Applications open
Verified listings for game projects.
One page for your game that shows who is behind it and links to every place people can support it. Supporters pay you directly. GameStart never touches the money.
Where things stand: applications are open and no listings are published yet.Right now everything is free: your page, every page feature and verification.Some page features may move into optional paid plans later. Verification never will.
What a listing shows
One page, everything a supporter or journalist needs
The game
Name, description, genre, platforms, key art, screenshots and trailer.
Who is behind it
The studio or person, their website and socials.
Status
In development, demo available, campaign live or released.
Where to support it
Links to the channels you already use: Steam, Kickstarter, Gamefound, Patreon, Ko-fi, itch.io or a crypto wallet.
Press kit
Facts, official art, press contact and embargo dates, so one page serves both players and press.
Verification log
What we checked and when.
How verification works
We check by hand, and show our work
Before a listing goes up, we check that:
- you control the accounts and payment channels on your listing, for example with a code you post or a message signed from your wallet;
- the project exists: a live store or campaign page, a demo on an official store, or real gameplay footage;
- we know who you are: the person or company behind the project;
- your names and any listed wallets are screened against the US sanctions list.
Every listing shows a dated log of these checks. If a check fails or expires, the log says so.
Example verification log
- Accounts confirmed checked on [date]
- Payment channels controlled checked on [date]
- Project exists checked on [date]
- Identity known to GameStart checked on [date]
An illustration of the format, not a real listing.
What verified does not mean
It is not a promise that a game will ship, ship on time or turn out well. It means we checked the things in the log, on the dates shown, and nothing more.
How support works
The money goes straight to the creator
- Supporters click through and pay the creator on the creator's own channel. GameStart is never in the payment.
- Because the money goes straight to the creator, there are no refunds through GameStart. Each platform's own rules apply.
- GameStart takes nothing from what supporters send.
For creators
Free to list, free to verify
- Free to list and verify. Your page and its verification cost nothing.
- Never a cut. GameStart never takes a percentage of what supporters send.
- Free now, and kept for a year. Right now every page feature is free. If some move into optional paid plans later, we will publish what they include and cost before charging anyone. Features you set up before then stay free on your page for 12 months after paid plans start. Verification will never be part of a paid plan.
- One page, two jobs. Your listing doubles as a press kit, so you keep one page current instead of three.
- PR agencies welcome. Agencies can apply on behalf of the games they represent.
- You approve everything. Nothing about your game goes up without your yes.
For creators, studios and agencies
Apply to list your game
We read every application and reply within 7 days. We draft pages in the order applications arrive, and a launch, demo or campaign in the next 30 days moves yours to the front.
For players and supporters
Get an email when the first listings go up
Leave your email and we will write when the first verified listings are published. One email, then only if you want more.
Questions
Straight answers
Is GameStart a crowdfunding platform?
No. We do not collect pledges or hold money. We list projects and link to the places where they already take support, such as Kickstarter, Patreon or a Steam store page.
Do you take a cut of what supporters send?
No, never. GameStart takes nothing from what supporters send.
What does it cost to list?
Nothing right now: your page, every page feature and verification are free. Later, some page features may move into optional paid plans, and we will publish what they include and cost before charging anyone. Features you set up before then stay free on your page for 12 months after paid plans start. Verification is never part of a paid plan.
What happens if a verified project doesn't deliver?
We do not hold the money, so we cannot refund it. Verification tells you what we checked, not what will happen. If we find a listing is fraudulent or a check no longer holds, we take the listing down or mark the failed check.
What kinds of projects can list?
Video games, tabletop games and gaming hardware made by the people applying. We do not list mods or maps built on another company's game, or charity campaigns.
Can I list a crypto wallet?
Yes, alongside your other channels. We check that you control it. GameStart has no token and no NFTs.
Is GameStart connected to Kickstarter, Steam or Patreon?
No. We link to them; we are not affiliated with them.
Who runs GameStart?
GameStart is run by HGC Ventures, Inc, a company based in California, USA.