-adventure video game.How much money does it take to make a AAA game?
By the seventh generation of video game consoles (late 2000s), AAA game development on the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 game consoles typically cost in the low tens of millions of dollars ($15m to $20m) for a new game, with some sequels having even higher total budgets – for example Halo 3 is estimated to have had aHow much it costs to make a game?
A game development process may take from one month to a few years. You will sum the costs of a development team with rights, devices and software costs and get the right amount. So, a game can cost you from $500 for a simple version with limited features to $300 mln for an action-adventure video game.How much profit does steam take?
Normally, Valve takes around 30 percent of all game sales on Steam, with some exceptions for games from smaller developers in its Steam Direct program. That will remain the case for the first $10 million in sales a game maker or publisher earns.How long does it take to make a AAA game?
In general I'd say that for a large AAA game, if it's a sequel like the Call of Duty games where you're constantly developing another one based on previous tech and you have an existing experienced team, then the development time is around 2 years.Where can I sell my game?
The Best Places to Sell Video Games- Decluttr. Using Decluttr is one of the easiest ways to sell video games.
- Amazon. Amazon is the largest e-commerce website on the planet.
- Swappa. You can also turn old video games and consoles into cash with Swappa.
- Game Stop.
- 5. Facebook Marketplace.
- Craigslist.
- eBay.
- Best Buy.
Can you publish Unity games for free?
Yes you can create and sell a game with the free version of Unity, without paying royalties or any revenue share. Please also be aware that the feature set of the free version is not intended for the production of professional games and interactive content.Where should I publish my game?
11 Places to Publish & Release Your Indie Game- Steam. Steam offers the largest and most well established PC distribution service around.
- Itch.io. Itch is an excellent platform for indie game developers.
- Game Jolt. It's easy to get your game up on Game Jolt and it's free to do.
- Gog.
- Humble Bundle.
- Kongregate.
- Gamers Gate.
- Game House.
Why do most indie games fail?
The reasons my indie games have failed or not received much attention are because: Not enough time - Just too busy to put enough time in and make the game very deep and long. No collaboration - I have done every aspect for all my games and it can get stressful and overwhelming while I'm creating it.How do I copyright a game idea?
How to Register a U.S. Copyright- Complete and submit the correct form. Registration of a card game is obtained by submitting to the Copyright Office one of these forms:
- Pay the required filing fee.
- Submit deposit material.
- Place a copyright notice on your game.
Is it free to put a game on Steam?
Steam Direct, Valve's upcoming replacement for Steam Greenlight, will require a fee of just $100 for developers to publish their games on Steam, the company announced today. As previously announced, a developer will have to pay the fee for each game they want to release on Steam.How old do you have to be to publish a game?
If your question is "How old do I have to be to create a Game Jolt account and publish games?" According to the terms of Game Jolt, you have to be at minimum 18 years old or a minimum 13 years old, but your parents/guardian(s) should be aware of your account since they should've been the one who created your account.How do I add games to Steam?
How to Sell Your Game on Steam! - YouTube- Introduction. [00:00]
- Make a Game and create a Steam account. [01:11]
- Sign up to Steamworks. [01:20]
- Create a new game on Steamworks. [02:11]
- Implement the Steamworks API. [02:58]
- Upload your game to Steam. [03:49]
- Set the game settings. Create your store page. [05:01]
- Publish the store page. [05:34]
Who is the richest gaming company?
Richest Game Developers- Sony Computer Entertainment - $13.4 Billion. Well, Sony's play station is a hit among people.
- Microsoft Studios - $12.82 Billion.
- Nintendo - $6.28 Billion.
- Sega - $4.9 Billion.
- Activision Blizzard - $4.9 Billion.
- Namco Bandai - $4.74 Billion.
- Electronic Arts - $4.14 Billion.
- Konami - $3.24 Billion.
What is the difference between a game developer and publisher?
Usually, the core difference between video game developers and publishers is that developers are responsible for creating the video game while publishers are responsible for marketing, sales, and PR of it. Most creative talent in a game comes from the developers.How much money does Voodoo games make?
Voodoo games generated 300 million downloads in 2017, and that figure is on track to hit 1 billion this year. In May, Goldman Sachs invested $200 million in the publisher. Financially, Voodoo is crushing it.Why do you need a game publisher?
Funding: Publishers can fund the developers and enable them to make the game. Some devkits are in high demand, or cost too much, or have extra requirements the developer might not meet on their own. Localization: Publishers can handle all the localization process to different markets.What percentage do game publishers take?
Publishers can take anywhere from 20 to 40% usually, depending on the terms. Sometimes they take 100% of revenue until a cash advance or other expense is paid off, sometimes they fund development and take a higher percent, sometimes they have some guarantees.What does it mean to publish a game?
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that have been developed either internally by the publisher or externally by a video game developer. These advances are paid when the developer reaches certain stages of development, called milestones.What does a gaming publisher do?
A Game Publisher finances a video game's development, handles the marketing and release of the game, and gets the returns on its sales. This creates cost barriers to making it big in the mainstream market, so if Developers want their game to be a best-seller they need your resources to sustain and market their product.How do you publish a game on the app store?
There are 8 main steps required to successfully publish your iOS app in Apple's App Store:- Make sure your app can pass Apple's App Store Guidelines.
- Test your app to ensure there are no bugs or crashes.
- Register for an Apple developer program account.
- Create an iTunes Connect app record.
How do game publishers make money?
The publisher pays the developer an advance against royalties for developing the game; that is, the publisher pays the developers costs for making the game — but not all at once; the publisher pays the money out in increments when the developer completes pre-negotiated deliverables, called milestones.Can I sell my Steam games?
There is no way to take a game out of your Steam library and put it back into your inventory. That means there is no way to sell a game from your Steam library, unless you sell your entire Steam account. Games that are stored in your Steam inventory can be sent as gifts or traded through the Steam trading system.Can you make money on steam?
The only way for you to make actual money on Steam is to distribute original games on Steam Direct. Through this method, you will get paid depending on the revenue from your game sales. This will include even the in-game purchases.How do I sell a game I own on Steam?
How to Sell Your Game on Steam! - YouTube- Introduction. [00:00]
- Make a Game and create a Steam account. [01:11]
- Sign up to Steamworks. [01:20]
- Create a new game on Steamworks. [02:11]
- Implement the Steamworks API. [02:58]
- Upload your game to Steam. [03:49]
- Set the game settings. Create your store page. [05:01]
- Publish the store page. [05:34]
