Pitching a Game: Lessons from Oliver Georgallis’ Masterclass

One of the most difficult challenges that independent developers face is pitching a game to publishers. It’s not only about having a good idea, it’s about proving that you can execute it, that there’s a market for it, and that it’s worth a publisher’s time and money.

Oliver Georgallis, co-founder of MilkBubblesGames, recently delivered an inspiring masterclass at MetStudios. He shared the rollercoaster journey of pitching GladiEATers to over 100 publishers—facing rejections, reworking decks, and learning fast. That persistence paid off: he and his team landed a publishing deal. Our students walked away with real, hard-earned insights into what it takes to succeed in the games industry.

What are publishers looking for?

“What publishers can do for you varies from publisher to publisher,” Oliver explained. “Some are interested in funding your entire development, some only part of it, and some don’t fund anything at all, they just handle publishing.” Beyond funding, publishers can help with marketing, pay for influencers to help promote your game, manage social media profiles, and some even handle quality assurance.

“Publishers want something from you. They tend to want a cut of the profit” He explains. And these deals can vary wildly, with some publishers asking for 30% of revenue while others can even demand up to 80%. Some may introduce a recoup model, meaning they take all profits until they’ve made their investment back, or sometimes even double it. “One publisher offered us a deal where they’d take 70% of the revenue, and they had a 200% recoup, which meant they’d make back double their investment before we saw a penny” Oliver recalled.

Not all publishers are the right partners for your project. Understanding industry norms and negotiating the right deal is just as important as crafting a great pitch deck.

How to build the perfect pitch deck

First impressions matter

The first slide of your deck should be simple and eye-catching. “Just your logo, some of your best concept art, and what you’re looking for,” Oliver advised. This slide should instantly tell a publisher what your game is about and what kind of support you need.

The ask

Publishers usually don’t have time to dig through your deck to figure out what you’re asking for. Oliver recommended stating it clearly up front. “We were looking for the full suite: funding, quality assurance, and localisation,” he explained. If a publisher doesn’t offer funding and sees that you’re looking for it, they’ll immediately know whether or not they should continue reading.

The elevator pitch

Publishers usually don’t have time to read pages of game descriptions, so a short, compelling pitch is essential. “Our game, GladiEATers, is a cooking RPG where food transforms into gladiators for turn-based combat,” Oliver explained. “It’s Overcooked meets Pokémon.”

This kind of comparison helps publishers immediately understand the game’s concept. “If your game is a combination of two games that have done well, definitely say so.”

Show, don’t just tell

A pitch deck should always be visually engaging. Publishers don’t just want text; they want to see the game’s potential. Oliver stressed the importance of concept art, GIFs, and gameplay videos.

“If you’re pitching cold, meaning you’re just sending the deck without presenting it live, then the deck needs to speak for itself,” he said. “Imagine you’re a game scout with 30 games to go through in a day. Your deck needs to stand out from the rest.”

Explain why your game is fun

Publishers need to understand the core gameplay loop quickly. But Oliver warned against overloading this section with unnecessary details. “You don’t want to give them a full design document,” he said. “Just enough to make them understand what makes your game unique.”

His trick? Include hyperlinks at the bottom of slides linking to more details. “If they’re interested, they’ll click. If not, they won’t feel like you’ve overloaded them with information.”

Prove there’s an audience

Publishers want to know where your game fits in the market. A slide comparing your game to successful titles helps show its potential. “For us, it was very obvious to say, GladiEATers is like Overcooked meets Pokémon,” Oliver explained. “But if your game is completely unique, that’s fine too, you just need to explain why it will sell.”

Show you have a plan

One of the most important slides is the budget breakdown. “Publishers need to know where their money is going,” Oliver said. His team made sure to include details about how much had already been spent, how much they were asking for, and where that money would go.

A roadmap is also essential. “This is the slide that will change the most,” he admitted. “Delays happen, especially when you don’t have funding. But you need to show that you have a structured plan.”

The final sell

Many publishers skip straight to the final slide, so it needs to be strong. Oliver recommended including:

• A one-line pitch of the game.
• What the team is asking for.
• A link to the vertical slice (a playable demo).
• Contact details.

“This slide is like a cheat sheet for the publisher,” he explained. “If they like what they see here, they’ll go back and look at the rest of the deck.”

Want to learn more about game pitching?

At MetStudios, we teach the art of pitching and game development, and most importantly, preparing students to navigate the industry with confidence.

If you’re ready to take your game from idea to reality, join us for an Open Day and see how we can help. Discover more here.