Developer Case Studies
If you’re building a game, or if you’ve already finished one, and you’d like to use the Game Dev Beginner platform to promote it, then I want to hear from you.
I want to know the real problems and challenges that you faced when you started making your game.
Was your character movement system surprisingly difficult to get right?
How did you build your game’s grid system?
What tricks and tips can you pass on to other developers that you wish someone had told you?
Whatever it is, I want to hear all about it.
And then, I want to publish it as a case study, written by me, and available to the 5,000 people that visit Game Dev Beginner every day.
Here’s how it works.
1. Answer a short questionnaire about your game
You’ll be asked about the details of your project, a specific problem that you solved and how you solved it.
You don’t need to be a writer, just show me what you did, and how you did it, so that I can write an article about your work on the blog.
The whole questionnaire should take about 15-30 minutes to complete, depending on how much detail you provide.
Most questions are optional, just write as much as you’re comfortable with, in whatever writing style is easiest for you.
2. I write the case study
If your submission is chosen, you’ll get an email from me asking if you want to go ahead with the case study.
I’ll then write an editorial article about your game using the answers you provided for information.
The article will be written in a similar style to the existing posts on Game Dev Beginner.
Meaning that, just like all of my articles, it will be researched, analysed, tested and edited for the best possible performance.
3. Get your game seen
The finished article will be published and promoted alongside existing content, helping new developers solve problems that are just like the one that you faced.
Your game will be promoted using information and links that you provide, making your project visible to a share of Game Dev Beginner’s audience now and in the future.
How to Apply
Submissions for the first phase are currently open.
Complete the Case Study Questionnaire to submit your project.
Then, if your submission is successful, you’ll receive an email asking if you’d still like to go ahead.
FAQ’s
Do I have to write the article?
No,
While you will need to explain a problem in your game and how you solved it, the article will be written by me, all you need to do is fill out the questionnaire.
Will you use my answers in the article?
No,
Your answers are like an interview about your project, so while you might be quoted to help explain a concept, they will not be used verbatim to form the content of the article, so write your answers however you like, in whatever writing style suits you.
How do you choose submissions?
Submissions that align closely with Game Dev Beginner’s objective are the most likely to be chosen for production. Typically, this means that something simple, instead of something niche and complex, is more likely to be chosen.
However, what’s more important is that you pick something that is very specific to your project. Something that you absolutely had to get right, or else the project just couldn’t exist as it is.
What’s in it for me as a developer?
Articles on Game Dev Beginner perform well, and often outrank competing sites, forums, and, sometimes, Unity themselves for highly competitive keywords.
But, this only happens because every article undergoes an extremely thorough research, writing and structuring process.
Which takes a long time to do and experience to get right.
Instead, submitting a case study allows you to promote your game to an engaged audience, using already-proven methods, but without needing to actually write the article yourself.
Instead, all you need to do is talk about your game in the way you already know how.
What’s in it for you as the publisher?
Finding real problems that developers have and showing people how to solve them is what I do.
It’s Game Dev Beginner’s primary objective and being able to build content that’s based on real experiences makes the blog’s articles more relevant and more useful, which drives traffic to the blog, earning it money.
Will Ads be shown on the article?
Case study articles will be subject to the same monetisation strategies as other posts, keeping the site free for everyone. Right now, that’s display ads, meaning that ads will be shown on case studies just like they are on other articles.
Do you accept submissions for games that aren’t built in Unity?
Yes,
Game Dev Beginner is mostly focused on Unity tutorials but submissions that feature other engines are welcome too (just add a little more detail so that I know what you’re talking about!).
Do you accept submissions for non-development case studies, such as business, marketing and art?
So long as it’s related to the games industry, then yes, absolutely!
Just ignore any technical questions that don’t apply when completing the questionnaire.
How do I upload files?
The form will allow you to provide file-sharing links (such as Dropbox etc.)
If you would rather upload files directly, use this form instead (you’ll need to sign into Google).
What format should images be?
- The larger the better (10MB max per image) as your image may be cropped
- PNG is usually better for editor screenshots and logos (i.e. settings menus or low-colour images)
- JPEG is usually more efficient for photos (i.e. such as gameplay images, or images with many colours)
If in doubt, use PNG.
What about code examples?
You’ll be able to upload scripts using the file upload sections.
Because code examples are likely to be edited for simplicity, if you want a script to appear exactly as it is (i.e. to demonstrate what you did), you may want to also provide a screenshot for use in the article.
Can I submit my game more than once?
Yes,
So long as each submission focuses on a different problem you can submit new case studies about the same game.
Do I have to log in to a Google account to complete the form?
You do not have to sign into a Google account to complete the form unless you are uploading files directly, in which case, sign-ins are required to allow file uploads.
Got a different question? Get in touch or leave a comment below.