EP 34 | How do indie studios get funded?

Rachel Heleva (Akupara Games, Spiral Up Games, Strange Scaffold) joins Marina to talk about her games publishing and development journey.They delve into how game publishers work, what it means to be a game scout, the importance of production, and Rachel gives tons of advice for up-and-coming studios seeking their next publishing deal. Grab a coffee, and join us for a chat! * * * * * TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview (00:00:22) Intro(00:03:00) Rachel’s path: getting into the industry(00:05:39) What is a games publisher?(00:09:10) What is a games scout?(00:10:40) Rachel’s experiencing helping start a publishing house (00:14:50) What makes an indie studio stand out?(00:18:40) What indicates to a publisher that a studio isn’t ready for funding yet? (00:21:33) What indicates to a publisher that a studio is ready for funding now?(00:24:28) How have Rachel’s production skills helped her in her publishing and scouting work?(00:27:15) How has Rachel’s production experience helped her identify a studio’s ability to deliver on their timelines? (00:32:33) What advice would Rachel give her younger self?(00:34:47) Words of wisdom for studios (00:37:07) Outro(00:37:27) Q&A: How did Rachel first get into her role? (00:39:36) More advice for studios (feedback, playtesting, making games publicly) FOLLOW USRachel’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hlywa.bsky.s... Marina’s socials: https://linktr.ee/marinahascoffeeLive Show on Twitch: ⁠  / marinahascoffee  Quest Markers: ⁠https://linktr.ee/questmarkers⁠Music by Marina Ryan