Submitting a title to Playdate Catalog

Developers are able to submit titles that they created for Playdate to be considered for Catalog by completing our Catalog Submission Form here. Titles for Catalog are reviewed and handpicked by real Playdate team members to make sure they are a good fit. It may take between 1-3 weeks for us to get to your submission.

We highly encourage you to submit even if you are unsure of your game! If your game is not chosen initially, you are still able to edit the game and resubmit later on.

If you have any more questions please do not hesitate to email us and we will respond as soon as possible. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

Other Ways to Distribute your Game

Being selected for Catalog is not the only way to share your game! You can sell them directly through sites like Itch.io, Gumroad, and Shopify. With the Playdates easy sideloading function you are in control of your game, so even if you are not selected for Catalog there are always other ways to distribute your game.

What We Look For in a Catalog Title

Your title should feel finished and polished, giving the customer something they’ll be happy they bought. Your title should’ve been tested on a physical Playdate. Very small games, or test games, will be less likely to be included in Catalog unless, of course, they do something special or unique. (That being said, don’t let imposter syndrome hold you back! It doesn’t hurt to submit.)
Your title should be one of the best in your genre. We’re looking for things that really truly shine.
It’s OK if your title is not a game. Apps and utilities and books and whatever are welcome to apply.
Your title shouldn’t be hateful or offensive. Playdate is a welcoming platform for everyone. We won’t accept content that demeans any gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion.
Your title should follow our guidelines when using networking APIs to enable communication. If you’re using the networking APIs to enable communication, this should only happen with user consent, i.e. with friend codes, approvals, or any other methods that ensure friends are communicating with other friends — not total strangers.
Also, when using networking APIs to load internet content. If you’re using the networking APIs to load internet content, limit your content to specifically chosen sites or sources that are known to be safe — not arbitrary content. Both of these rules are here to avoid any controversial, offensive, or otherwise problematic communication, as Playdate is primarily a gaming system, enjoyed by a wide range of users, including children.

Remember: we may pass on your title for any reason, even if they meet the requirements above. But, don’t worry. If we do pass, you can still sell your Playdate game in many other ways.

Consider Accessibility

It’s important to us that we work on making Playdate as a platform more accessible. Some things to consider for making your title more accessible:

Making sure sprites and text are readable on device.
Providing multiple ways to accomplish the same actions, such as having multiple control options.
Options to skip cut scenes or sections of the game that players have already completed, such as save points and ability to select a chapter/level that’s unlocked.
The ability to remap controls.

We suggest reading through the following guides for more info on accessibility:

Catalog Terms

The terms are simple and transparent:

Set your price between $1 and $100 (If we believe you are pricing your game too low, we might tell you!).
You keep 75% of sales revenue. Minus any Stripe credit card fees (typically 2.9% + .30¢).
Panic handles distribution, credit card processing and fraud prevention, returns, and builds, plus hosts the web page for your title.
You handle support, bug fixes, and updates, as needed.
You can also post automatic software updates of your title.
It’s non-exclusive — you can also distribute your title anywhere else!

Ready to Submit?

The process to submit is simple:

We will ask for some basic information from you such as name, email, and location.
You will tell us a little bit about your game.
Then we will just need screenshots of the game and the game file as a zipped pdx.

One of a handful of people at Panic will review your submission and it may take between 1-3 weeks.

Note: We use Stripe Connect to automatically pay developer royalties. That means that we can currently support any country that Stripe Connect supports. If your country is not listed, we recommend you check out Stripe Atlas, which allows you to set up a US-based company for just $500, allowing us to easily pay you. If you have any questions, drop us a line!