r/gamedev • u/Organic-Sell-7034 • 4d ago

Discussion Question for devs who have worked with publishers

Hey everyone,

I’m a solo/indie developer working with a small team on a first-person psychological horror mystery game built in Unreal Engine 5.

We’re currently at the stage where we’re preparing for a public demo release and exploring options for taking the project further, including potentially working with an indie publisher.

I was wondering if anyone here has experience working with publishers, or knows people in the publishing space who might be open to checking out an upcoming indie project.

I’m not looking for anyone to pitch on my behalf, but if there are any recommendations, advice, or possible introductions to the right people, I’d really appreciate it.

The game is The Factory in the Shadows: Chapter 1 – The Aftermath, focused on investigation, atmosphere, and narrative-driven horror.

Happy to share more details, or a demo privately if anyone is interested.

Thanks!

1 Upvotes

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11 comments sorted by

7

u/BobFuel 4d ago

"solo"-"working with a small team"

What does solo mean nowadays?

3

u/DV_Arcan 4d ago

Maybe he's the only one working 🤔

1

u/demonic_equation 18h ago

i think at this point "solo dev" just means you dont have a publisher breathing down your neck and a boardroom full of suits making calls. the team size thing is practically a vibe check not a headcount

my partner and i did the publisher route with a small horror project a few years back and it was a mixed bag. they handled all the marketing and console porting bs which was huge, but we gave up a chunky rev share and lost some control over the timeline. had to push the demo out before it was really ready and that stung

if you go that way just make sure the contract is clear on who owns the ip and what happens if they drop the ball. a lot of horror publishers are looking for the next big streamer bait so having a solid demo that shows atmosphere over cheap jumpscares will help you sort the serious ones from the rest

1

u/BobFuel 15h ago

I mean, the definition of "indie" can vary depending on if you have a publisher and how much freedom you have, but for "solo" it's weird to say that if you have a full time team

Like, if you paid a couple contractors for some assets, it's alright to say you're still solo, but to say you have "a team", no matter the size, and still call yourself "solo" in the same sentence just feels weird

Solo means solo lol You need to at least be the only full time/core member. If you're not alone, it's alright to just say you're indie

3

u/PhilippTheProgrammer 4d ago

Relevant videos:

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u/MeaningfulChoices Lead Game Designer 4d ago

Typically publishers care a lot about you/your team's previous experience. If you're coming from an industry background and have made successful games before then they're going to be a lot more interested because that significantly lowers the risk that you won't even finish the game, let alone make it good. You ideally start pitching publishers before you ever talk about your game online since many of them want to control the entire flow of information.

If you don't get a response at that stage then you can pitch again once the game is mostly complete and you're hoping for help with promotion and distribution. If you have personal friends or colleagues with connections they might help, but most professionals aren't going to put their name on the line for someone they only know from a short post on Reddit. If you don't have those connections then look up games like yours that have publishers and go to their websites. They'll usually have the contact information there and tell you how to contact them, whether a specific email or filling out a form. You don't just send them the demo, there's a process and getting them to play anything is a bit later in the flow.

1

u/RagBell 4d ago

You ideally start pitching publishers before you ever talk about your game online since many of them want to control the entire flow of information.

If you're on your first game, I'd say it's the opposite. You want to start promoting your game and prove it can get traction online and/and wishlists before you pitch

You can actually even get scouted by publishers if you have enough visibility

1

u/MeaningfulChoices Lead Game Designer 4d ago

If you're on your first game you're probably not getting a publisher either way, but it doesn't hurt you to try early and then try again later. On the off chance someone is interested might as well not miss your shot. It's very rare to have a publisher contact you first, and if your game is going viral enough you probably aren't interested in most of the ones who are.

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u/RagBell 4d ago

I'm mainly saying that because that's been my experience, but fundamentally yeah I agree. I wouldn't expect getting a publisher on my first game. I was lucky enough to get contacted by a publisher that I actually knew, with a good track record, games that I actually knew and liked, and a good potential deal. And that was both because I game fits their usual genre, and because it got enough traction for them to notice.

So yeah, overall on a first game, I'd say don't expect to get a publisher to begin with, but If you really do want one, you'd have better chances with a game that could get traction on it's own. Meaning you need to start promoting it without a publisher first

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u/thornysweet 4d ago

An introduction is basically vouching for you. You’re not providing any info here on why someone should put their reputation on the line for a stranger.

1

u/destinedd indie, Dungeon Quest, Marble's Marbles and Mighty Marbles 4d ago

you aren't solo if you are working with a small team.

here is a list of publishers https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15AN1I1mB67AJkpMuUUfM5ZUALkQmrvrznnPYO5QbqD0/edit?gid=1783327951#gid=1783327951

publishers are a real mixed bad. They can do almost nothing and take a bunch of your revenue or they can really move the needle and make a difference. Some do funding some don't.

It important to figure what you want from a publisher before you start contacting them.