How to Pitch Your Video Game to a Publisher

Starting a video game project today comes with as many advantages as challenges. We have tons of tools, processes that the dev community has already figured out, accessible engines, and an endless amount of tutorials. You don't need to aim for the next Grand Theft Auto –you can work on an indie project and still make great games. But on the difficulty side you've got a saturated market and the time and money it takes to keep a project alive, especially if you started it as a hobby.

After a lot of hard work, you've finished the demo you made on your own or with a small team –now what? What is it like to talk to a publisher to sell them your game, and what do you need for them to even consider you? Here I'm going to share everything I learned in my (ultimately frustrated) stint in the industry between 2020 and 2024, when I worked in different roles, from producer to the person preparing documents to sell games to publishers. And I say "frustrated" because I want to be clear: the two studios and the five games I worked on no longer exist. Some of them didn't even make it to the pitching phase. But the information and experience I gathered can still be useful if you're just starting this path.

Why You Want To Do This (And How)

This question is essential for any project you take on. Are you doing it as a hobby? For the glory? To "make it big"? If you're honest with yourself, the answer will help you set your expectations. If your passion is video games, you've started studying and want to show what you're doing, or you have a project you really believe in, it's also important to know your limitations and find ways to compensate for them.

A video game is a work that touches many different areas, from technical to commercial. You might be a great programmer but terrible at art, or have no idea how to make music. Don't let that stop you, but keep those scenarios in mind. If you're a solo developer –a "solodev"– and you can't solve something, ask colleagues for help and take part in communities. It sounds obvious, but don't stay locked in your cave.

Also, don't rule out –if it's within your means– paying someone to cover a gap. But if you're pushing an idea forward and want to add people to your project, understand that if you're not going to pay them and they're there out of passion, that project becomes a communal effort, even if you're the original creator. It's important to be clear on this when you start bringing people into "your" idea.

Why You Might Want A Publisher

You've probably already noticed how much time and money it takes to make a game. Once you define your expectations, you might realize you don't need a publisher at all: you can self-publish your first projects on platforms like itch.io or Steam. You can also apply for prizes and grants –which are getting scarcer– or look into other funding options like Kickstarter-style campaigns or community donations. All of those are valid options, though each comes with its own tricks and difficulties.

But some projects do need that extra time and money. Maybe you have an idea you trust deeply, or your dream is to quit your day job and focus on this full time. That's where the publisher comes in. These companies are business partners, like a record label for bands or a publishing house for an author. They can come on board with an investment to help you finish the game –pay close attention to those contracts, because most of the time that money has to be paid back– and they can also help with distribution, localization (translation), porting to other platforms, and marketing campaigns.

If you decide to look for a publisher, one of the best ways to start building a contact list is by joining industry communities, like Argentina's ADVA for indie developers, or communities around engines like Godot. These communities often host talks about working with publishers and share contacts.

For example, at EVA (Exposición de Videojuegos Argentina) there are business meetings where you can have "speed-dating" style sessions to show your game to different companies. Another option is to look up which publishers are behind games similar to yours and then –from your personal or studio account– start hunting for contacts on LinkedIn to build your list. There are also websites with publisher databases that can help you get oriented.

Many publishers have submission forms on their websites where you can upload projects and documents. It's like getting in the longest line to enter the club, but don't write it off.

What You Need To Sell A Game

Showing your game to a publisher is not the same as showing it to a potential player. I spoke with several people who work as game scouting agents, and they receive a lot of projects. Their process, they told me, is basically to pick the games that catch their eye and then "sell" them internally within the publisher.

That means you have to give them tools to defend your game inside the company even when nobody from your team is in the room.

Let's focus first on the basic tools you'll need:

► A demo that represents the best of your game

► A gameplay video

► The pitch document for your game

A Slice Of Cake: What A Demo Is Expected To Deliver

In the last 15 years, the number of studios looking for funding to finish their games has shot up, and that has forced publishers to tighten some of their processes to filter projects. It's no longer enough to sell your idea well or show a bit of gameplay: today, the industry is asking for something pretty tough and expensive –a demo of your game in a vertical slice format.

The classic metaphor is a finished cake, where each cut slice shows all the layers: the base sponge, the filling, and the outer decoration. Translated to the demo, they're expecting a "slice" of your game where the code, game design, and art assets represent an experience that's as close as possible to the final product. To do that, it's crucial that you really understand your game, its loop, and the core concepts behind it so you can demonstrate them.

The standard length for this type of demo is 5 to 15 minutes. Think very carefully about what you want to show and focus on that. Test it with colleagues and friends who can give you feedback, and try to make it as snappy as possible –in the sense that players should be able to interact with the game almost immediately. You probably know your game by heart, but the publisher doesn't, and the demo needs to be understandable without forcing them through a long tutorial.

All the added value from lore and presentation helps a lot, but don't let that eat up the time you have to actually show the game. You can always expand on that in the documentation.

These commercial demos don't get many chances: if they don't hook the publisher, it's very unlikely you'll get a second shot with the same build and the same company. That's why it's so important that your first impression showcases the best you've got, without making the player (in this case, the publisher) feel like you're wasting their time.

Video Killed the Gameplay Star

You worked super hard on that demo, but I've got bad news: it probably won't be the first thing the publisher sees. Most of them ask for a 1-2 minute gameplay video. If they like what they see there, then they'll move on to trying the demo. This video is not a commercial trailer, and ideally you shouldn't treat it as one. You can absolutely cut a trailer and include it as part of your materials, but the gameplay video is a different beast.

Back to the scouting agent's point of view: playing video games as a job sounds like a dream, but it is a job, and the amount of material they receive is huge. So first they'll give a chance to the video and the pitch deck. You only have a couple of minutes, so don't overdo it with an intro or spend too long showing off your logos with a huge animation. Think about what you can show in the first 15-20 seconds that actually hooks them, and from there, build out the rest of the gameplay with the most important elements.

Don't forget to add a clear note that the footage is from a game in development, and include your studio's contact info, because these videos often get passed around internally without the rest of the documents attached.

Pitch Deck: The Most Important Document

When we talk about a pitch deck or "presentation", it's exactly what you're picturing: a slide deck exported to PDF, but with content that's absolutely critical to grabbing a publisher's attention. It's your introduction and your sales document in one, and you need to be very sharp with what you say.The standard is a 10–12 slide document with a few essential sections that are non-negotiable.

Before digging into them, a few general tips: use the design of the deck to highlight your game's branding and art without getting in the way of readability. Remember this is not a game design document –it's a sales document. The information has to be concise and effective. Review your text, ask for feedback, and look for pitch decks from other games that are available to download online, but make sure they're not too old or out of step with current industry standards.

Now, here's what your deck must include:

1) A Strong Cover

Lead with your best artwork and don't forget to include your studio name and/or logo.

2) Elevator Pitch / Overview

This is the punch that can't miss. On this slide you need: the title of your game, your elevator pitch, and a short line or two with the most important thing you have to say about it.

An elevator pitch is a sales concept: you describe your product with no detours and a strong hook that grabs attention in a very short time. In games, this is not a plot summary –it's selling the fantasy of the game.

For example, a bad pitch would be:

"Year 18XX, a group of vampire hunters travels the world in search of…"

That's a trailer. Your pitch needs to be direct:

"Vampire Survivors is a casual gothic horror game with roguelite elements where your decisions let you exponentially increase your power while you fight hundreds of monsters."

Getting there is not easy –you'll have to think hard and iterate on that text dozens of times. As always, look at how studios you like are doing it: read the descriptions on itch.io or Steam, or look up pitch decks from other games. This is one of the most critical points in the whole document.

After the elevator pitch, on the same slide you should add a short bullet list with key info. At the very least, include: Genre, Development status, Engine, Target release window, Studio name. If you already have the game on Steam, add any key stats you can show off, like current wishlist numbers.

Support this slide with your best art or strong screenshots, without compromising readability.

3) Gameplay And Core Loop

These are usually two separate slides. On the first one, you explain the core gameplay. Use good screenshots and write a short narrative that conveys the experience in a structured way.

If gameplay is about the mechanics and how you play, the core loop is the experience of a single run and how those actions unfold to make your game fun. For example, the famous loop in Diablo is: kill enemies to gain XP and loot; use that XP and loot to get better gear and skills; use those to kill more enemies, and repeat.

Think carefully about what a "standard run" looks like in your game, and translate that into text and images. Be efficient on these two slides: don't add irrelevant information and don't promise things you can't deliver.

4) Unique Selling Points – Why We Should Buy Your Game

By now the scouting agent has read your elevator pitch and seen how your gameplay and core loop work. On this slide, you close the overall idea –this is your finishing move. Choose 3-4 features that truly act as pillars of the game. This is where you highlight your strongest points.

Why would anyone play another "Diablo-like"? Maybe because in your game the skill tree has a thousand possible builds; or because your art is spectacular, evoking a particular style or creating a new one; or because you’re doing something genuinely different with multiplayer. Present these as if they were the most important things in the world, while still keeping the information concise.

5) The Team

Introduce the team that's working or will be working on the project, and briefly list their experience on other games. If this is your first project, you can say so, but frame it in a way that shows passion and commitment. You can play a bit with tone and make it fun, but –as I've said a thousand times– don't let the design get in the way of clarity.

6) Market Analysis

Here you need to answer: Who is the game for? Which other titles in the genre are relevant benchmarks? How did those games perform, at least in broad numbers?

This slide requires research and sources. Dial back the flashy design here, because you'll likely be using tables, charts, or bullet lists that need to be crystal clear. You can also add information about your own game if you already have wishlists or an active community.

7) Game Development Status

This is the honesty slide. Explain what phase the game is currently in and show a rough roadmap for what's next. Don't get carried away: your realistic goal is to go from "no demo" to a vertical slice demo, and from there to a first shippable version –what we might call an MVP. Break down how you're planning to move forward by milestones. Don't promise what you can't deliver –I'm repeating it because this is what kills projects.

8) What We Need From The Publisher And How We'll Use The Budget

As you've probably noticed, things get more serious in the last slides –now we're talking business. To get here, you should already have a budget and a time projection for development, so you know what you're asking the publisher for.

With that prep done, you'll know you need X amount of money to get to version 1.0 of the game in Y amount of time –and that's what you'll ask for. A simple pie chart usually works well here to show how you plan to use the budget. You can also add a link to a spreadsheet with a more detailed breakdown.

Finally, be explicit about what else you expect from the publisher: help with marketing, support for console ports, etc.

9) Closing Slide With Strong Art And Contact Info

Earlier I said these decks usually run 10–12 slides because some sections –like gameplay, core loop, or market analysis– might spill over onto more than one. If you think it adds value, you can include an extra slide at the end with concept art. But it's generally better to integrate art throughout the deck and keep a separate concept deck where you can also expand on lore, if that's important for your game. That would be a separate asset, not part of the main pitch deck.

If your presentation catches a publisher's attention, they'll invite you to an interview where you'll have to pitch live. Practice your English, or send someone who can hold a conversation. Study the pitch and be open to feedback. Many of these meetings will go nowhere, but genuine interest is already a good sign. Take advantage of it to ask questions, like what caught the agent's attention enough to set up the meeting. Look for other developers' experiences with the publishers you're talking to, and read the room carefully –they might ask you to change aspects of your original project. It's up to you (or your studio) to decide how far you're willing to bend.

Most big publishers (like Devolver, Raw Fury, or Team17) have information on their websites about how to pitch a game, with submission forms that make it very clear what they want from you. Those first rounds of feedback are going to be crucial to understand how you should iterate on your documentation and on your game. Sometimes you'll have to make concessions; other times you'll have to accept that your idea just isn't something publishers "see". That's when you face the hard decisions: change core parts of the project, or stay stubbornly faithful to your idea.

Finally, of all the sites about video game marketing, I strongly recommend How To Market A Game, by Chris Zukowski. Read his work –it's very good and surprisingly clear, not just for pitching, but also for building campaigns for social networks, making a strong Steam page, and studying real-world success cases. There's also a very active international community on Discord. Look up experiences on Reddit, where there's a huge dev community, and keep learning by watching trailers and gameplay breakdowns on YouTube.

I hope my experience helps you. Good luck out there –and never hesitate to reach out to the community if you need help.