Building a game can represent a viable career or just a simple passion project. Indie developers get to have a closer relationship with their creation since they are more involved at each level of the process.
This makes indie developers spend a lot of time on design, graphics, and story – the fun part of the process.
However, indie developers also need to pay attention to publishing and the platforms they are using too. More is not necessarily merrier when it comes to publishing.
If you’re alone just focus on a few platforms rather than all of them since your time is limited. We’re going to highlight some of the best platforms for publishing indie games here.
Steam
Steam is without a doubt one of the best platforms for publishing both indie games but also AAA games. They have a lot of support for new developers, especially if their game is high-quality. You only need to submit your game for review and wait to hear back from the official Steam team.
Because of past experiences, Steam figured out that manual reviews are the best way to proceed moving forward. It might take slightly longer for your game to be published but, as long as it’s of quality you have a good shot. This further emphasizes the importance of focusing on mechanics, story, and graphics to make a name for yourself.
Google Play
Just as Steam, Google Play is very open to publishing indie games and apps on their platform. They are the android version of Steam. You can only post mobile games on Google but this might represent an advantage for some developers. If you’re just starting out, creating a mobile game will prove a lot easier than a PC one. They are considerably smaller and faster to create.
PC gamers are more pretentious when it comes to the complexity of the game. But, mobile gamers are often casual ones that like simpler games. Adventure, puzzle, and casino games are among the favorites for mobile gamers. Book of Ra is one of the most popular slots you can try on Google Play, even if it’s quite simple in its form like all other casino games.
Casino apps can be as simple as a single game or can even take the form of a whole online casino made up of multiple smaller games. A casino app would be tougher to develop but it has the advantage of variety. The player can try out multiple games without exiting the app, further helping you build a community around your game.
You can simply upload your mobile game from Play Console by building your game’s page and choosing the main language, description, and title. It’s pretty straightforward and great for indie developers.
GOG
GOG is another good platform for publishing a PC game. Unlike Steam, you should only submit games that are ready here. GOG tends to be pretty picky since they only publish a few indie games each month. However, their team is more likely to publish your work if it has a bit of popularity.
If you can create some word of mouth around your game, and a decent fanbase, you’re far more likely to get published on GOG. If you can already get published on other platforms, GOG will surely pay more attention to your submission. Although it’s harder to get your game on their platform, it’s worth it since their support for indie developers is one of the best.
