DISCOVER.GAMES
Discover.Games Launch Grant

We'll pay for your launch campaign.

One self-published studio launching on Steam between Nov 9 and Dec 10 gets a pre-launch campaign, funded and run by Discover.Games. Applications close Oct 30.

Apply nowCreate a free account
Opens
Mon Oct 19
Closes
Fri Oct 30, 11:59pm CT
Winner
Wed Nov 4
The prize

What the winner gets.

Five things, one launch. You keep shipping; we keep the creators coming.

01

A creator campaign, paid by us.

Sponsored creator slots, so coverage is guaranteed. Then pay per verified wishlist and per verified demo play.

02

3 months of the Platform plan, free.

Creator CRM and messaging, player CRM, per-creator wishlist attribution, campaign analytics.

03

We run it.

An account manager builds the campaign, approves creators, sets terms and sends you a weekly report. You answer questions and ship your game.

04

Launch week on our storefront.

Homepage feature, a key drop in our Discord, a free game drop for our members.

05

A Steam page review before go-live.

Creator traffic lands on your page. We make sure it converts.

What we ask

150 Steam keys
For creators and giveaways.
Replies within 48 hours
During the campaign.
We publish the numbers
Coverage, wishlists, demo plays, cost per wishlist. Your game becomes the case study.

Who qualifies

  • You self-publish: your studio is the developer and the publisher of record on Steam
  • Your release (full or Early Access) is dated November 9 to December 10, 2026 on your store page
  • Your Steam page is live today
  • No adult-only content
  • One entry per studio

Releasing in 2027? Not this round. If we widen the window, we'll say so here.

How we pick

Judged, not random. We shortlist five studios and get on a 20-minute call with each. We look at:

  1. 1Creator fit: is it streamable, is there a demo, is the hook clear in the first 10 seconds of the trailer
  2. 2Store page quality
  3. 3Release timing inside the window
  4. 4Keys available
  5. 5Where our campaign makes a visible difference. We favor games under about 15,000 wishlists.

Winner announced Wednesday, November 4.

Everyone eligible gets something

Apply once. You land in one of three tiers.

Nobody who qualifies leaves with nothing. The trial alone is worth the five minutes.

Everyone eligible
3 months free

Your Platform plan trial goes from 14 days to 3 months.

Four finalists
6 months free

Plus a $500 creator credit and the Steam page review.

One winner
The whole campaign

Funded and run by us, with 3 months of the Platform plan and the Steam page review. See what the winner gets

How to apply

Five minutes. Three steps.

Applications close Friday, October 30 at 11:59pm Central.

  1. 1
    Create a free account
    No card.
  2. 2
    Import your game from Steam
    Two clicks from your store page.
  3. 3
    Answer six questions
    About the game, the date and the keys.
Apply nowCreate a free account

The six questions

  1. Steam store URL
  2. Release date, and whether it's full release or Early Access
  3. Confirm your studio is the developer and publisher of record (yes/no)
  4. Do you have a playable demo on Steam? (yes/no)
  5. How many keys can you provide? (number)
  6. Why would creators want to cover this game? (2 to 3 sentences)
Dates

Twelve days to apply. Live by Nov 6.

Mon Oct 19
Applications open
Fri Oct 30, 11:59pm CT
Applications close
Nov 2 to 3
Finalist calls
Wed Nov 4
Winner announced
Fri Nov 6
Campaign goes live
January 2027
Results published
Questions

What studios ask before applying.

Does Early Access count?

Yes. An Early Access launch is a launch.

We have a publisher. Can we apply?

No. This is for studios that publish their own games.

Do we need a demo?

No, but it helps a lot. Demo plays are one of the two things we pay creators for.

What does it cost us?

Nothing. Keys and your time.

What are "verified" wishlists and demo plays?

Ones we can attribute to a specific creator and that still hold 14 days later. We pay creators on those, not on views.

Can we run other marketing at the same time?

Yes. Non-exclusive, no contract beyond the campaign.

What do you publish?

Campaign numbers: creators approved, pieces of coverage, verified wishlists and demo plays, cost per wishlist, and a quote from you. Not your Steam sales.

What happens after the 3 free months?

Nothing automatic. Self-published studios get 50% off the Platform plan if they stay.

Who picks the creators?

We propose, you approve. Every creator's rev share and terms are visible in your dashboard.

Applications close Fri Oct 30, 11:59pm CT

Launching this year? Five minutes.

Free account, import from Steam, six questions. We take it from there.

Apply nowCreate a free account
  1. 1
    Create a free account
  2. 2
    Import your game from Steam
  3. 3
    Answer six questions
  4. Winner announced Nov 4

Rules in short

Judged contest, no random draw. Open to studios that are the developer and publisher of record on Steam, 18 or older, with a full or Early Access release dated November 9 to December 10, 2026. One entry per studio. Entry is free. The prize is non-transferable and has no cash value. The winner accepts within 48 hours, provides 150 keys within 5 days, and agrees to the campaign numbers being published.

The full official rules will be linked here before applications open.