How to make a game and make money from it

The four ways games earn

• Sales. Sell on Steam, itch.io or consoles. Steam's standard cut is 30%. On itch.io you choose the share, 10% by default.
• Ads. Common in free mobile games. Ads pay small amounts per view, so they need many players and short, repeatable sessions.
• In-app purchases. Skins, boosts, extra lives. Apple and Google take 15-30% of each sale.
• Roblox payouts. Sell game passes and developer products for Robux. Developer Exchange (DevEx) lets eligible creators aged 13+ cash out once they have 30,000 earned Robux. The standard rate is $0.0038 per Robux, so 30,000 Robux pays $114.

Why most games earn little

The hard part is not the store. It is being found. Thousands of new games come out on Steam every year, and mobile stores are more crowded still. A game earns when people find it, keep playing and tell friends, and most games miss at least one of those.

That is why studios test ideas early and drop most of them. Copy that habit. A cheap test that fails saves you a year.

Validate the idea before you build

• 1. Write the hook in one line. "Run a zoo where the animals mutate." If the line is not interesting, the game will not be either.
• 2. Make it playable cheaply. Describe it to Roam on iPhone. It is free and comes back with world, art and sound, so friends judge the game, not a sketch.
• 3. Watch for replays. The signal is people starting another round without being asked. Polite praise is not a signal.
• 4. Then build the earning version. Move to an engine or Roblox Studio, add the store, the purchases and the polish. Treat Roam as the test step, not an income plan.

Questions people ask

Can you make money making games?

Yes, through sales, ads, in-app purchases or platform payouts, but most games earn little. Test the idea cheaply before you invest.

How do you make money making Roblox games?

Sell game passes and developer products for Robux, then cash out through DevEx once you have 30,000 earned Robux and meet the rules, including being 13 or older.

Can you make a game without coding and earn money?

Yes. GDevelop and Roblox Studio templates need little or no code, and both let you publish where players can pay. Earnings depend on players, not the tool.