How to Pitch Your Indie Game to Publishers: Expert Tips from TinyBuild

YouTube

Episode Summary

Ever wondered how to approach a publisher? Or maybe just felt nervous about reaching out? Well, my friend, this episode is for you.

Today, we’re joined by Corey Caplan, Director of Business Development and Partnerships at tinyBuild. You know, that small little publisher and development studio behind absolute bangers like Hello Neighbor, Streets of Rogue, and the highly anticipated Kingmakers.

He’s here today to break down four essential things that every indie dev should know before pitching to a publisher: what you should include in your pitch deck (and what you should leave out), how to make your game stand out in an inbox packed with submissions, why shipping a game matters more than you think in the eyes of a publisher, and how to build a lasting relationship that goes far beyond just one title.

Get ready to level up and get partnered with the publishers of your dreams.

Meet Our Guest: Corey Caplan

Corey Caplan is the Director of Business Development and Partnerships at tinyBuild, where he focuses on licensing deals, platform negotiations, and expanding the reach of tinyBuild’s IP portfolio. His role involves maximizing the value of owned properties like Hello Neighbor while identifying new partnership opportunities across gaming, merchandising, and entertainment.

With extensive experience in business development, Corey helps bridge the gap between developers and publishers, working closely with tinyBuild’s production teams to bring highly replayable, systems driven games to market. He also hosts a podcast where developers can pitch their games and receive direct feedback from industry professionals.

LinkedIn: Corey Caplan

Company: tinyBuild

Podcast: How to Pitch Games Podcast

Key Takeaways

“If you’ve shipped a game, regardless of what happened to it, that’s a miracle, right? And we want to respect that. So tell us everything you’ve done. It’s really helpful. You don’t have to hide it.”
— Corey Caplan, tinyBuild

Your Hook is Everything: Put your unique selling proposition right in the email subject line and opening of your pitch deck. Publishers need to understand immediately why your game deserves their attention among hundreds of submissions.
Shipping Experience Trumps Perfection: Publishers value developers who have completed and released games, even if they weren’t commercial successes. The experience of going through the entire development cycle is invaluable and demonstrates your ability to finish projects.
Persistence Pays Off: Don’t be afraid to follow up on your pitches. Publishers receive massive volumes of submissions and genuinely don’t want to miss great games that fit their portfolio. Multiple follow ups show dedication and professionalism.
Minimum Viable Pitch Requirements: While you don’t need a Steam page or full social media presence to start conversations, you do need at minimum a playable prototype or build to move forward with serious publishing discussions.
Realistic Market Analysis is Crucial: When presenting market comparisons, be honest about your game’s realistic potential rather than claiming the entire addressable market. Publishers appreciate conservative, break even, and optimistic projections.
Full Project Budgets Required: Don’t just budget to Early Access. Publishers need to see the complete financial picture from prototype to version 1.0 to avoid sticky situations down the road.
Collaboration Over Control: The best developer publisher relationships involve open minded partners willing to work together on marketing, features, and creative direction rather than rigid adherence to original visions.
Direct Contact Works: If you know someone at a publisher, reach out directly rather than only using general submission emails. Personal connections can help your pitch get the attention it deserves.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Approaching Publishers and tinyBuild Overview
01:24 – Meet Corey Caplan: Director of Business Development
03:50 – What Makes tinyBuild Special and Their Focus on Systems Driven Games
07:43 – Common Misconceptions About Publishers
10:11 – Crafting the Perfect Publisher Email and Minimum Requirements
15:44 – Essential Pitch Deck Elements and Market Analysis
17:29 – The 7 Day Marketing Foundations Challenge (Sponsor Break)
22:14 – Technical Considerations and Budget Requirements
25:32 – The Importance of Shipping Games and Developer Qualities
29:35 – Publisher Developer Relationships and Long Term Vision
31:41 – Following Up Strategies and Final Pitching Advice
35:57 – What’s Exciting in the Indie Space and Shoutouts
40:12 – Closing and Thank You

Show Notes & Mentioned Resources

Games & Studios Mentioned

Hello Neighbor: tinyBuild’s flagship franchise
Streets of Rogue: Systems driven roguelike from tinyBuild
Kingmakers: Highly anticipated RTS/third person action hybrid
Hello Neighbor 3: Upcoming systems driven entry in the franchise
Streets of Rogue 2: Sequel expanding on the original’s systems
Sand: Co op extraction game from tinyBuild
All Will Fall: City building survival game
Haneda Girl: Recommended indie game by Studio Coba
Narita Boy: Previous game from Studio Coba

Tools & Platforms

tinyBuild Connect: tinyBuild’s showcase event for their games
How to Pitch Games Podcast: Podcast where developers can pitch games

Join the Freaking Cool Indies Community!

Found this episode helpful? The conversation doesn’t have to end here.

Join our Newsletter: Subscribe to the FCI newsletter!
Subscribe to the Podcast: Get new episodes packed with actionable advice delivered directly to you.
Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the show, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the best way to help other indie devs discover the podcast!

Thanks for listening, friend!