This module will allow students to gain a greater understanding of the area of indie business development, funding structures and avenues, and legislation.

These include:

The Indie Landscape and Studio Identity
Legal Structures and IP Rights (UK Focused)
Project Management for Small Teams
Funding Stream 1: Grant Funding
Funding Stream 2: Tax Relief and Investors
Market Analysis and Validation
The Art of the Pitch
Marketing 1: Storefronts and Discovery
Marketing 2: Community and Social
Business Planning: Financial
The Launch and Post Launch Support
Final Pitch Reviews

Assessment 1 – The Professional Pitch [Learning Outcomes 3 and 4]

This assessment will require the creation and delivery of a recorded video pitch. There will be a focus on persuasion, clarity, and crucially “the hook” for the audience. Students will act as a studio lead pitching to a panel of investors. Students must pitch a specific game concept of their own design. The pitch is to cover: The hook, the product, the market, and the ask. Suitable and professional documentation and presentation will be created for the assessment.

Assessment 2 – The Indie Studio Launch Plan [Learning Outcomes 1 and 4]

This assessment requires the need to produce a professional business plan focusing on evidence, strategy, and contemporary theory. Students are to produce a commercial grant application modelled on industry standard processes. Whilst this is a substantial document it will detail how the business will survive. The documentation will naturally cover company structure, market analysis, marketing strategy, financial planning, risk analysis (SWOT), and explicitly reference advice from case studies throughout the module.

Assignment 3 – Vertical Slice [Learning Outcomes 2]

A vertical prototype of a game or app will be developed. The design of the artefact will demonstrate a good understanding of technical development and how to demonstrate core systems in a limited application that can be used for investment pitching.

Learning and teaching activities will be delivered through a structured blend of scheduled and independent study designed to support a coherent learning journey. Scheduled sessions will typically include lectures that introduce core concepts and workshops that allow students to apply techniques, engage in facilitated discussions, and undertake activities focused on problem solving and peer learning. Independent study will involve, recommended reading, research tasks, and ongoing development of project work supported by the resources provided.

1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the indie games sector, putting business strategy, funding and pitching skills into practice.

Knowledge & understanding
Personal Development and Entrepreneurship

2. Develop a game prototype that demonstrate the ability to create a game that has market potential.

Application & problem-solving

3. Use suitable digital tools for the creation, presentation, and development of the pitch, the relevant documentation, and the artefact.

Digital Literacy

4. Articulate the practical realities of the indie business landscape to a mix of stakeholders. The focus is on bridging the gap between complex business theory and accessible communication.

Communication
Critical Reasoning & Collaboration

VLE (Such as Blackboard)
Office Applications (Such as Microsoft Office)
University of Staffordshire Library
Internet Access
Digital Academy Forum
Digital Academy Upload

Futter, M. (2017) The gamedev business handbook: how to build the business you’ll build games with! London: Bithell Games.

Hill-Whittall, R. (2015) The Indie Game Developer Handbook. Burlington, MA: Focal Press.

Schreier, J. and Chase, R. (2021) Press reset: Ruin and recovery in the video game industry. Ashland, OR: Blackstone.

Schreier, J. (2017) Blood, sweat, and Pixels: The triumphant, turbulent stories behind how video games are made. New York: Harper.

Schreier, J. (2025) Play nice: The rise, fall, and future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Making a game is one thing; turning it into a sustainable business is entirely another. This module serves as a bridge between your university studies and the professional world, functioning less like a traditional class and more like a studio incubator. We focus strictly on the practicalities of the UK market, teaching you how to navigate the specific legal and financial hurdles of indie development. Your assessment mirrors this professional focus. The goal is to ensure that when you graduate, you leave with more than just a degree - you leave with a launch-ready strategy and the know-how to secure investment for your own studio.