Darenn | I have a PUBLISHER for my indie game! (devlog) @darenn-keller | Uploaded July 2024 | Updated October 2024, 6 hours ago.
Do you need a game publisher? Here's how I signed with a game publisher, step by step.
🎁 Extra Content (Free and paid): patreon.com/darenn

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After over a year of hard work, hundreds of messages, and calls with dozens of publishers, I finally managed to sign a publishing deal for my indie game! In this video, I share my journey from being an unknown developer to securing a contract with a publisher, even during one of the most challenging times for indie devs. Whether you're an aspiring game developer or just curious about the process, stick around for all the insights and tips I gathered along the way.

Why Watch This Video?

If you're struggling to get your game noticed by publishers or want to understand the intricacies of negotiating a publishing deal, this video is for you. Learn from my experiences and avoid the mistakes I made, so you can increase your chances of finding the right publisher for your game.

This is my personal experience, and I want to emphasize that some of what I say may be very different from what others have experienced or what you might encounter in the future. I was in a favorable position to negotiate because I had both time and financial resources to support my project. This allowed me to be more strategic and patient during the negotiation process. However, it's important to recognize that this approach might not be feasible for everyone. If you face time or financial constraints, or if you have fewer publishers showing interest in your game, it might be a reasonable strategy to be more cautious and pragmatic in your negotiations. Tailor your approach based on your specific situation.

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Hi! I'm Darenn, a solo indie game developer, I previously worked as game designer at Ubisoft and I am now creating a strategy game with the Godot game engine.

Dawnfolk is a charmingly dark minimalist survival city-builder. Collect resources and rebuild your realm one tile at a time as you protect your settlers from oppressive shadows. Can you unveil the secrets of the monoliths to bring light back to the world?
🕹️Wishlist the game on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2308630/Dawnfolk


LINKS
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Follow me on:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/DarennKeller
🧵 Threads: threads.net/@darennkeller
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darennkeller
🦣 Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@darennkeller
🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/darenn.bsky.social

🎁 Support me and get a peek behind the scenes: patreon.com/darenn
🕹️ Play my game: http://s.team/a/2308630
🍻 Join the Discord: discord.gg/RZYde9SAMp
🧪 Become a Playtester: discord.gg/RZYde9SAMp
✉️ Secret Newsletter: bit.ly/3yalJPU
🕹️ Check out my other games: darenn.itch.io
🔗 Everything: bit.ly/darenn-links

RESOURCES
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@NoclipCrew's video: youtu.be/lRVsrVZrfyg?si=xKc0xpO0cRmXNnO2
Pitch Deck Tutorial: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-perfect-publisher-pitch-deck
Events Reminder: discord.gg/adDdkfZ66f
My Pitch Deck: patreon.com/posts/pitchdeck-i-to-108537812
Questions the publishers asked me during my search: patreon.com/posts/questions-asked-108905955
Development and Payment Schedule: patreon.com/posts/development-how-108864103
My lawyer: linkedin.com/in/olivier-jacqmin-25892aa/?originalSubdomain=fr

CHAPTERS
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00:00 Why should you watch this video?
00:27 Do you need a publisher?
01:11 How do you get publisher's attention?
05:04 First contact with publishers
06:00 How to budget your solo dev game?
07:31 How to read the publisher offer?
11:42 How to negotiate the offer?
13:35 How to read and negotiate the final contract?
14:05 Why do you need a lawyer?
15:07 Things to look out for in the contract
17:34 How publishers pay you (development schedule)
18:25 Who is my publisher?
19:00 Ask your questions (and sub to support? ty!)