GAME PLATFORM ACCOUNTS
Platform accounts are where your games reach players. Each store, mobile, PC, web or console, has its own developer account, its own rules, fees and verifications. Here you'll find, one by one, how to open and manage these accounts as a company.
What this section covers
| Family | Platforms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Platforms | Google Play, Apple App Store | the largest audience, but also the most verifications |
| PC Platforms | Steam, GOG, Itch.io | Steam is the standard; itch.io is perfect for demos |
| WebGames | CrazyGames, Poki | a fast, cheap testing ground for mechanics |
| Console Platforms | PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo | closed ecosystems, usually come later |
Every market has its sides
There's no "perfect" platform, each comes with trade-offs:
- Mobile (Google Play / Apple), huge audience and easy access, but a very crowded market, hard monetization (F2P, ads, IAP) and lots of competition. Now, more than ever, there's no organic reach, you need paid UA (user acquisition), which is very expensive.
- Steam (PC), an audience that pays for games and excellent tools (wishlists, Early Access, demo days), but visibility is hard to earn and there's a per-game fee.
- WebGames, fast feedback and many players, but small revenue; perfect for validating a mechanic.
- Console, prestige and a dedicated audience, but gated access, NDAs, dev kits and certification, a lot of effort.
My opinion, after 10 years of gamedev
I've launched on web, on mobile, on Steam, and now I'm coming back to launch on mobile again. My conclusion, after all of this:
The best thing is to look at your skills and your team's and try to see where the team is strongest. Want to make a small Steam game? A simple mobile game with many systems on top? What you want matters too, but the market is now at its most crowded moment, a huge amount launches every day, so this choice really matters.
Whatever the platform, my recommendation is the same: validate your ideas before you fully commit.
- launch in Early Access with demo days on Steam;
- do a soft launch on mobile;
- fully test on web platforms.
There's no right answer. What matters is realizing what your strengths as a dev are and building around them, not against them.
If you've made it this far, I wish you much success with your games. And if this site helped you even a little, pass it forward.