.png)
"I have a game idea, now what?" at Gamescom Latam 2026: game development Q&A from the audience
- Leonardo Guedes Bilck
- May 27
- 12 min read
Hey, everyone!
On May 1st, I moderated the panel "I have a game idea, now what?" at Gamescom Latam 2026, on Palco Connect 2. The goal was straightforward: help people who want to get into game development figure out the path from idea to launch. The experience was incredible. The room filled up, the audience from the neighboring panel migrated to ours to watch, and when time ran out it was clear we could have kept going all day if someone had brought us coffee and food.
Before and during the panel, the audience sent questions online about game development. Some I answered live with the panelists, others didn't fit in the time slot. This post is the continuation of that conversation: I'll answer every question with the depth they deserve, expanding on what I said on stage and adding what didn't fit in the 20 minutes.
If you haven't read the original post that served as the foundation for the panel, I recommend starting there: I have a game idea, what now? A practical guide to game development. What follows here digs deeper into specific points the audience raised.
This post covers:
How to build a team or fill skill gaps as a solo developer
How to define project scope
UGC and modding platforms as a publishing channel
Whether you can raise funding with a minimal portfolio or simple prototype
How to demonstrate financial return to investors
Practical advice for launching your first game
The reality of ideas vs execution
Let's go.
"How do I build a team or fill skill gaps as a solo dev?"
By far the most common question. Variations included "how do I find a qualified team", "I'm a dev and writer but I don't know how to do art", and "I'm a solo dev with strong technical skills but terrible at art and audio." It's a real and very common struggle.
My main answer: participate in Game Jams. In-person ones, if possible.
Game Jams are events where teams formed on the spot create a game in a short timeframe (typically 48 to 72 hours). Sounds like very little, but it's the most efficient environment I know for three things simultaneously: meeting people, testing work compatibility, and building a portfolio. At Plot Kids, several of our employees participated in Game Jams before being hired. Some worked alongside members of our team during jams, demonstrated quality, and when a position opened up the relationship was already built.
Even if the result of a jam is "just" a web game published on itch.io, that still counts as real experience. You have a shipped game in your portfolio, you worked in a team under deadline pressure, and you have something concrete to show. A lot of people underestimate the value of that.
Beyond jams, other channels for finding collaborators:
Discord servers focused on game dev (dozens exist, in Portuguese and English)
Subreddits like r/INAT (I Need A Team), r/gameDevClassifieds, r/IndieDev
If you're a solo dev with strong technical skills but need art and audio, the jam is the best place to find artists and sound designers who are in the exact same situation as you, just on the opposite side: they have the art but not the programming.
There's also a more structured path that many people overlook: external development (XD) and co-development. If you have the idea and creative direction but need production capacity (art, programming, audio, QA), you can hire studios that specialize in external development to build parts of the project alongside you. It's a professional model used across the entire industry, from indie to AAA. In Santa Catarina, several ASCJogos member studios offer co-development and work-for-hire services, including Plot Interactive, Cafundó Estúdio Criativo, Yellow Panda, Retro Raptor, and others. If you have a project and need a production partner, check out the ASCJogos company directory.
"How do I define scope?"
Direct question, practical answer.
First: have a clear vision of the final game. It doesn't need to be a 50-page document, but it needs to be something the entire team understands the same way. What is the game? What is the core experience? What does the player feel?
Second: define personas. Who is the player? How old? How long per session? On which platform? Having clear personas helps enormously when deciding what's truly important and what's superfluous. If your audience plays on mobile in 5-minute sessions, that crafting system with 200 items probably doesn't make sense.
Third: create a delivery roadmap. Break the project into intermediate milestones with dates. This gives the team a shared vision of where the project is heading and prevents scope creep (that silent scope growth that gradually swallows the project).
Fourth: designate someone responsible for the game's vision. Someone needs to have the final say on what goes in and what doesn't. In large studios this role is called Creative Director or Game Director. In small teams it can be the founder, the lead designer, anyone, but someone needs the authority to say "that's cool, but it doesn't fit the scope."
"Can I use Fortnite/UEFN, Roblox, or other UGC platforms to publish my game?"
User-generated content (UGC) platforms like Roblox and Fortnite (UEFN) are valid paths, especially for people starting out who want to build an audience. The big advantage of these platforms is that the audience is already there. You don't need to solve the user acquisition problem from scratch, which is precisely one of the biggest challenges in today's market.
With the advance of AI and "vibe coding," making and launching a game has become increasingly accessible, and the side effect is that traditional stores (Google Play, App Store, Steam) are flooded with daily launches. Getting visibility in that ocean of games is harder every day. UGC platforms offer an alternative where discovery is partially handled by the platform itself.
This also applies to the world of modding. Creating mods for games that support community content (Minecraft, games with Steam Workshop integration, and others) is a legitimate way to build a portfolio, learn the production pipeline, and gain visibility. I personally know many game designers and level designers who started by creating Counter-Strike maps back in the 2000s and later got hired by major industry companies. The mod was their resume, and it worked.
Of course, there are limitations with UGC platforms: you're inside another company's ecosystem, with rules that can change, and monetization follows their terms. But as a first step, as a way to learn and test ideas with a real audience, it's a legitimate path.
"Can I raise funding with just a simple vertical slice prototype?"
With a vertical slice prototype: yes. But not exactly a "really simple" one.
What publishers and investors expect, at minimum, is a vertical slice with a compelling differentiator, the so-called Unique Selling Points (USPs). What makes your game different? Why would someone stop to play this? If the prototype communicates that clearly, even without final art or polished assets, you have a shot.
The track record of the company or team proposing also matters significantly. Teams with a history of shipped projects (even small ones) inspire more confidence.
That said, certain situations make fundraising considerably harder:
Inexperienced team with a thin or nonexistent track record. Personal resumes of team members (education, previous projects, jams) help compensate, but the most realistic strategy is different: ask for less money, propose smaller projects, and think about building up gradually. A team with no track record asking for $100,000 for an ambitious project raises red flags. The same team asking for $10,000 for a validated prototype, with a plan to use the result to raise the next round, inspires much more confidence.
Scope too large for a short timeline or small budget. The reverse also applies: budgets too large for a scope or quality level that doesn't convince.
Genre-platform mismatch. If your game is a hardcore RPG and you want to launch on mobile, the investor will already be skeptical.
Legal uncertainty. Who is responsible for the game? Do you actually have the rights to the project and the authority to negotiate? Is this clear or murky? This point typically doesn't come up at the start of conversations, but rather during formal negotiations, due diligence, and especially when the project starts succeeding. That's when IP ownership, partnership agreements, and asset usage rights become real problems. The earlier you sort this out, the less pain later.
"How do I show an investor that my game will provide financial return?"
Depends on the type of investor.
But there's something that matters to any kind of investor before you even get to that question: how "safe" your bet is. No investor likes gratuitous risk. A team that has shipped games (several, ideally) sends a very clear message: "we deliver." Real shipping track record is the strongest signal there is. In practice, most investors and publishers prefer to bet on the safety of a team that will clearly deliver over the boldest idea from a new team. The classic exception is when AAA professionals leave to start their own studio, especially if someone on the team has led (not just "worked on") successful AAA projects. There, the individual track record is enough. For everyone outside that category, what counts is how many games you have shipped.
If it's a publisher: they probably know more than you about sales projections. Based on your product, the publisher already has a mental model of a viable sale price, how many copies the game might sell, and how much the publishing operation will cost. Making inflated projections won't help: the publisher has real data from dozens or hundreds of published games. What convinces them is demo quality, market positioning, and USPs. Show the game has potential, and let the publisher do their own math.
It helps to understand how a publisher thinks about portfolio. Publishers operate as risk managers: each window of the year (or each fiscal year) is built as a portfolio with different objectives. There are the flagships: big games, high budget, high return expectations, usually from established teams. Those are the "safe bet." There are A projects: solid mid-to-high quality games that round out the portfolio and keep a steady revenue flow. And there are a few B projects: smaller budgets where the publisher allows themselves more risk. The B project slot is where many indie studios enter a publisher's portfolio: the budget is smaller, the publisher's risk is contained, and if the game hits, the upside is interesting. Knowing which of these slots your game fits helps calibrate the conversation a lot: you don't walk in pitching US$ 400,000 for a B slot, and you also don't walk in pitching US$ 20,000 for a flagship slot.
If it's a private investor (angel, seed, VC): then yes, you need projections. Do market research, look at segment size, analyze the sales history of products of similar quality to your demo or vertical slice (don't compare your prototype to Stardew Valley, compare it with indie games at the same level). Use tools like SteamDB and AppMagic to support the numbers.
But be prepared: many private investors are not from the games sector and will compare you to a tech startup. Questions like "what problem do you solve?" or "what's your growth model?" are common. Adapt the pitch to their language.
And a critical point I keep hammering: reserve a significant budget for marketing and distribution. There's no point in raising $100,000 for production and zero for launch. As discussed in the original post, the gap between "making the game" and "getting people to discover the game" is the biggest challenge in the Brazilian market today.
And there's a point a lot of people underestimate: personal relationships with decision makers close deals. In both publishing and work-for-hire, most opportunities don't show up through a submission form. They show up because someone knows you, trusts your work, and remembers you when the right opportunity comes along. That means going to events like Gamescom Latam, GDC, and Devcom. It means joining game jams. It means being part of the communities. It means being a good human, the kind people enjoy working with. That last point gets forgotten a lot: the game industry is smaller than it looks, and the reputation you build travels fast. Someone who treats a collaborator poorly today probably won't get called for the next opportunity. And someone who helps a colleague without expecting anything in return is, in the long run, the one most remembered when a good opportunity comes up.
"Game development advice for first-time developers"
Four practical tips:
1. Keep the scope small. Your first game will not be your best game. And that's fine. The goal of the first project is to ship. To learn the complete pipeline: from idea to game in the store. The smaller the scope, the higher the chance of finishing.
2. Launch on a simple platform first. itch.io is perfect for this: free, no bureaucracy, immediate feedback. Only later think about Google Play, App Store, or Steam.
3. Try to make money, even if just a little. Set realistic goals, even if it's "sell 100 copies." The goal isn't to get rich, it's to learn the sales process. After launch, analyze: did you hit the goal? What helped? What got in the way? What would you do differently?
4. Do a post mortem. Treat your project like a Scrum sprint: at the end, do an honest retrospective. What worked, what didn't, what to carry to the next project. Publishing that post mortem (even on a personal blog or on itch.io) also helps other devs and builds your reputation in the community.
"Do you have statistics on how many ideas actually become finished games?"
I don't have an exact number, but I can say with confidence: a lot of people have "good ideas," but very few have any notion of the investment and dedication required to turn an idea into a game.
It's common for people to approach studios saying they want to "make a little game." When they find out the real timeline and real cost, many give up or look for cheaper alternatives. Several end up hiring recently-graduated professionals or teams with no market experience. I don't know of a single case where that worked out well. It's the client's decision to make, but statistically it doesn't tend to be a good approach.
The production pipeline for a game has stages that most people outside the industry don't know about: concept, prototype, pre-production, production, polish, QA, store preparation, launch, post-launch. Each stage has costs, time, and expertise involved. Skipping stages usually costs dearly later (or the game simply never ships).
If you have an idea and want to execute it, the best first step is to study the pipeline before spending money. The original post has an entire section on validation and MVP that addresses exactly this. And if you need help finding the right company or professional for your project, get in touch with ASCJogos: we can help you find the ideal partner within our ecosystem.
Acknowledgements
This panel only happened because three incredible professionals accepted the invitation to share the stage with me. Thank you to:
Gabriela Fratini (Yellow Panda) for the perspective of someone in the trenches of indie development every day.
Heleno Orlandino Martins Júnior (SCTI) for the view from state government and the SC Games program, and for bringing clarity on how studios can access public funding.
Leonardo Minozzo (Cafundó Estúdio Criativo) for debunking myths and sharing the hands-on experience of someone who has been through all of these challenges.
And thank you to everyone who was in the room, who sent questions, and who stayed until the end (and would have stayed longer if time allowed). See you next time.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code to participate in a Game Jam?
No. Jams need artists, sound designers, game designers, writers, and producers just as much as programmers. Many jams even form teams on the spot precisely to balance skills. Having a non-programming skill is a differentiator, not a limitation.
What's the difference between a prototype, a vertical slice, and an MVP?
A prototype validates an isolated mechanic or concept. A vertical slice is a complete slice of the final game (art, sound, gameplay, UI) representing the expected quality. The MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the leanest version of the game that still works as a product. All three serve to validate before investing in full production, but at different levels of polish.
Are a publisher and a private investor the same thing?
No. A publisher funds, distributes, and handles the game's marketing in exchange for a share of revenue. They understand the sector and evaluate the game by its commercial potential. A private investor (angel, seed, VC) puts in money in exchange for equity or financial return, often without specific games experience. Both can make sense, depending on the project stage.
Does Roblox or Fortnite UEFN count as "experience" on a resume?
Yes. Publishing content on these platforms demonstrates that you understand production tools, experience design, and publishing. The same principle applies as Game Jams and mods: what matters is having something concrete to show. Many people who started making Counter-Strike maps ended up being hired by major studios.
How much does it cost to make a game?
It depends enormously on scope, platform, and quality. A jam game costs zero dollars and a few sleepless nights. A professional indie game for Steam can cost anywhere from US$ 10,000 to US$ 100,000. A mobile game with scale ambitions needs both production and marketing budget. The right question isn't "how much does it cost," but "what's the budget I have, and what can I build with it?"
Tags: indie games, game development, gamescom latam 2026, brazilian games, game jam, game funding, solo dev, game scope, modding, UGC, ASCJogos
References
Related ASCJogos content
I have a game idea, what now? A practical guide to game development (original post that served as the panel foundation)
Events and panel
Panel "I have a game idea, what now?" (in Portuguese)
Tools cited
About the author
Leonardo Bilck is president of ASCJogos (Santa Catarina's game development association), CTO of Plot Kids and Plot Interactive, and co-founder of Truth and Tales. He has 17 years in the game industry with 20+ published projects. At Gamescom Latam 2026, he moderated the "I have a game idea, what now?" panel and participated in "Diálogo Estratégico Sul" as ASCJogos representative.
Comments