Hiring a Game Development Studio: Complete 2026 Guide
Game development is unlike any other software project: longer cycles, unpredictable creative iteration, and platforms with strict certification. Hiring the wrong studio is expensive. Here's how to hire the right one.
Published · 16.04.18
Match the studio to your game
A hyper-casual mobile studio and a 3D console studio are completely different companies. Before shortlisting, get clear on genre, platform (mobile, web, PC, console), engine (Unity, Unreal, custom), art style, and target scope (prototype, vertical slice, full game).
Ask each studio for shipped titles in your genre and platform — not just anything they've built. Game craft is deeply genre-specific.
Realistic budget ranges
A polished mobile prototype is usually a mid-five-figure project. A full casual mobile game with monetisation and live-ops sits in the six figures. Console-quality 3D games start in the high six figures and go up quickly. Anything much cheaper usually means asset-flip templates, not real game design.
Structure the deal in phases: prototype → vertical slice → production → launch. Each phase has its own budget, deliverables and go/no-go decision.
What to ask before signing
The questions that separate serious studios from asset flippers:
- Which shipped titles used the exact engine and genre you'll build for us?
- Who specifically will work on our game (designer, engineers, artists) and for how many hours per week?
- How do you handle creative iteration when playtests reveal the fun isn't there yet?
- How do you plan for platform certification (App Store, Google Play, console TRC/TCR)?
- Who owns source code, art, music and IP — and when does it transfer?
Protecting your IP and your launch
Insist on IP assignment on payment, source and asset delivery to your storage from day one, and a written plan for platform submission and post-launch support. A game that never gets past cert is worth zero.
16.04.18 builds mobile, web and cross-platform games end to end — prototype, production and launch — with fixed scope, fixed price and IP in your hands.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a game development studio?
A polished mobile prototype is typically a mid-five-figure project; a full casual mobile game with monetisation sits in six figures; console-quality 3D starts in the high six figures. Structure the deal in phases with go/no-go gates.
Which game engine should I choose?
Unity is the default for mobile and mid-size games; Unreal is stronger for high-fidelity 3D and console. Match the engine to the studios that ship in your genre — not the other way around.
How do I protect my IP when hiring a game studio?
Require IP assignment on payment, source code and assets delivered to your Git and storage from day one, and NDAs covering pre-launch materials.