11 Sources You Can Use to Fund Your First Game Development Project
By: Josef Cruz
Tags: Startup, Money, Programming, Entrepreneurship, JavaScript

11 Sources You Can Use to Fund Your First Game Development Project

Photo by Christian Dubovan on Unsplash

Money is not always the solution to the problem, but it is safe to say that many developers would be able to create even more interesting games if the budget for the project were a little higher.

There are many cases where large projects were shelved for lack of money to carry on with development until the end. How can you then not let your idea die for lack of money?

I’ll show you different ways to fund your game development so that you increase the chances of your game being finished as it deserves. They also don’t need to be used separately: you can combine various forms of financing to make your project viable, if necessary.

1. Your current job

This is probably the most common and natural option. You have your normal job at a company, and in your spare time, you work on your game development.

If your goal is to develop games as a hobby, this is probably the best option. But if you want to one day work exclusively with games, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons within your context.

The main advantage is the financial and emotional security of having a paid job while developing your game. After all, you don’t know if your game will be a commercial success.

In this context, you can develop your game with peace of mind without taking unnecessary financial risks.

I know many cases of people who work at night and on the weekend developing games. Making this double journey can be quite tiring, and it is necessary to be organized so that you ignore social life and family.

2. Your own savings

Another common option is to do some financial planning to take a gap year focused on game development.

With good organization, you can make enough money to spend a year (or another period) out of the workforce focusing exclusively on developing your game. Then, if you can’t make that career change in time, you’re back in the workforce.

Obviously, not everyone has a high enough salary to make this financial reserve. Also, not everyone has good employability to guarantee themselves in getting a new job later, in case the game project doesn’t go ahead.

You must analyze whether this option is within your context. Again, good financial planning and organization will help you not make a rash decision and put the cart before the horse.

3. Working as a freelancer

This option gives you more freedom than having a conventional job and is not as risky as living exclusively on your own savings. So it might be the middle ground you’ve been looking for.

You can balance the amount of paid work and time invested in developing your game according to your need. And if you think having a job in a “freelancer” format is just for programmers and artists, think again. There are many ways to get paid per project without having an employment relationship.

You can be a consultant in your area of ​​expertise, give private lessons in other languages, work with writing or proofreading, and so on.

4. From Friends and Family

This alternative is usually more common when the developer has already had some positive results and is looking to raise some money to play a more audacious project.

When you have good professional credibility and have already had some good results, getting a “kitty” among friends and family is easier to get the necessary funds to develop a game.

This money can be a simple donation from people who love and support you. It can be an investment with profit sharing after the game launch or even a loan with low interest.

5. Get an angel investor for your company or project

The angel investor is someone who will accompany your project to increase its chances of success, being able to support it with capital, business experience, and a network of contacts.

I don’t particularly like the “angel” part of “angel-investor.” This name makes some people think that these investors want to help you achieve your dream.

Of course, the angel investor wants you, as a business partner, to go far with your project. However, being in the role of an investor, your main objective is to get a return on the investments made. The good part is that this means a return for you too. If the deal is done well, this is a great example of a win-win relationship.

6. Government aid programs

In many parts of the world, there are government programs to help game development. These actions aim to stimulate cultural production and entrepreneurial activities in the games sector.

To take advantage of these opportunities, it is necessary to keep an eye on the government notices published and carefully read how each one works. Then, if possible, talk to developers who have won previous awards to find out how it went.

In this financing option, the most important recommendation I can give you is the following: before venturing into one of these initiatives, read the notice carefully and understand every detail of the document. There are several rights and duties that those who participate in the program are willing to accept, so you must know exactly what you’re getting into.

7. Crowdfunding

It happens more or less like this: the developer registers their project on one of the several websites specialized in crowdfunding like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. It disclosed the amount of money he needs to make the game.

Then, over a period of time which is usually 30 to 60 days, the public can choose to contribute financially to the project through several different amounts.

Those who contribute financially to the project receive an award, which can be the game itself, physical gifts, thanks, and whatever else the developer can think of to attract more contributions.

But it is worth noting that crowdfunding isn’t as simple as it sounds.

8. Awards from festivals and competitions

If you are already a developer with some experience, you can earn money through prizes in festivals and contests. This prize can even be from an early version of your game, and the prize money will be used to finish it.

Many contests and festivals reward games that are still in the early stages of development or even games that have barely started to be developed.

9. Bank loan

This is probably the riskiest and least recommended option of all. But, yes, you can get a loan from the bank to develop your project. There are many cases where a loan can greatly leverage a company’s growth, and in the gaming industry, this is no different.

If you’re still an inexperienced developer, I suggest you don’t go down this path. Instead, allow yourself to understand the market first, acting with little risk, before opting for bolder paths. On the other hand, if you are already a more experienced developer or if you are already an entrepreneur with results, this could be an interesting option.

10. Put your game on pre-sale (or early access )

You can pre-order your game at a heavily discounted price (e.g., 70%-90% off the final price you intend to charge) to make some money while you’re still developing the game. If pre-selling is done intelligently and strategically, it may be that game development pays for itself from the very early stages.

11. Sponsorship of another person or company

A less common option, but also happens, is finding a sponsor for your project. In this option, a person or company is available to finance your game’s partial or total development.

The reasons can be quite different. For example, a company can fund the development of a game that will positively affect its brand somehow.