Games
How to Choose a Game Development Studio
A practical guide to finding the right development partner for your project
Finding the right game development studio is as important as the game idea itself. The wrong partner can burn through your budget without delivering a shippable product. The right one will challenge your assumptions, improve your design, and deliver a game you are proud of.
This guide covers what to look for, what to avoid, and the questions you should ask before signing a contract.
What to Look For
Relevant Portfolio
Look for studios that have shipped games in your genre or on your target platform. A studio with mobile RPG experience will ramp up faster on your mobile RPG than one that has only built PC games.
Technical Depth
Can they explain their architecture decisions? Do they have case studies showing how they solved performance or scaling challenges? Surface-level portfolios can hide shallow technical ability.
Communication Style
How quickly do they respond? Do they ask thoughtful questions about your project? Communication quality during the sales process is a reliable predictor of communication during development.
Scalable Team
Can they flex team size as your project evolves? A studio that can start with 2 engineers and scale to 5 for production gives you more flexibility than a fixed-size team.
Industry Experience
Studios that understand your target audience (e.g., education, mobile gaming, enterprise) will make better design decisions than generalists learning your domain on your budget.
Client References
Ask to speak with a previous client. A confident studio will happily connect you. If they hesitate, that is a signal.
Engagement Models
Fixed Price
A defined scope with a fixed cost. Best for well-scoped projects where requirements are clear upfront. Lower risk for the client, but less flexibility for changes mid-project.
Best for: Well-defined projects with clear requirements
Time & Materials
Pay for hours worked, typically on a weekly or monthly basis. More flexible than fixed price, allowing scope to evolve. Requires trust and good communication.
Best for: Projects where scope may evolve or is not fully defined
Co-Development
The studio embeds engineers directly into your team. Same tools, same standups, same repo. The most integrated model, ideal for studios that already have a team but need specialist capacity.
Best for: Studios with an existing team needing extra capacity
Red Flags to Watch For
No Relevant Portfolio
A studio that cannot show you shipped games similar to yours is a risk. Experience in your genre and platform matters more than general development ability.
Vague Timelines
If a studio cannot give you even a rough timeline range after understanding your scope, they likely have not scoped enough projects to estimate accurately.
No Discovery Phase
Studios that jump straight to quoting without a discovery conversation are either underestimating the work or planning to learn on your budget.
Unwilling to Sign an NDA
A professional studio will sign a reasonable NDA without hesitation. Reluctance suggests they do not take IP protection seriously.
No Post-Launch Support
A studio that treats launch day as the end of the engagement is not thinking about your game's long-term success. Ask about warranties and support packages.
Price Far Below Market
If a quote is dramatically cheaper than competitors, the studio is either underscoping, understaffing, or planning to cut corners. Quality game development has a real cost.
Questions to Ask
Have you built a game in this genre before? Can I see it?
What is your QA process? Is testing continuous or only at the end?
How do you handle scope changes mid-project?
What happens after launch? Do you offer support and live ops?
Can I speak with a previous client about their experience?
Who specifically will be working on my project? What is their experience?
How do you handle IP ownership? Will I own all code and assets?
What does your typical sprint cycle look like? How often will I see builds?