What Game to Build, Which Publisher to Go?

What Game to Build, Why, and Which Publisher is Right for You?

If you’re a game developer looking to pitch to publishers, the real question isn’t just what to build, it’s why you’re building it and who you should be partnering with. Here are three critical things to consider:

1️⃣ Choose Your Development Strategy: Innovation vs. +1

I see two main ways to approach game development:

💠 True Innovation – Creating something the market has never seen before (think Roblox).
✅ Upside: If you succeed, you own a genre and might be diving into money like Scrooge McDuck.
❌ Downside: Most fail. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play.

💠 The “+1” Strategy – Taking an existing, successful game and adding a new twist or meta.
✅ Upside: Lower risk, faster validation, and a better fit for most publishers. a good example would Match 3D evolved from Match-3, creating a new subgenre that publishers could stack for growth.
❌ Downside: Saturation and you need to be quick to succeed.

2️⃣ Do Your Market Research

You can’t build in a vacuum. Before committing to a game concept, analyze the market:
📊 Use data tools – SensorTower, AppMagic, and Newzoo to track trends and revenue potential.
📱 No premium tools? Manually trawl app stores, check top charts, and spot recurring mechanics (like how many variations of Screw Jam or Twister Tangle popped up last year).
📖 Industry reports – AppsFlyer, InvestGame, and Google searches can provide crucial insights.
🎯 The goal? Ensure your idea isn’t just creative—but commercially viable. If you’re making a skiing game when the market is chasing card battlers, your odds of getting signed drop fast. If you’re still set on your vision, consider raising a bigger round from a VC instead.

3️⃣ Find the Right Publisher (and Avoid Instant Rejection)

Many devs pitch to the wrong publisher and get ghosted. Like VCs, publishers have a thesis, they look for specific genres, game sizes, and budgets. Some are “opportunists” and sign many different kinds of games but then the execution on their side becomes harder.

🚨  If you’re making a $10M budget MOBA and pitching to a hybrid casual publisher with a $500K deal cap and 6-month production timeline, you’re wasting your time!

Here’s how to research the right fit:

✅ Check their portfolio. What types of games have they launched recently?
🎙️ Follow exec interviews & podcasts. What are they actively looking for?
📜 Tailor your pitch & deck. Align with their strategy to increase your chances dramatically.

🔥 Final Thought:
Success isn’t just about building a great game. It’s about building the RIGHT game, for the RIGHT reasons, and pitching it to the RIGHT publisher. Nail these three steps, and your chances of signing a deal skyrocket 🚀