According to stats, the indie game industry is expected to rise at a CAGR of 10.5% between 2021 and 2026. This means there’s no better time for developers to bring their gaming vision to life (and hit the success charts). But developing an independent video game is only half the story. Once a title is ready, the real challenge begins: finding the best places to publish and monetize indie game.
After all, every developer dreams of seeing their game turning enough profit to cover the development costs — and fund future projects. Fortunately, the gaming industry is full of publishing platforms to get your indie title in front of the right audience. Here’s a list of 8 tried-and-tested platforms to publish and monetize your game in 2024 to make it the next big hit.
If you’re an indie games developer looking for places to publish and monetize indie game, Steam is where your search ends. Powered by Valve, this digital distribution service for video games was launched in September 2003 to keep players updated on their progress. In late 2005, Steam started hosting third-party titles and soon became the hotspot for playing, discussing, and creating games.
This indie game studio now has 132 million monthly active users, presenting a golden opportunity for developers to reach a global audience. Besides its high sales potential, Steam also features user-created community groups where members can discuss their favorite games, play together, and share interests. This strong community engagement helps your game gain new players through positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Bonus points for Steamworks —- an extensive suite of tools built by Valve to help developers manage and operate their games on Steam. From conversion tracking to sales reports and smooth updates, the platform has everything to help your game make dollars. Plus, the Early Access feature lets you collect feedback from players to fine-tune your game before its release.
Itch.io has built a name in the indie game industry as a platform that values creativity and developer control. Launched in March 2013, Itch.io is a marketplace specifically designed for independent creators to publish, share, and monetize their games. Unlike most platforms that take a fixed percentage of sales (e.g., Steam’s 30%), these indie game sites work on an open revenue-sharing model.
Independent game developers can set their own prices for their games. In other words, you can decide how much the website earns from your sales. This flexibility makes itch.io one of the best places to publish and monetize indie game, especially for those with a thin budget. Thanks to fully customizable store pages, you can control the entire presentation of your game. So, whether you want detailed descriptions or embedded trailers, Itch.io is your creative playground.
The platform is known for hosting game jams — events where developers create games around a theme in a limited time frame. These jams help developers show off their skills, get feedback from the community, and even gain fame. Participating in these game jams enables developers to build an authentic following, which is likely to stick around for their releases.
The Epic Games Store gives indie developers a stage to launch their titles and earn a loyal fanbase. Its idea started in August 2017 with Tim Sweeney, the founder and CEO of Epic Games. He expressed that the revenue cut of Steam is unjustifiably high at 30%, and something more profitable can be created for indie game publishers. With this vision, Tim birthed Epic Games, a video game digital distribution service that keeps only a 12% revenue cut.
Launched in 2018, the Epic Games Store initially hosted Epic’s own games, like Fortnite and Infinity Blade series. Later, it expanded to accommodate third-party titles, with a focus on indie games. Today, the store offers many free games, thereby attracting a huge player base to the platform. Epic Games Store has a developer-friendly approach, made possible by resources like the Unreal Engine. This makes it one of the prime places to publish and monetize indie game.
Two things define GOG, or Good Old Games: DRM-free games and a library of high-quality titles — centered around indie and retro games. Launched by CD Projekt in 2008, GOG initially built a reputation for re-releasing classic PC games, helping gamers find old titles. The platform quickly became one of the leading places to publish and monetize indie game, thanks to its DRM-free nature. This can be a powerful selling point for indie video game publishers.
DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is a group of protocols used by gaming providers to restrict and manage access to digital content. GOG gives the freedom of choice back to its players, letting them decide how to use the games they brought. One of their newsletters states, “GOG was built on trust, which is at the very core of our identity.” So, unlike gaming giants like Steam, GOG does not require players to be connected to the internet to play their purchased titles.
The Google Play Store is the go-to marketplace for Android apps and games, driven by over 3 million active Android devices. This platform gives indie developers a chance to reach gamers worldwide through free-to-play games and hybrid monetization models (in-app purchases and ads). It also lets developers localize their game listings and in-game content so they can resonate with users in different regions and cultures.
Google Play has a user-friendly developer console that allows indie developers to upload, manage, and track their releases on the go. So, whether you want to analyze player retention, revenue, or app installs, the Google Play Console is your one-stop solution. Besides, mobile gaming represents 51% of total video game revenue worldwide. For developers, this makes Google Play one of the most lucrative places to publish and monetize indie game.
iOS users are around 50% more likely to spend money on in-app purchases than Android users. Thus, if you’re looking for profitable places to publish and monetize indie game, there’s no better platform than the Apple App Store. With over two million apps and 2.2 billion active iOS devices, this store has a high revenue potential for indie game publishing.
In addition, Apple’s Arcade system, from iPhones and iPads to Apple TVs, ensures that games are played on high-performance devices. This is great for developers with feature-rich titles as they can trust the consistent hardware standards of iOS devices. Apple is also home to powerful localization tools that help developers translate their game listings and store descriptions into multiple languages. To further increase visibility, the platform features developer spotlights.
Humble Bundle rose to popularity in the gaming industry with its charitable focus and indie-friendly approach. Founded in 2010, this digital storefront for video games operates on a “pay what you want” model. For developers, this means the more you pay, the more you get — but there’s no bottom line requirement for fee or subscription.
Moreover, Humble Store places a huge emphasis on charity, one reason that draws in a supportive (and positive) community to the platform. Every time players purchase a game bundle, they get to choose how their payment is split between the developers, charity organizations, and Humble itself. This charity-based model improves the platform’s image, creating goodwill and a strong community feeling among users.
The Nintendo eShop has become a powerful platform for indie game developers, especially with the rise of the Nintendo Switch. After all, the Switch has sold over 140 million consoles worldwide. This makes it one of the most famous gaming units on the market today. By publishing your indie title on the Nintendo eShop, you tap into this vast and active player base.
Nintendo’s “Nindies” program is exclusively built to support indie developers, attracting more indie titles to the Switch platform. The program does everything to direct the spotlight on indie games, from special events and promotions to eShop features.
Plus, the company highlights upcoming indie games during “Nintendo Direct” events, which are watched by millions of fans worldwide. This, paired with the widespread appeal of the Switch, makes the platform one of the most rewarding places to publish and monetize indie games.
The indie game industry is full of publishing platforms for rising developers where they can monetize their creations. Whether you’re targeting a huge player base on Steam or focusing on a niche audience with GOG, there’s a platform that fits the bill. Remember, the right platform for publishing indie games depends on your game’s design, monetization strategy, and target audience.
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