September 14, 2025 • 16 mins
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Transforming brilliant game ideas into pitches that secure deals requires mastering a specific art form. For developers navigating the business side of game production, creating compelling pitch materials isn't just helpful—it's essential for survival.
This episode unveils a practical roadmap that takes you from the foundation of your pitch ecosystem—the one-sheet—to comprehensive materials that align teams and convince stakeholders. Your one-sheet serves as more than a summary; it's a distillation of your vision so clear that anyone can grasp your game's essence in 30 seconds. We break down the five critical elements every one-sheet needs: a memorable title, a hook-filled elevator pitch, a vivid overview paragraph, bullet-pointed selling features, and supporting visuals that make your concept stick.
The journey continues as we explore how to expand this foundation into a full pitch deck, mapping each element to dedicated slides that tell your game's story. Learn how these materials evolve into your game design document—transforming your vision into an actionable blueprint. We examine what publishers, investors, and collaborators really look for when evaluating pitches, helping you tailor your approach to different stakeholders.
Whether you're drafting your first pitch or refining your fifth, these principles will elevate your materials from good to unforgettable. Avoid common pitfalls like over-promising on scope or lacking visual support, and understand why treating your pitch as a living tool rather than a hurdle brings unexpected clarity to your game's identity and purpose. Ready to transform your game pitch into your most powerful asset? Let's press start on creating materials that don't just communicate your vision—they sell it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Press Start Leadership.
Hey there, press Starters andwelcome to the Press Start
(00:23):
Leadership Podcast, the podcastabout game-changing leadership,
teaching you how to get the mostout of your product and
development team and become theleader you were meant to be
Leadership coaching and trainingfor the international game
industry professional.
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
(00:46):
the legend, christopher Mifsud.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey there, press Starters and welcome back to
another awesome edition of thePress Start Leadership Podcast.
On this week's episode, we'llbe discussing, from one sheet to
pitch deck and beyond, buildinggame pitches, that land deals.
A practical guide for gamedevelopers to create effective
pitch materials, align teams andsecure publisher or investor
(01:10):
support.
Game development is hard enough, but turning a brilliant idea
into a viable pitch that excitespublishers, investors and
collaborators, that's anentirely different beast.
For indie game developers andstudio heads, navigating the
business side of game production, creating compelling pitch
materials is not just a nicety,it's survival.
And it all starts with a singlepage.
(01:32):
This podcast explores how tomove from a concise one sheet to
a comprehensive pitch deck andhow that journey sets the
foundation for your game designdocument, production schedule
and, ultimately, your success.
Whether you're building yourfirst pitch or refining your
fifth, these principles andsteps will help you level up
(01:53):
your pitching process.
Why every game pitch starts witha one-sheet.
A one-sheet, also called aone-pager, is the foundation of
your pitch ecosystem.
It's not just a summary.
It's a distillation of yourvision into something so tight
and so clear that anyone cangrasp the essence of your game
in 30 seconds or less.
That clarity isn't just helpfulfor external communication.
(02:15):
It becomes the North Star forinternal decision making, team
alignment and scope control.
A strong one sheet helps youclarify your vision, align your
team, capture attention frominvestors or publishers, build
confidence in your project'sdirection.
What goes into a great onesheet?
At its core, a one sheetincludes five essential
(02:38):
ingredients the game titleobvious but essential.
This is your brand name.
Make it memorable.
The elevator pitch.
A quick, vivid,one-to-two-sentence hook
Overview.
A more detailed paragraphexplaining the premise, tone,
gameplay and core narrative.
Key features or selling points.
Bullet-pointed highlights ofyour game's innovations or most
(03:01):
appealing elements.
And five is optional visualsConcept art, a logo or in-game
shots, if you have them.
These help the pitch stick inpeople's minds.
Let's unpack each of these andbuild up your materials from
there.
Crafting the elevator pitch.
Clarity meets creativity.
Your elevator pitch is thenucleus of every other pitch
(03:23):
element.
It's the single most importantline you'll write, because it's
the one people are most likelyto repeat.
Think of it like this Someonemeets you at GDC or Gamescom and
asks what's your game about?
This is your answer A templatethat works.
A reliable formula lookssomething like game name is a
genre that combines populartitle a and popular title b,
(03:47):
with a unique twist of inserttwist here in a disinterruptive
setting.
This gives your audienceimmediate familiarity while
pointing to what makes yourproject distinct.
For example, shadow citymysteries is a clockwork noir
narrative adventure game that isblade runner by way of
lovecraft country, set in FrankMiller's Sin City with a new
game plus twist.
When done well, an elevatorpitch ignites curiosity.
(04:10):
It creates context and givespeople a compelling reason to
ask tell me more.
Defining features and sellingpoints, your game's value
proposition.
Once you've hooked youraudience, they'll want to know
what makes your game worthinvesting in time, money or both
.
Use bullet points to showcaseunique gameplay mechanics.
Player experience highlightsnarrative or visual style,
(04:34):
expandability or transmediapotential anything that makes
your game stand out.
Example Shadow City Mysteries.
Narrative adventure game withinvestigative gameplay.
Explore the mystery as adetective, interrogating
suspects, scanning crime scenesand uncovering hidden
connections.
Six unique origins Choose fromhigh society, underworld, union
(04:57):
worker, entertainer, church orcult backgrounds, each shaping
your investigation style.
New Story Plus with a twist.
Each replay reveals new layersof the story, culminating in a
conspiracy and supernaturalthriller arc.
A new IP with expansionpotential.
Build a franchise from theground up with cross-platform
(05:17):
storytelling potential in TTRPGs, comics and games.
Bullet points should be succinctand readable at a glance If
you're using a deck or document.
Avoid walls of text.
Visual separation matters.
The overview context, genre andemotional hook.
Your overview is a shortparagraph that expands on your
(05:38):
pitch.
Think of it like the blurb onthe back of a novel.
It should answer three thingswhat is the story or core
experience?
What is the gameplay loop?
Why will players care?
Example overview Shadow CityMysteries is a narrative
adventure where players take onthe role of a washed-up
detective in a city riddled withsecrets as they investigate
(05:59):
crimes, unravel conspiracies anduncover supernatural forces.
Each playthrough deepens themystery and uncover supernatural
forces.
Each playthrough deepens themystery With a branching
structure, dynamic skill systemsand a stylized noir aesthetic.
Shadow City Mysteries offers areplayable, emotionally driven
experience unlike anything elseon the market.
Be vivid.
Appeal to emotions.
Show what players will feel,not just what they will do.
(06:25):
Putting it all together the oneone sheet blueprint.
Now that we've broken down theparts, here's a checklist to
build your one sheet Logo andgame title elevator pitch, short
game overview.
Three to six bullet pointfeatures.
Optional visuals or screenshots, contact info or studio
branding in the footer.
Export your one sheet as a PDFor image.
(06:46):
Keep it short, one page, butmake every word count.
Evolving your one sheet into apitch deck Once your one pager
is polished and ready, you canexpand it into a full pitch deck
.
Many components will stay thesame, but now you have the space
to elaborate.
Here's how your one sheetcomponents map to a longer deck.
One sheet element correspondingdeck slides the game title.
(07:08):
The title slide, the elevatorpitch, the intro or vision slide
, your overview Narrative slide,gameplay loop slide, bullet
point features.
Multiple slides.
Each key feature gets its ownOptional visuals Art style slide
, mood board or screenshots.
Building the deck slide byslide.
(07:29):
Title slide, game name, studioname, logo and tagline.
Vision slide, elevator pitchand high level vision Overview
slide.
A short version of the gameoverview, gameplay slides, core
mechanics, gameplay loop andprogression systems.
Feature slides one slide permajor feature or mechanic with
(07:49):
visuals and talking points.
Visual style slide, a moodboard, key art sample.
Ui Team slide, brief bios andcredits of core team members.
Business slide, if needed,monetization, marketing or
platform plans.
Each slide should tell a story,progressively leading your
viewer from interesting to.
I want in Turning a pitch deckinto a game design document,
(08:13):
also known as a GDD.
Once you've secured interest orfunding, or even before, you'll
need to flesh out your conceptinto a full game design document
.
This is where you translatevision into implementation.
A pitch deck is a storytellingtool.
A GDD is a blueprint forbuilding.
But the good news is, yourpitch deck already contains much
of what you'll need.
So here's how the pitch deckmaps into the structure of a
(08:37):
full GDD the pitch deck slideOverview, elevator pitch.
In your GDD section.
It's the introduction andproject summary.
Gameplay loop, game systems andcore mechanics.
Key features Fe theintroduction and project summary
.
Gameplay loop, game systems andcore mechanics.
Key features.
Feature breakdown and gameplaymodules.
Art style slash, mood board,visual direction and asset
guidelines.
Narrative slide, story,characters and world building.
(08:57):
Team slide, team compositionand roles, timeline and
production plan, milestones,tasks and budgeting Key elements
of a game design document.
A solid GDD should include ahigh-level overview.
What kind of game are youmaking?
Who is it for?
Core gameplay loop.
What do players do repeatedlyand why?
Progression systems how doesthe game grow in complexity?
(09:19):
Ui and UX guidelines what doesthe player see and how do they
interact with the world?
Story and setting?
What is the narrative arc?
Who are the characters, levelsand content structure.
How are levels or missions laidout?
Art and audio guidelines.
What are your stylistic anchors?
Technical requirements, engineplatforms, tools, integrations,
(09:42):
production plan, timeline,budget, hiring needs,
outsourcing requirements.
The GDD is a living document.
It will evolve with yourproject, but starting it early
keeps your team aligned and yourscope realistic.
Your roadmap forward from ideato execution here's a simplified
flow from concept to execution.
One sheet summarizes yourvision.
(10:03):
Pitch deck expands your visioninto an engaging story for
stakeholders.
Game design document detailshow the vision will be executed.
Production plan definestimelines, resources, team and
budget.
Vertical slicer prototypeproves the concept through
actual gameplay.
Milestone builds Iterativelydevelop and refine your product.
(10:23):
Launch and post-mortem Shipyour game.
Then reflect, learn and repeat.
Each step builds upon the last.
Each step provides more depth,clarity and alignment for your
team and partners.
Actual steps to build strongpitch materials.
Let's break this down intoclear, repeatable actions.
Step one build your one sheet.
(10:44):
Start with a Google Doc or PDF.
Write your game's title and 1-2sentence pitch.
Add a short overview paragraph.
Bullet out your 3-6 keyfeatures.
If available, add one visualconcept, art screenshot or logo.
Save it as a PDF with yourgame's name clearly in the file
name.
Step 2.
Draft your pitch deck.
Create a 10- 15 slidepresentation.
(11:06):
Map each element of your onesheet into a slide format.
Add art direction and visualexamples to support your
storytelling.
Include a slide introducingyour team or your background in
Solo Practice, presenting it outloud in under 10 minutes.
Step three build a living GDD.
Use Notion Google Docs or atool like Hack Plan or Craft
(11:27):
Docs.
Turn every feature into abreakdown how it works, why it
matters.
Document your core loop andprogression systems in clear
language.
Add placeholders for levels, ui, story arcs and technical
decisions.
Step 4.
Start a basic production plan.
Use a spreadsheet or a toollike Trello, clickup or Airtable
.
Map the next three to sixmonths by high-level tasks,
(11:51):
prototyping, concept art,narrative, beats, etc.
Identify bottlenecks early.
If you need collaborators orfunding, highlight those
dependencies.
Step five build and test avertical slice.
Pick one core feature and onearea of your game to implement.
Keep the scope tight.
This is proof of concept, not afull level.
Use a vertical slice to testmechanics, mood, ui and
pipelines.
(12:11):
Gather feedback then iterate.
Each of these steps helpsreduce ambiguity and make your
game aligns collaborators anddemonstrates value to potential
partners or funders.
How publishers, investors andcollaborators evaluate pitches.
Understanding what youraudience is looking for can
improve your pitch materialsdramatically.
Here's what differentstakeholders typically want to
(12:31):
see Publishers Compelling hookand genre fit, market potential
and target audience.
Proof that the game is funthrough prototype or vertical
slice.
Timeline and production reality.
Team reliability, investors,clear vision and differentiation
.
Business model Premium,free-to-play hybrid Studio
(12:52):
experience and execution history, risk mitigation, backup plans,
production buffers,collaborators, clarity of the
project direction, documentationand expectations, communication
tools and project managementstructure, projected timeline
and scope.
Tailoring your pitch slightlyfor different audiences shows
awareness and respect.
It also increases your chanceof building trust and getting
(13:14):
the.
Yes, you need Common mistakesto avoiding game pitches.
Too much detail, too soon.
Save the minutia for the GDD.
Your deck should sell thefantasy and feasibility.
No clear hook.
If you can't explain what makesyour game unique in one
sentence, refine it until youcan.
Over-promising Scope is thegraveyard of great games.
(13:35):
Be honest about your timelineand budget.
Lack of art or visuals?
Even simple concept art helps.
Don't pitch a game without amood board or a key image,
ignoring your audience.
Customize your materials forwho's reading them.
Investors want ROI.
Publishers want genre, fit anddeliverability.
Peers want clarity.
Keep going.
(13:55):
Iteration and feedback loops.
Your one sheet and pitch deckare not static.
They should evolve as yourproject does.
After every pitch, revisit yourdeck and refine it based on
feedback.
Keep a folder of alternateslides and visuals so you can
tailor decks to specificmeetings.
Document pitch feedback andquestions.
They show where you're unclearor over explaining Final
(14:17):
thoughts.
Make the pitch part of theprocess.
Pitching isn't a one-offactivity.
It's part of the creativelifestyle.
It helps you refine your ideas,align your team and secure the
support you need to bring yourgame to life.
If you treat your pitch as aliving tool, not a hurdle,
you'll find it brings unexpectedclarity to your game's identity
(14:38):
, timeline and purpose.
Whether you're sending aone-sheet call to a publisher,
walking into a VC meeting with apolished deck or kicking off
your first internal meeting,great pitch materials are your
leverage, your confidence andyour compass.
All right, and that's thisweek's episode of the Press
Start Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
(15:01):
.
Bye.
Press Start Leadership.
Hey there, press Starters andwelcome to the Press Start
(00:23):
Leadership Podcast, the podcastabout game-changing leadership,
teaching you how to get the mostout of your product and
development team and become theleader you were meant to be
Leadership coaching and trainingfor the international game
industry professional.
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
(00:46):
the legend, christopher Mifsud.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey there, press Starters and welcome back to
another awesome edition of thePress Start Leadership Podcast.
On this week's episode, we'llbe discussing, from one sheet to
pitch deck and beyond, buildinggame pitches, that land deals.
A practical guide for gamedevelopers to create effective
pitch materials, align teams andsecure publisher or investor
(01:10):
support.
Game development is hard enough, but turning a brilliant idea
into a viable pitch that excitespublishers, investors and
collaborators, that's anentirely different beast.
For indie game developers andstudio heads, navigating the
business side of game production, creating compelling pitch
materials is not just a nicety,it's survival.
And it all starts with a singlepage.
(01:32):
This podcast explores how tomove from a concise one sheet to
a comprehensive pitch deck andhow that journey sets the
foundation for your game designdocument, production schedule
and, ultimately, your success.
Whether you're building yourfirst pitch or refining your
fifth, these principles andsteps will help you level up
(01:53):
your pitching process.
Why every game pitch starts witha one-sheet.
A one-sheet, also called aone-pager, is the foundation of
your pitch ecosystem.
It's not just a summary.
It's a distillation of yourvision into something so tight
and so clear that anyone cangrasp the essence of your game
in 30 seconds or less.
That clarity isn't just helpfulfor external communication.
(02:15):
It becomes the North Star forinternal decision making, team
alignment and scope control.
A strong one sheet helps youclarify your vision, align your
team, capture attention frominvestors or publishers, build
confidence in your project'sdirection.
What goes into a great onesheet?
At its core, a one sheetincludes five essential
(02:38):
ingredients the game titleobvious but essential.
This is your brand name.
Make it memorable.
The elevator pitch.
A quick, vivid,one-to-two-sentence hook
Overview.
A more detailed paragraphexplaining the premise, tone,
gameplay and core narrative.
Key features or selling points.
Bullet-pointed highlights ofyour game's innovations or most
(03:01):
appealing elements.
And five is optional visualsConcept art, a logo or in-game
shots, if you have them.
These help the pitch stick inpeople's minds.
Let's unpack each of these andbuild up your materials from
there.
Crafting the elevator pitch.
Clarity meets creativity.
Your elevator pitch is thenucleus of every other pitch
(03:23):
element.
It's the single most importantline you'll write, because it's
the one people are most likelyto repeat.
Think of it like this Someonemeets you at GDC or Gamescom and
asks what's your game about?
This is your answer A templatethat works.
A reliable formula lookssomething like game name is a
genre that combines populartitle a and popular title b,
(03:47):
with a unique twist of inserttwist here in a disinterruptive
setting.
This gives your audienceimmediate familiarity while
pointing to what makes yourproject distinct.
For example, shadow citymysteries is a clockwork noir
narrative adventure game that isblade runner by way of
lovecraft country, set in FrankMiller's Sin City with a new
game plus twist.
When done well, an elevatorpitch ignites curiosity.
(04:10):
It creates context and givespeople a compelling reason to
ask tell me more.
Defining features and sellingpoints, your game's value
proposition.
Once you've hooked youraudience, they'll want to know
what makes your game worthinvesting in time, money or both
.
Use bullet points to showcaseunique gameplay mechanics.
Player experience highlightsnarrative or visual style,
(04:34):
expandability or transmediapotential anything that makes
your game stand out.
Example Shadow City Mysteries.
Narrative adventure game withinvestigative gameplay.
Explore the mystery as adetective, interrogating
suspects, scanning crime scenesand uncovering hidden
connections.
Six unique origins Choose fromhigh society, underworld, union
(04:57):
worker, entertainer, church orcult backgrounds, each shaping
your investigation style.
New Story Plus with a twist.
Each replay reveals new layersof the story, culminating in a
conspiracy and supernaturalthriller arc.
A new IP with expansionpotential.
Build a franchise from theground up with cross-platform
(05:17):
storytelling potential in TTRPGs, comics and games.
Bullet points should be succinctand readable at a glance If
you're using a deck or document.
Avoid walls of text.
Visual separation matters.
The overview context, genre andemotional hook.
Your overview is a shortparagraph that expands on your
(05:38):
pitch.
Think of it like the blurb onthe back of a novel.
It should answer three thingswhat is the story or core
experience?
What is the gameplay loop?
Why will players care?
Example overview Shadow CityMysteries is a narrative
adventure where players take onthe role of a washed-up
detective in a city riddled withsecrets as they investigate
(05:59):
crimes, unravel conspiracies anduncover supernatural forces.
Each playthrough deepens themystery and uncover supernatural
forces.
Each playthrough deepens themystery With a branching
structure, dynamic skill systemsand a stylized noir aesthetic.
Shadow City Mysteries offers areplayable, emotionally driven
experience unlike anything elseon the market.
Be vivid.
Appeal to emotions.
Show what players will feel,not just what they will do.
(06:25):
Putting it all together the oneone sheet blueprint.
Now that we've broken down theparts, here's a checklist to
build your one sheet Logo andgame title elevator pitch, short
game overview.
Three to six bullet pointfeatures.
Optional visuals or screenshots, contact info or studio
branding in the footer.
Export your one sheet as a PDFor image.
(06:46):
Keep it short, one page, butmake every word count.
Evolving your one sheet into apitch deck Once your one pager
is polished and ready, you canexpand it into a full pitch deck
.
Many components will stay thesame, but now you have the space
to elaborate.
Here's how your one sheetcomponents map to a longer deck.
One sheet element correspondingdeck slides the game title.
(07:08):
The title slide, the elevatorpitch, the intro or vision slide
, your overview Narrative slide,gameplay loop slide, bullet
point features.
Multiple slides.
Each key feature gets its ownOptional visuals Art style slide
, mood board or screenshots.
Building the deck slide byslide.
(07:29):
Title slide, game name, studioname, logo and tagline.
Vision slide, elevator pitchand high level vision Overview
slide.
A short version of the gameoverview, gameplay slides, core
mechanics, gameplay loop andprogression systems.
Feature slides one slide permajor feature or mechanic with
(07:49):
visuals and talking points.
Visual style slide, a moodboard, key art sample.
Ui Team slide, brief bios andcredits of core team members.
Business slide, if needed,monetization, marketing or
platform plans.
Each slide should tell a story,progressively leading your
viewer from interesting to.
I want in Turning a pitch deckinto a game design document,
(08:13):
also known as a GDD.
Once you've secured interest orfunding, or even before, you'll
need to flesh out your conceptinto a full game design document
.
This is where you translatevision into implementation.
A pitch deck is a storytellingtool.
A GDD is a blueprint forbuilding.
But the good news is, yourpitch deck already contains much
of what you'll need.
So here's how the pitch deckmaps into the structure of a
(08:37):
full GDD the pitch deck slideOverview, elevator pitch.
In your GDD section.
It's the introduction andproject summary.
Gameplay loop, game systems andcore mechanics.
Key features Fe theintroduction and project summary
.
Gameplay loop, game systems andcore mechanics.
Key features.
Feature breakdown and gameplaymodules.
Art style slash, mood board,visual direction and asset
guidelines.
Narrative slide, story,characters and world building.
(08:57):
Team slide, team compositionand roles, timeline and
production plan, milestones,tasks and budgeting Key elements
of a game design document.
A solid GDD should include ahigh-level overview.
What kind of game are youmaking?
Who is it for?
Core gameplay loop.
What do players do repeatedlyand why?
Progression systems how doesthe game grow in complexity?
(09:19):
Ui and UX guidelines what doesthe player see and how do they
interact with the world?
Story and setting?
What is the narrative arc?
Who are the characters, levelsand content structure.
How are levels or missions laidout?
Art and audio guidelines.
What are your stylistic anchors?
Technical requirements, engineplatforms, tools, integrations,
(09:42):
production plan, timeline,budget, hiring needs,
outsourcing requirements.
The GDD is a living document.
It will evolve with yourproject, but starting it early
keeps your team aligned and yourscope realistic.
Your roadmap forward from ideato execution here's a simplified
flow from concept to execution.
One sheet summarizes yourvision.
(10:03):
Pitch deck expands your visioninto an engaging story for
stakeholders.
Game design document detailshow the vision will be executed.
Production plan definestimelines, resources, team and
budget.
Vertical slicer prototypeproves the concept through
actual gameplay.
Milestone builds Iterativelydevelop and refine your product.
(10:23):
Launch and post-mortem Shipyour game.
Then reflect, learn and repeat.
Each step builds upon the last.
Each step provides more depth,clarity and alignment for your
team and partners.
Actual steps to build strongpitch materials.
Let's break this down intoclear, repeatable actions.
Step one build your one sheet.
(10:44):
Start with a Google Doc or PDF.
Write your game's title and 1-2sentence pitch.
Add a short overview paragraph.
Bullet out your 3-6 keyfeatures.
If available, add one visualconcept, art screenshot or logo.
Save it as a PDF with yourgame's name clearly in the file
name.
Step 2.
Draft your pitch deck.
Create a 10- 15 slidepresentation.
(11:06):
Map each element of your onesheet into a slide format.
Add art direction and visualexamples to support your
storytelling.
Include a slide introducingyour team or your background in
Solo Practice, presenting it outloud in under 10 minutes.
Step three build a living GDD.
Use Notion Google Docs or atool like Hack Plan or Craft
(11:27):
Docs.
Turn every feature into abreakdown how it works, why it
matters.
Document your core loop andprogression systems in clear
language.
Add placeholders for levels, ui, story arcs and technical
decisions.
Step 4.
Start a basic production plan.
Use a spreadsheet or a toollike Trello, clickup or Airtable
.
Map the next three to sixmonths by high-level tasks,
(11:51):
prototyping, concept art,narrative, beats, etc.
Identify bottlenecks early.
If you need collaborators orfunding, highlight those
dependencies.
Step five build and test avertical slice.
Pick one core feature and onearea of your game to implement.
Keep the scope tight.
This is proof of concept, not afull level.
Use a vertical slice to testmechanics, mood, ui and
pipelines.
(12:11):
Gather feedback then iterate.
Each of these steps helpsreduce ambiguity and make your
game aligns collaborators anddemonstrates value to potential
partners or funders.
How publishers, investors andcollaborators evaluate pitches.
Understanding what youraudience is looking for can
improve your pitch materialsdramatically.
Here's what differentstakeholders typically want to
(12:31):
see Publishers Compelling hookand genre fit, market potential
and target audience.
Proof that the game is funthrough prototype or vertical
slice.
Timeline and production reality.
Team reliability, investors,clear vision and differentiation
.
Business model Premium,free-to-play hybrid Studio
(12:52):
experience and execution history, risk mitigation, backup plans,
production buffers,collaborators, clarity of the
project direction, documentationand expectations, communication
tools and project managementstructure, projected timeline
and scope.
Tailoring your pitch slightlyfor different audiences shows
awareness and respect.
It also increases your chanceof building trust and getting
(13:14):
the.
Yes, you need Common mistakesto avoiding game pitches.
Too much detail, too soon.
Save the minutia for the GDD.
Your deck should sell thefantasy and feasibility.
No clear hook.
If you can't explain what makesyour game unique in one
sentence, refine it until youcan.
Over-promising Scope is thegraveyard of great games.
(13:35):
Be honest about your timelineand budget.
Lack of art or visuals?
Even simple concept art helps.
Don't pitch a game without amood board or a key image,
ignoring your audience.
Customize your materials forwho's reading them.
Investors want ROI.
Publishers want genre, fit anddeliverability.
Peers want clarity.
Keep going.
(13:55):
Iteration and feedback loops.
Your one sheet and pitch deckare not static.
They should evolve as yourproject does.
After every pitch, revisit yourdeck and refine it based on
feedback.
Keep a folder of alternateslides and visuals so you can
tailor decks to specificmeetings.
Document pitch feedback andquestions.
They show where you're unclearor over explaining Final
(14:17):
thoughts.
Make the pitch part of theprocess.
Pitching isn't a one-offactivity.
It's part of the creativelifestyle.
It helps you refine your ideas,align your team and secure the
support you need to bring yourgame to life.
If you treat your pitch as aliving tool, not a hurdle,
you'll find it brings unexpectedclarity to your game's identity
(14:38):
, timeline and purpose.
Whether you're sending aone-sheet call to a publisher,
walking into a VC meeting with apolished deck or kicking off
your first internal meeting,great pitch materials are your
leverage, your confidence andyour compass.
All right, and that's thisweek's episode of the Press
Start Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
(15:01):
.
Bye.
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