Publishing your game
Games go out in stages: keep it private while you build, share an alpha link with playtesters when you want feedback, then move to beta when you are happy for anyone to play it. Two tabs are involved: Details is the storefront you wrap around the game, and Publish is where you choose who can reach it. You can keep editing afterward, and you can move back down a step at any time.
The game itself — its table and rules — comes from the AI and from your edits in Layout and Settings. The Details tab is everything around it: how the game presents in the catalogue and on its home page.
The Details tab — your storefront
Everything here shows on the public Game Home. A live mini-preview on the right updates as you type, so you can see the catalogue card take shape.
| Section | Fields |
|---|---|
| Basics | Game name, a one-line tagline, the full description, player count, play time, and a free-text category |
| Photos | A gallery of designer-uploaded shots — box, components, play. The first photo is the cover; use the star to promote any photo to cover |
| Where to get it | Optional “Buy a copy” and “Crowdfunding / Kickstarter” links — leave a field blank to hide that button |
| Credits | The designer (from your profile) and a free-text publisher |
| Player feedback | A toggle to let players send you notes from the Game Home, which arrive in your designer inbox |
Details edits are saved with the Save details button — they are independent of who can play the game, so you can polish the storefront at any stage.
The Publish tab — who can play
Once your game has finished building, the Publish tab offers three steps. Pick one; you can change it whenever you like.
| Step | Who can reach it |
|---|---|
| Private | Only you. This is where every game starts. |
| Alpha | Anyone holding your share link. Not listed in the catalogue, not in search. |
| Beta | Everyone. Listed in the catalogue with a Beta tag, and free to play. |
Alpha — playtesting with a link
Choosing Alpha gives you a share link. Send it to whoever you want feedback from: they can open the Game Home, play solo on their own device, and start a multiplayer table and invite others — all without the game appearing anywhere public. They do not need an account to look at it, only to sit at a table.
The link is the secret, so treat it like one. New link replaces it, which immediately stops every copy you have already sent from working — use that if a link goes somewhere you did not intend.
Beta — opening it up
Beta puts the game on a public Game Home at its own URL and in the catalogue, carrying a Beta tag so players know it is still being tested. The share link stops working at this point — the game has a public address now.
A paid tier for finished games is coming later. Beta games stay free to play.
Publishing changes
Players always see the version you last published, not your working draft — so editing a shared game never disturbs a table someone is sitting at. When you have changes players cannot see yet, a Publish changes button appears in the Studio header and on the Publish tab. Press it when you are ready.
The badge beside your game’s name tracks where it sits:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Not yet generated into a playable definition |
| Building | The pipeline is generating the game |
| Failed | Generation did not complete — see the pipeline status |
| Private / Alpha / Beta | Built and playable — this is who can reach it |
None of this is a final gate: you can edit, publish changes, and keep refining at any step.
How to edit in the Studio
Open your game → Details tab. Fill in the basics, drag in a few photos (the first is your cover), add any buy/crowdfunding links, and click Save details. Then switch to the Publish tab and choose a step: Alpha to get a link you can send to playtesters, or Beta to list it publicly. Use View public page afterward to see exactly what players will.
Related
- Studio tour — the Details and Publish tabs in context
- Refining and regenerating — keep iterating after launch
- Uploading assets — where Game Home photos can come from