1–3: Proof they can build your game
Ask for shipped games, not concept art. A portfolio of live store links beats a showreel — install two or three and judge the quality yourself. Ask what's similar to yours: a studio brilliant at hyper-casual may struggle with a mid-core RPG; genre experience shortens everything. Ask who exactly will work on your project — the team you meet in the sales call is not always the team that writes the code.
4–6: The contract questions that save you later
Source-code ownership is the big one: you should own 100% of the code, art, and store accounts, delivered in a repository you control from day one — anything less makes you hostage to the studio. Ask how change requests are priced before signing; scope always evolves, and the difference between a fair change process and hourly-rate ambush is enormous. Ask about the NDA and IP assignment — a professional studio offers both without being asked.
7–8: Process and communication
Ask to see their milestone structure. Good studios work in visible increments — playable builds at regular intervals, not a big reveal at the end. You want to be testing an APK on your own phone within the first weeks. Ask who your point of contact is and how often you'll hear from them. A dedicated project manager and a weekly build-plus-status rhythm is the standard you should expect; "we'll update you when there's news" is a red flag.
9–10: Money and honesty
Get a fixed quote against a written scope — vague estimates become vague invoices. Compare quotes on scope coverage, not just the bottom line: the cheapest bid that excludes testing, store submission, and post-launch fixes isn't the cheapest bid. Finally, ask what could go wrong. A studio that names real risks (scope creep, store review delays, device fragmentation) is being honest with you; a studio that promises everything will be smooth is telling you what you want to hear.
The red flags in one list
No live shipped games. Won't give you the source repository. No fixed milestones or playable builds. Prices that can't be tied to a written scope. Communication that slows down after the deposit. And pressure to sign fast — good studios are busy, not desperate. If you want to see how we answer these ten questions ourselves, ask us — we'll put every answer in writing with your quote.
Related: Outsource game development · Co-development & rescue · Game cost guide · In-house team vs outsourcing: the real numbers
Originally published on A Plus Games Studio, a game, AR and VR development studio in Sacramento, CA.
Top comments (0)