When does it make sense to outsource game development?
Outsourcing works best when you have a clear reason for the game but no team that has already shipped games on your target platforms. Building that team for one project is slow and risky, while a studio brings tools, routines and platform experience from day one.
- Brands and agencies. Campaign games, advergames, contest and event games, where the date is fixed and the game must work on any phone.
- Startups and product teams. A prototype or first version to test an idea with players before investing in a full team.
- Companies with an app or platform. A mini-game or gamified feature inside an existing product, integrated with accounts, analytics or rewards.
- Game studios and publishers. Co-development, extra capacity in a specific engine, porting to new platforms or optimization before release.
It makes less sense when the game is your core long-term product and you need a permanent team that owns it. Even then, a studio can build the first release and hand it over with documentation, while you hire your own developers.
How do you choose the engine and platforms?
Start from platforms and constraints, not from an engine name. Decide where players will open the game: a campaign page, a web game portal, inside your app, the App Store and Google Play, Steam or a playable ad. Then define how fast it must load and on which devices it has to run well.
For web games, mobile games, playable ads and other lightweight titles, Defold is a strong option. It is a free engine with a small runtime and one codebase that can be exported to HTML5, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and, for registered console developers, consoles. A small build size and fast loading matter in browsers, ad networks and campaigns, where many players leave before the game starts.
Defold is not the best choice for every project, and a good partner should say so:
- High-end 3D. Games built around advanced 3D visuals and large content pipelines usually fit engines designed for that scale better.
- Existing investment. If your team or game already depends on another engine’s tools, plugins or asset libraries, switching can cost more than it saves.
- Required SDKs. If a key SDK or middleware is only available for another engine, check the integration options before deciding.
- Hiring later. If you plan to take the game in-house, consider how easy it will be to find developers for the engine in your market.
Codeward’s core specialization is Defold, with selected Unity support when the scope fits. Read more in our article on Defold for web, mobile, desktop and consoles.
What should a game development brief include?
A game development brief does not need to be long. One or two pages that answer the questions below let a studio give you a realistic estimate and ask better questions. If you do not know something yet, write “to be decided”. That is useful information too.
Game development brief checklist
Copy these points into your brief, email or RFP and tick off what you can already answer.
1. Goal and players
- The business goal of the game and how you will measure success.
- Who the players are and where they will find the game.
2. The game
- Two or three reference games and what you like about each.
- The core mechanic, expected session length and amount of content (levels, characters, modes).
3. Platforms and technology
- Target platforms and devices, plus any limits on download size or loading time.
- Required integrations: accounts, leaderboards, analytics, ads, payments, backend.
- Engine requirements, if you have any, or “open to recommendation”.
4. Art, audio and text
- Who provides the art and audio, brand guidelines and style references.
- Languages and who will translate and review the texts.
5. Timeline and budget
- Fixed dates (campaign start, event, store feature) and flexible ones.
- A budget range, even a rough one, so the studio can propose a matching scope.
6. After launch
- Hosting, updates, LiveOps and how long the game should be maintained.
- Whose App Store, Google Play or other accounts will be used for publishing.
7. Legal and data
- NDA, ownership of code and assets, contest rules, privacy and player data.
- Your rules for AI tools in production.
An incomplete brief is a good start. The first conversation with a studio should help you fill the gaps.
How do studios estimate a game project?
An estimate reflects the scope and the uncertainty around it. No studio can price a vague idea precisely, so expect a range at first and a more precise estimate after a discovery phase or prototype. These factors usually affect the estimate most:
- Scope. The number of mechanics, levels, modes and content items, and how polished they need to be.
- Platforms. Each platform adds its own builds, testing, store requirements and SDK versions.
- Art and audio. 2D or 3D, the amount of animation and effects, and whether assets are provided or created from scratch.
- Backend and integrations. Player accounts, leaderboards, payments, ads, analytics and integration with your systems or contest rules.
- LiveOps. Events, content updates, remote configuration and the tools your team needs to run them.
- QA. The range of target devices and browsers, and the level of testing your audience requires.
- Maintenance. Operating system, SDK and store policy updates that continue after the release.
When you compare offers, compare their assumptions, not only the totals. Ask what is included, what is excluded and what would change the price.
Fixed price, time and materials or a dedicated team?
The engagement model decides who carries the risk of change. Each model fits a different situation:
- Fixed price. Works for a well-defined scope, such as a campaign game with a fixed date. Changes are estimated separately, and the price usually includes a buffer for risk.
- Time and materials. You pay for the actual time spent. It suits projects whose scope will evolve, provided you get transparent reporting and can set priorities.
- Dedicated developer or co-development. Developers join your team for a longer period and work in your process, while your producer leads the project.
- Porting. An existing game is moved to new platforms. A reliable estimate needs a look at the source code and a current build first.
Models can be combined. A common approach is a fixed-scope discovery phase or prototype, followed by production in the model that suits the next stage.
What are the stages of a game project?
- Discovery. Goals, players, platforms, risks and a scope that fits the budget and deadline.
- Prototype. A playable test of the core mechanic and the riskiest technical part, such as loading time or an SDK.
- Production. Features, content and integrations built in milestones, with a playable build after each one.
- QA. Testing on target devices and browsers, fixing bugs and checking performance.
- Release. Store listings, platform review, portal or campaign launch and the final build.
- Post-launch. Monitoring, fixes, updates, LiveOps or handover to your team.
At Codeward, this follows four steps: we align on your needs, plan the right scope, build and iterate, then ship and support. We use AI tools where they help, and we explain where in our guide to AI in game development outsourcing.
Who owns the source code, IP and store accounts?
Settle ownership in the contract before production starts. It is much harder to fix after release.
- Code and assets. The contract should say who owns the source code, art, audio and texts, and when the rights transfer, usually after payment.
- Studio tools. Studios often reuse their own libraries and tools. Agree on a license that lets you maintain and update the game without them.
- Handover. Repository access, build instructions, documentation and a list of third-party assets, fonts and their licenses.
- Store accounts. Publish under your own Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console accounts and invite the studio as team members. Moving an app between accounts later takes extra steps.
Have a lawyer review the contract. This guide covers the production side, not legal advice.
How should communication work during the project?
- One contact person on each side. Decisions and feedback go through people who can make them.
- Playable builds. You should be able to play the current version regularly, not only at the end.
- Shared task list. A board or backlog where you can see priorities, progress and open questions.
- Written decisions. Scope changes and approvals confirmed in writing, so nobody has to rely on memory.
Red flags when choosing a game development studio
- An exact price without questions about your goals, platforms or content.
- No playable builds until the end of the project.
- Unclear answers about ownership of the code and assets.
- Insisting on publishing your game under the studio’s own store account.
- Promises of guaranteed downloads, virality or chart positions.
- No experience with your platform or game type, and no way to show similar work, even in anonymized form.
- No plan for testing on the devices your players use.
Questions to ask a game studio before you sign
- What similar projects have you shipped, and on which platforms?
- Who will work on the project, and who is my main contact?
- How often will I get a playable build?
- What is excluded from the estimate?
- How do you handle change requests?
- What do I receive at handover, and when do I own the code?
- How do you test on target devices?
- What happens after launch: bug fixes, maintenance, updates?
- Do you use AI tools, and under what rules?
The answers will tell you more than a portfolio alone. If you are planning a marketing game, read when branded games are worth building. If you are promoting a mobile game, see our guide to playable ads for mobile games.