How Do Publishers Decide Which Games to Sign?

The greenlight process is the final stage of due diligence, where the publishing team comes together to review all aspects of a game and decide whether to sign it. While each publisher has its own approach, the ultimate goal is the same:

➡️ Do we believe in this game enough to invest in it?

Here’s how the decision-making unfolds:

🎯 Stage 1: The Cross-Team Review

The publishing team evaluates all major areas of the game, typically led by designated owners for each function:

🔹 Product & Design – Is the gameplay engaging? Does it meet genre benchmarks?

🔹 Production – Can the studio execute on time and at scale?

🔹 Marketing – Are CPI, CTR, IPM and retention strong enough to support profitable UA? Do we have monetisation metrics already?

🔹 Commercial Viability – Can it scale profitably? How much will we need to invest to get it to market?

🔹 Team/Studio – Does the team have the experience and mindset to collaborate effectively?

Each area is scored, and the total score provides a clear indication of whether the game has a strong chance of success.

📌 If the game meets expectations across all areas, it moves to the next phase, which is pushing for contractual terms.

🛠 Stage 2: Defining the Deal Terms

Once the team agrees the game is worth signing, publishers work backwards from the opportunity size to structure the deal:

🔹 Revenue Share – What percentage of revenue will the developer receive? Will this be fixed or variable against goals?

🔹 Studio Funding – Will the publisher cover the studio’s burn rate during development? If so how much of it?

🔹 Marketing Investment – How much UA budget will be allocated?

🔹 Any Performance Based Bonuses – Will their be additional financial rewards associated to the game hitting a particular revenue goal?

These terms vary based on risk, potential return, and the studio’s track record. A proven team with a strong prototype will likely receive better terms than an untested studio with an unproven concept.

📌 At this stage, the game moves from the evaluation phase to an official publishing agreement and normally is moved over to the publishing manager to own the relationship moving forward.

🔥 Want to Improve Your Chances? Here’s What You Can Do:

✅ Optimize Your Game Before the Submission: Ensure retention, monetization, and UA metrics are all solid. The days of publishers signing a game based on a good deck and “potential” are long gone.

✅ Showcase Your Studio’s Strengths: A great team can increase deal confidence, even if the game isn’t perfect. This will help with both the studio and production team review.

✅ Be Flexible on Commercials: Understand that deal terms are based on risk vs. reward. The stronger your case, the better your offer. If you feel that the offer isn’t good enough be straight forward with the publisher and come up with some additional performance based rewards to sweeten the pot.