Finished and released, shelved mid-development, or a solid prototype you never shipped — indie games sell to other developers looking for exactly what you built. Here's how to package it by engine, price it fairly, and hand it off without losing leverage before you're paid.
Bottom line:Buyers search by engine and completion state, not just genre. List clearly on Siterifty's game marketplace — engine, scope, and what's included — and let escrow protect the handoff of source files and any storefront transfer.
Game buyers are rarely looking for a lottery ticket — they're looking for a head start.
Solo devs and small teams who want a working foundation instead of starting from a blank project
Developers who specialize in finishing/polishing rather than originating concepts
Publishers or larger studios scouting small, promising prototypes worth developing further
Asset collectors buying reusable systems, art packs, or mechanics to fold into their own projects
Buyers targeting a specific engine ecosystem where they already have expertise
Selling by engine: Unity, Unreal, Godot, and custom
Engine is often the very first filter a buyer applies — get it front and center in your listing title and description.
Engine
Licensing note
Typical buyer
Unity
Check your Unity plan tier before transfer — some asset store purchases are tied to the original account
Broadest buyer pool — most common indie engine
Unreal Engine
Marketplace/Fab assets may have their own license terms separate from your project code
Buyers wanting higher production-value visuals
Godot
Fully open-source — no licensing friction on transfer
Buyers who prefer no ongoing engine fees
Custom/proprietary engine
No licensing concerns, but far smaller buyer pool
Only strong technical buyers who can pick up your codebase
If your project uses paid third-party assets (Unity Asset Store, Unreal Marketplace/Fab), flag this clearly — some licenses don't automatically transfer with a project sale, and buyers will ask.
Finished, in-progress, or asset-only
Finished and released — has sales history, reviews, and a storefront presence. Valued closer to a revenue multiple if it has meaningful sales.
Finished but unreleased — complete and playable, never launched. Valued on scope, polish, and genre demand.
In-progress / prototype — playable core loop, missing content or polish. Valued on how much development time it saves a buyer.
Asset-only — art, code systems, or mechanics without a full game wrapped around them. Valued like a template or component, not a full product.
Valuing your game
Released games with sales
A released game with a track record is valued similarly to other revenue-generating digital assets — a multiple of average monthly profit, adjusted for review score, wishlist count (on Steam), and whether sales are trending up or down.
Unreleased or in-progress projects
Estimate development hours already invested and price at a meaningful discount to what those hours would cost to hire out — the buyer is paying to skip time, not to pay full replacement value, since they're also taking on the risk of finishing it.
The multiple-of-profit approach from the Website Valuation Guide applies directly to released games with real revenue history.
What to include in the sale
Full project source files, with version control history if available
All original art, audio, and asset files — not just the compiled build
A build/compile guide, especially if the project uses non-default engine settings or plugins
List of any third-party asset licenses used, and whether they transfer
Store page assets: screenshots, trailer, description copy, key art
Marketing materials or community assets (Discord server, social handles) if part of the deal
Transferring a Steam or itch.io page
If your game already has a live storefront, transferring it is its own process — plan for it before you agree to a deadline.
Steam: Valve handles Steamworks partner account/app transfers case-by-case through direct support contact — it isn't a self-serve toggle and can take time
itch.io: ownership and revenue-share settings can be adjusted directly by the creator, making transfer more straightforward than Steam
Decide whether reviews, wishlists, and community stay with the storefront or reset — this materially affects value and should be explicit before pricing
Never hand over admin access to a storefront before payment is secured — this is exactly what escrow exists to protect
Revenue multiple if released with sales; scope/hours-saved if not.
3
Answer technical questions directly
Buyers will ask about engine version, third-party assets, and known bugs — full transparency here builds trust fast.
4
Confirm exactly what transfers
Source files, assets, storefront (if any), and community channels — get this in writing.
5
Buyer pays into escrow
Payment is held securely while file transfer and any storefront handoff completes.
6
Transfer files, then storefront
Send project files first; begin any Steam/itch.io transfer process separately.
7
Funds release once confirmed
Once the buyer verifies they can open and run the project, escrow releases payment.
Mistakes that sink game sales
Not disclosing third-party asset licenses. A buyer who discovers post-purchase that key assets don't legally transfer will dispute the sale.
Selling only a compiled build, no source. Buyers need the actual project files to continue development — a finished .exe alone is rarely what they're paying for.
Underestimating storefront transfer time. Promising a buyer a same-day Steam handoff sets an expectation Valve's process may not support.
Vague genre/engine tagging. Buyers filter hard by engine and genre — an unclear listing simply gets skipped.
FAQ
Can I sell an unfinished game project?
Yes — priced on scope and quality, with buyers often specifically looking for a head start rather than a polished release.
Does the game engine matter when selling a game?
Yes — Unity and Unreal both have licensing considerations, and buyers typically search by engine since it determines whether they can open your project at all.
Can I transfer a Steam page along with my game?
Valve allows Steamworks transfers case-by-case through direct support, but it takes real coordination time — keep the sale in escrow until it's confirmed complete.
How much is a small indie game worth?
Released games with sales: valued on a profit multiple. Unreleased projects: valued on development scope and estimated hours saved for the buyer.
Ready to list your game?
Reach developers and studios actively looking for indie projects by engine and genre — every deal escrow-protected.
This guide explains how to sell a small indie game online: who buys indie games (developers wanting a head start, publishers scouting prototypes, asset collectors), how the engine (Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, custom) affects licensing and buyer pool, how completion state (released with sales, finished but unreleased, in-progress, asset-only) affects valuation, what to package in a sale (source files, assets, build guide, license disclosures, storefront assets), and how Steam and itch.io storefront transfers work.
Siterifty is a marketplace for indie developers to buy and sell games, apps, websites, templates, and source code, with free listings and escrow protection covering both file transfer and any storefront handoff.
How to Sell a Small Game Online (2026 Guide) | Siterifty
