Pitching a game isn’t about hype or flashy looking slides – it’s about clarity. A good pitch helps somebody to understand what your game is, why it matters, and why it’s worth their time and, potentially, money. In this guide, I’ll help to break down the fundamentals of game pitching and how to pitch your game clearly and persuasively, whether you’re talking to publishers, investors, collaborators or press.

Understand Who You Are Pitching To

The biggest mistake people make in game pitching is assuming that there’s a single “correct” way to pitch. There isn’t. A publisher, an investor and a potential collaborator are all listening for different things, and if you don’t tailor your message, you’ll likely miss what they actually care about.

Publishers are typically focused on market fit and execution. They want to know whether your game has a clear audience, whether the scope is realistic and whether your team looks capable of shipping. Investors, however, tend to be focused on risk, upside, timelines and whether the project or studio is sustainable. Collaborators, meanwhile, want to know if the vision makes sense, if the project feels achievable and whether working together would be a good use of their time.

The core idea of the pitch might stay the same – that is, typically, that your game is fun and capable of being a commercial success – but the emphasis should shift depending on who’s listening. If you pitch to everyone in the same way, you’re making a big mistake. A strong pitch should respect the listener’s priorities and answer the questions they’re listening for before they have to say them out loud.

Lead With The Core Of The Game

Once you know who you’re pitching to, it’s important to get to the point fast. Start with the core fantasy and gameplay. The first thing anybody wants to understand is what the player does and why that’s compelling. Clearly explain the moment-to-moment experience. What actions are players repeating? What makes those actions fun? If you can’t describe that loop clearly, the listener won’t be able to picture the game. If they can’t picture it, they won’t care about it.

On top of that, avoid jargon and internal shorthand. Saying “it’s a roguelite with metaprogression and systemic combat” means very little unless you ground it in player behaviour. Instead, describe how it feels to play and what makes it distinct. If you can’t explain your game clearly in thirty seconds, your pitch isn’t ready yet. 

Show That The Game Is Real

A pitch transforms the moment that you can show something tangible. Whether it’s a rough prototype, a short gameplay clip or a playable build, something concrete immediately raises confidence and credibility. That doesn’t mean it has to be polished. In fact, rough is often better, because it signals honesty about the current state of the project build, rather than overconfidence. A scrappy prototype that demonstrates the core loop does far more than a beautiful slideshow describing features that haven’t actually been tested yet. The goal is to prove that the game functions and that the team can execute.

Just as important is being clear about what’s finished and what isn’t. A strong game pitching approach openly explains the current state of the project, what still needs to be built, and where the biggest risks lie.

Be Realistic About Scope And Production

Nothing sinks a pitch faster than overambition. Most people listening to a game pitch have seen dozens of projects promise the world – only to collapse under their own weight. What builds confidence isn’t scale, but restraint. Showing that you understand your limits is far more impressive than claiming you’ll outbuild a AAA studio with a tiny team.

Be clear about how long the project will take, who is involved and what resources you will actually need. A realistic scope tells the listener that you’ve thought about production, rather than just about the idea. 

It also helps to acknowledge risk openly. Every project has weak points, and calling these out and explaining how you plan to manage them shows that you’re not naive, and that you’re capable of steering the project when things get messy.

In pitching, smaller and shippable beats larger and vague every time. A focused game that can realistically reach the finish line is far more attractive than an enormous vision with no clear path to completion.

End With A Clear Ask

Every good pitch needs a purpose. If you don’t clearly state what you want at the end, you’re leaving the listener to guess. A game pitching conversation should always conclude with a specific ask that makes the next steps obvious.

That might be funding, publishing support, feedback or a partnership. What matters is that it’s explicit and realistic. “We’d love to explore next steps” is vague, whereas “we’re looking for a publishing partner to help fund production and support marketing” gives the listener something they can address, and make the next step easy and concrete. 

Clarity here tells people you’ve thought about what you need and why you’re pitching in the first place. On top of that, it respects their time. They know exactly what decision they’re being invited to make, even if that decision ends with “not right now.” A pitch without a clear ask isn’t a pitch, but a presentation.

Conclusion

A strong game pitch should be focused, honest and grounded in reality. It explains what the game is, how it plays and why it’s worth caring about – without wasting the listener’s time or hiding behind jargon. Good game pitching respects the audience and answers the questions they’re actually asking, showing that the project is real and demonstrates that the team understands both the creative and practical challenges ahead.

Like any skill, pitching improves with practice. The clearer you can explain your game in terms of its core, its scope and its needs – the easier it becomes to find the right support and opportunities to move it forward.