How to Make a Video Game: A Beginner's Guide | Replit

This guide is for indie game developers who need to build a promotional website for a new game. It assumes a small budget and some comfort with web tools, but no dedicated IT team. We cover everything from site structure and design to hosting, domain setup, and testing. We also explore key tools for the job. Large studios with significant budgets should consider a marketing agency instead. This article provides a roadmap for a successful launch.

Step 1: Plan Your Site Structure and Gather Your Content

Before you pick a template, you must define your website's purpose. A clear plan prevents unfocused design and ensures your site effectively promotes your game to players, the press, and potential publishers. This initial work dictates the entire project's success.

First, identify your audience and the key actions you want them to take. For most indie games, the goal is to have players wishlist on Steam, watch a trailer, or join a Discord server. These goals will define your site’s most important pages and calls to action.

Map your site navigation on paper. Most game sites need a Homepage, a Media page with trailers and screenshots, a Devlog, and a Contact or Press page. Keep your main navigation to seven items or fewer. This prevents an overwhelming layout that buries your wishlist button.

A common mistake is to build a site that only appeals to other developers with dense, technical devlogs. This approach confuses players. Instead, lead with content that clearly shows the gameplay and emotional hook of your game. Your primary audience is players, not peers.

Assemble Your Assets

Create a central folder using a service like Google Drive or Dropbox to store all your content. Organize everything into subfolders that match your site's pages. This preparation makes the actual build process much faster and more organized.

• Game Media: High-resolution screenshots, gameplay GIFs, and your main trailer.
• Brand Kit: Your game's logo and official color codes.
• Written Content: A compelling game description, team bios, press kit information, and a privacy policy for any email signups.
• Credentials: Logins for social media accounts or storefronts you plan to link.

Step 2: Choose Your Design Approach

Your website’s design is the first thing visitors see, communicating your game's quality in seconds. A strong design builds trust and encourages players to explore. A poor one can cause them to leave before they even see your trailer.

Use a Pre-built Template

For most indie developers, a pre-built template is the fastest, most affordable path. Premium templates from marketplaces like ThemeForest offer better code and more layouts, making them a smart one-time investment for a professional look.

A common mistake is picking a template with flashy animations that clash with your game's art. This slows load times and distracts from your media. Instead, choose a clean, mobile-responsive design that makes your screenshots and trailer the main focus.

Assemble a UI Kit

If you want more control and have some code comfort, a UI kit is a great middle ground. Kits from sources like Tailwind UI provide components like navigation bars and feature grids. This lets you build unique layouts for a devlog or lore page.

Commission a Custom Design

A custom design offers total control but has the highest cost. A designer creates mockups in a tool like Figma for your approval before development. This path is best for well-funded projects that need a distinct brand identity to stand out from the competition.

Establish a Style Guide

Whichever path you choose, create a style guide to ensure your site looks professional and consistent. This document is a reference for every design choice and prevents a messy, amateur appearance across your pages.

• Colors: Define one primary brand color, a secondary accent, and a neutral. Document the hex codes.
• Typography: Select two fonts maximum. A readable body font and a distinct heading font work well. Google Fonts is a great resource.
• Spacing: Use a consistent system for margins and padding to create a balanced layout.
• Buttons: Define styles for primary actions, like your wishlist button, and secondary actions.

Step 3: Set Up Hosting and Your Domain

Your domain is your website's address, and hosting is the digital land it sits on. These choices are foundational to your site's performance and brand. Getting them right from the start prevents headaches when your game launches and traffic surges.

Register Your Domain

Choose a short, memorable domain, ideally yourgamename.com. A common mistake is waiting too long and finding your game's title is taken, which creates brand confusion. Secure your domain from a registrar like Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar as soon as you finalize the name.

Enable auto-renewal immediately to avoid losing your domain by accident. Also, activate WHOIS privacy. This service hides your personal contact information from public view, a smart move for solo developers to reduce spam and protect their privacy.

Choose Your Hosting

For most indie developers, bundled hosting from a builder like Squarespace or Webflow is the simplest path. For more technical users, cloud hosts like Vercel or Netlify offer performance that scales automatically if a streamer features your game, preventing crashes.

Your host must provide a few key features:

• Free SSL Certificate: This is non-negotiable, as browsers distrust sites without one.
• Automatic Backups: Daily backups give you peace of mind.
• 24/7 Support: This is invaluable if your site goes down right before a big announcement.

After purchase, you connect the two by updating your domain's nameserver settings to point to your host. Your hosting provider gives you specific instructions. The change can take up to 48 hours to go live, so plan accordingly.

Step 4: Build Your Site With Replit

For developers who want more than a static template, Replit offers a powerful alternative. It uses an AI Agent to build a complete, functional website from plain-language instructions. This approach moves beyond drag-and-drop limits, which allows you to create dynamic features like a forum or user accounts for beta testers.

Use AI to Build and Iterate

Instead of code, you provide prompts. For example, tell the Replit Agent: "Build a website for my pixel art game with a media page, a devlog, and a large call-to-action button to wishlist on Steam." The agent generates the frontend, backend, and deployment configuration automatically.

The agent also tests its own work, finds bugs, and fixes them before you see the result. You can then refine the site with more feedback. Ask it to "make the trailer the first thing visitors see" or "add a password-protected page for press kits." The AI interprets your requests and modifies the code.

• Complete Site Generation: Describe your ideal game website, and the agent builds all pages, navigation, and styling.
• Automatic Backend: It handles complex features like user accounts for a closed alpha or a community forum.
• Instant Hosting & Deployment: Your site goes live on a Replit subdomain, and you can connect a custom domain later.
• Design Imports: If you have mockups from a tool like Figma, Replit can implement the design directly.

A common mistake is to give the AI vague instructions without a clear goal. This results in a generic site that fails to convert visitors into wishlists. The AI builds what you ask for, so a weak prompt produces a weak foundation for your game's launch and wastes valuable time.

Instead, start with a precise prompt that prioritizes your game's main call to action. This ensures the AI's work aligns with your primary marketing objective from the start, which focuses your site's purpose and drives players toward the actions that matter most for your game's success.

Step 5: Integrate Key Services

Your website rarely stands alone. Connect it to specialized services that handle key functions, from email collection to traffic analysis. Set up these integrations early to build momentum and understand your audience before launch.

Build Your Player Base

Use forms to capture interest for beta tests or newsletter signups. Embed these forms directly on your pages. A common mistake is to link to an external form. This extra click creates friction and causes you to lose potential players who were ready to connect.

Services like Tally or Google Forms offer simple, embeddable forms. Connect your form to an email marketing platform. This helps you build a direct line to your fans and manage your community as it grows.

Platforms such as Buttondown or ConvertKit help you organize contacts and send updates. Use them to announce development milestones and drive wishlists on launch day. This list is a vital marketing asset.

Measure Your Website's Impact

Install analytics on day one. This data reveals how players discover your site and which pages hold their attention. Use these insights to focus your marketing efforts on channels that deliver results, rather than guess what works.

Google Analytics 4 is a powerful, free tool. For a simpler dashboard that respects visitor privacy, alternatives like Plausible or Fathom are excellent choices. The goal is to gather actionable data.

Focus on metrics that measure your site's impact on your game's success. You should track:

• Traffic Sources: See where visitors come from, like Twitter or press articles.
• Top Pages: Know if your devlog or media page is more popular.
• Conversion Events: Measure clicks on your Steam wishlist button or trailer plays.

Step 6: Build and Populate Your Core Pages

Work through your site systematically, starting with the pages that receive the most traffic. Each page must have a clear purpose and guide visitors toward a single action, such as to wishlist your game or watch the trailer. This focused approach ensures every part of your site supports your launch.

Build Your Homepage as a Triage Station

Your homepage must grab attention in seconds. Lead with a compelling headline and your game's trailer. The main goal is to direct visitors to your most important call to action, such as a prominent "Wishlist on Steam" button. Add social proof like press quotes or award laurels early to build trust.

A common mistake is to fill the homepage with dense lore. This confuses players who just want to see the game. Instead, use brief sections to highlight unique gameplay mechanics or story hooks. Each section should link to a page with more detail, keeping the homepage scannable and focused.

Create Your Core Content Pages

Populate your other key pages with the assets you gathered earlier. Your goal is to provide clear, targeted information for different audiences, from players to the press.

• Media Page: This is your visual showcase. Feature your best high-resolution screenshots, gameplay GIFs, and embedded trailers. Make it easy for visitors to see your game in action.
• Devlog: Share your development journey to build a community. Post updates with plenty of visuals. A common pitfall is to make posts too technical, which can alienate players.
• Press Page: Create a dedicated page for media. Include a contact email for press inquiries and a link to a downloadable press kit with your logo, game description, and screenshots.
• Legal Pages: Add a Privacy Policy if you collect emails for a newsletter. You can use a generator like Termly or Iubenda to create a baseline policy. This page builds trust and meets legal requirements.

Step 7: Test Across Devices and Get Real User Feedback

Testing reveals problems invisible during development. A broken "wishlist" button or a trailer that fails to load can damage your game's credibility. Budget time for this phase to ensure your site works for every potential player before your launch announcement.

Check on All Devices

Your site must perform flawlessly on the hardware your players actually use. Test on mobile phones (iOS and Android), tablets, and desktop browsers like Chrome and Firefox. Verify that text is readable, buttons are tappable, and your navigation works everywhere, from small phones to large monitors.

A common mistake is to test only on your own high-end development PC. This ignores that many players have older phones or slower internet, which can cause your site to load slowly or break. Use tools like BrowserStack to check many devices, but test on at least one real phone.

Confirm All Functions Work

Methodically check every interactive part of your website. A single broken link can stop a journalist from covering your game or prevent a player from joining your community. Create a simple checklist to confirm everything operates as intended before you go live with your new site.

• Click every link, especially those to Steam, Discord, and social media.
• Submit your newsletter form and confirm the email arrives.
• Play all embedded trailers and watch gameplay GIFs.
• Verify your press kit download works correctly.

Get Feedback from Real People

Automated tools cannot tell you if your site is confusing. Ask three to five people who have never seen your site to complete specific tasks. Watch them without help. Their struggles will reveal design flaws that you are too familiar with the project to notice.

Give them goals like, "Wishlist the game on Steam," or "Find the email for press inquiries." Where they hesitate or get lost is exactly what you need to fix. For ongoing insights, tools like Hotjar can show you session recordings of how real visitors navigate your pages.

Step 8: Launch Your Site and Establish a Maintenance Plan

Your website's launch is not the finish line. It is the start of its life as your game's public face. A coordinated launch maximizes visibility, while a solid maintenance plan ensures your site remains a powerful marketing asset long after your game is out.

Final Pre-Launch Checklist

Before you announce the site, perform one last, thorough review. This final check prevents simple errors that could undermine your game's professional image. Confirm that every part of the site functions correctly and all placeholder text is gone, especially on your press page.

• Verify all links to Steam, Discord, and social media work as expected.
• Confirm your press kit download is active and contains current assets.
• Check that meta titles and descriptions are set for each page for better search results.
• Ensure social sharing tags display your game's trailer or key art correctly when links are posted.
• Test your newsletter signup form and confirm that a confirmation email arrives.

Announce and Monitor Your Launch

Coordinate your launch announcement across all your channels at once. Send an email to your newsletter subscribers and post on social media with a compelling visual from your game. Also, update your email signature and any online profiles with the new URL to drive organic traffic.

A common mistake is to launch the website in a vacuum. This causes a quiet debut that misses its audience. Instead, time your site's reveal with a new trailer, a major game update, or a sale announcement to create a single, powerful marketing moment that captures attention.

After the announcement, submit your sitemap through Google Search Console to encourage search engines to index your pages faster. For uptime monitoring, a service like UptimeRobot can alert you if your site goes down during traffic spikes from a streamer or press coverage.

Schedule Ongoing Upkeep

A website requires regular attention to stay effective. This work prevents your site from becoming stale, which can signal to players and press that development has stalled. Set recurring reminders for maintenance tasks to keep content fresh and functional.

• Monthly: Check for broken links and review analytics to see which devlog posts are popular.
• Quarterly: Refresh screenshots if your game's art has improved and review all pages for outdated information.
• Annually: Conduct a full content audit, review your design, and confirm your domain's auto-renewal is active.

Want a shortcut?

For a more direct path, Replit uses an AI agent to build a complete website from plain-language instructions. This method moves beyond template limitations, which allows for dynamic features like a forum for beta testers or password-protected press pages. The agent generates the frontend, backend, and deployment configuration automatically.

It also tests its own work to find and fix bugs before you see the result. This approach streamlines the creation of complex sites without deep coding knowledge. You can direct the build and add features with simple feedback. Sign up for free to start your project.