Developers
Welcome
Welcome to PixelFunder! It’s great to have you onboard- so let’s kick off with some introductions!
Why PixelFunder?
Well, we’re much more than a crowdfunding platform. PixelFunder is all about the indie game culture - from a passionate community of backers to tailored marketing, we’ve got your campaign covered. No matter what your goal, you will always take home 95%*. When you choose to publish your project on PixelFunder, you are getting marketing support on your efforts from the team. The support for your campaign is specific to you and your game’s needs, taking into consideration what you want to achieve and the best tactics to achieve your goal. We have a positive community across all our social media channels and here on the website, full of feedback and great for generating buzz about your game.
How do I sign up?
It’s a pretty simple process to get your project up and running with us! Before we get into it, you’ll need have a Stripe and PayPal account set up to use to receive your funding when you reach the end of your campaign.
Here’s a simple guide:
1. Make sure you’ve registered to PixelFunder! Click on the “Register” button to get started in the top right hand corner. Follow the steps until you’re a fully fledged PixelFunder.
2. OK, are we all registered now? Great! Now let’s submit your glorious game! Click on the “Submit a Game” button in the top right hand corner.
3. When preparing your project on PixelFunder, you need to have a game name and an image to use for your project, as well as an idea of the amount of backing you need to get your project funded.
If you’re unsure of whether your goal is achievable or if you’re asking for the right amount of backing, please reach out to us using the Contact Us form. We can also help you think about the Rewards you offer to backers as well as the appropriate backing amount for each.
4. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to fill in everything on the page to save your work as a draft. Fill in as much as you can and if you are stuck for ideas on how to write your Story or any other elements, we are just an email away. It’s our goal to get your game the most exposure possible so please feel free to contact whenever you want!
5. So you’re happy with your draft now? Everything’s looking ship shape! Well, there’s only one thing left for it… hit that big ‘ol “Submit for Review” button and your project will wing its way into our lovely inboxes!
How does the review process work?
Once your game has been submitted, we will contact you within 24 hours to talk you through the next steps. We can go through any little tweaks that might be needed to push it through the gates onto the platform, but also we can begin the conversation with you about marketing your title. We will be there for the duration of your campaign (and beyond) providing full support to help get your game backed! What will you do to promote my game? Everything in our power! Once we’ve started the conversation with you and understand your game insideout, we will schedule in our first Twitch livestream of it called PixelFunder Plays, which we will prepare and publish to our YouTube channel. In the days running up to the stream, we will be promoting your project page on all of social media channels and in our newsletter. Alongside our social media endeavours, we will talk you through your marketing materials and the best way to maximise your assets. We will review your trailer, game screenshots and game description to make sure everything is communicating your title in the most engaging way!
Social media strategy - we will prepare messaging and campaign ideas bespoke to your title, including suggestions on what you, as the developer, should communicate, whilst also sharing your game on our channels. Channels we support: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube.
Trailer - we have trailer specialists inhouse that can analyze your existing trailer and work with you on any effective edits. We can also work with you on storyboarding and preparation of a trailer if you currently don’t have one in place.
Codes - once your game is approved, we prepare customizable codes you can share with your fans and influencers so they can get some hands on time with your titles.
Merchandise - we have an ecommerce platform in place on the website where you can sell the merchandise of your studio and game.
Limitless - As we work with you closely on your marketing campaign, we listen and adapt our ideas and campaigns based on your needs and objectives. So, if you have a keen on a specific channel, asset or event you need only let us know and we can devise tactics to bring it into fruition.
What do I need to do promote my game?
Whilst we will be working to get your game backed, it’s very important that you are active, too! We will give you all the advice and strategy you can dream of to make sure your social media channels are full of rich content that converts your community into backers for the game on PixelFunder. If you’re just getting started, we recommend you get yourself a Twitter account for your studio or game. With this you can talk to interested users about the development cycle, any cool new elements you are working on, as well as letting them know when you have achieved those allimportant milestones.
Communication
We will reach out to you on using your registered email address, initially. Should you prefer to communicate using a different address, please let us know. We are also very happy to have Skype calls and chat just let us know your preferred contact method.
Tips to maximize your chances of achieving your target
It’s not always easy to build your game presence and get people backing your game. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Build your social media presence as early as you can. Your community will be excited about your games development and will be more likely to take a look at your project page when you are looking for backing. It’s easier to ask for help from a friend than a stranger!
Time your posts. Not every post is going to be a smashing success but there are lots of considerations you can put in to get the most out of each one. Check you Facebook and Twitter analytics to see when your fans are awake and reachable, use relevant hashtags like #indiegame and #gamedev and spice up your content with a mixture of pictures, gifs and videos.
Make a trailer. It may seem obvious but the best way to show your game without giving it to someone to play, is to make an interesting trailer that showcases all your awesome gameplay mechanics, art style, sound etc. You can release a trailer to act as an announcement, heralding a development milestone.
*Before payment processor fees. For a list of fees see our FAQ