ScopeLockr

Lock your game project scope airtight—end scope creep with auto change orders.

Score: 8.1/10ERMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Gaming freelancers endure scope creep from clients demanding extra work without compensation, causing unpaid overtime and burned-out portfolios.

Solution

ScopeLockr lets freelancers define project scopes via simple templates tailored for game devs, automatically generating paid change order requests when clients ask for extras. It tracks approvals and integrates payments, ensuring no unpaid overtime. Burnout ends as every addition is scoped, quoted, and compensated upfront.

Target Audience

Freelance game developers, artists, and designers working on client projects in the gaming industry

Differentiator

Gaming-specific scope templates with AI-suggested pricing for common extras like 'add boss level' or 'revise shaders'.

Brand Voice

supportive

Features

Scope Builder

must-have20h

Drag-and-drop editor for creating detailed project scopes with game asset checklists.

Change Order Generator

must-have25h

AI detects scope creep in client messages and auto-generates payable change orders.

Client Portal

must-have18h

Shareable link for clients to view scope, approve changes, and pay via Stripe.

Payment Integration

must-have15h

Stripe links for milestone payments tied to scope approvals.

Activity Log

must-have12h

Audit trail of all changes, requests, and approvals for dispute-proof records.

Template Library

must-have10h

Pre-built scopes for 2D/3D games, UI, animations, etc.

Email Notifications

nice-to-have8h

Auto-send scope updates and change requests to clients.

Export to PDF

nice-to-have6h

Generate professional contracts as PDFs.

Mobile App View

nice-to-have10h

Responsive client portal for quick approvals on phone.

Analytics Dashboard

future15h

Track time saved and revenue from change orders.

Total Build Time: 139 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
roletextNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • one-to-many with projects

projects

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
nametextNo
scope_jsonjsonbNo
statustextNo

Relationships:

  • foreign key to users.id
  • one-to-many with change_orders

change_orders

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
project_iduuidNo
descriptiontextNo
priceintNo
statustextNo
approved_attimestampYes

Relationships:

  • foreign key to projects.id

API Endpoints

POST
/api/projects

Create new project scope

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/projects/:id

Fetch project details

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/change-orders

Generate and send change order

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/stripe/create-session

Create payment session for change order

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/public/project/:token

Client view of project portal

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui + React Hook Form
Backend
Next.js API routes + Zod
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Resend (emails)OpenAI API (AI detection)

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core auth and DB setup

40h
  • User signup/login
  • Basic DB schema

Week 2: Scope builder UI

45h
  • Drag-drop editor
  • Template library

Week 3: Change order logic

50h
  • AI detector
  • Generator

Week 4: Client portal and payments

45h
  • Public views
  • Stripe integration

Week 5: Notifications and logs

35h
  • Emails
  • Activity feed

Week 6: Polish, testing, deploy

30h
  • Mobile responsive
  • Landing page
Total Timeline: 6 weeks • 255 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No change orders

  • 1 project
  • Basic templates
  • Email support

Pro

$25/mo
  • Unlimited projects
  • AI change orders
  • Stripe payments
  • PDF exports

Team

$99/mo

Up to 5 users

  • All Pro + Multi-user
  • Advanced analytics
  • Priority support

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11502%$75$900
Month 61,2004%$1,200$14,400

Unit Economics

$25
CAC
$450
LTV
5%
Churn
92%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 18.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Stop Scope Creep—Get Paid for Every Pixel

Tailored for game freelancers: Auto-lock scopes and charge for changes effortlessly.

Feature Highlights

AI-powered change detection
Game-specific templates
Client approval portals
Seamless Stripe payments
Dispute-proof logs

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Saved me 20 hours/week on unpaid revisions!' — Indie Game Artist"
"'Clients finally respect my scope.' — Unity Freelancer"

First Three Customers

Post detailed case study on r/gamedev and r/gameDevClassifieds offering free Pro access for feedback. DM 10 active freelance posters on Twitter/X searching 'hiring game artist scope creep'. Join Indie Game Discord servers and share beta invites.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/gamedevr/gameDevClassifiedsIndieHackersTwitter #gamedev

SEO Keywords

scope creep game devfreelance game contract templateprotect game project scopegame artist change order tool

Competitive Analysis

HelloSign

hellosign.com
Free tier / $15/mo
Strength

Easy e-signatures

Weakness

No scope tracking or gaming templates

Our Advantage

Built-in AI change orders and game-specific scopes

10-20% fees
Strength

Client matching

Weakness

Poor scope enforcement tools

Our Advantage

Standalone freelancer-first scope protection

🏰 Moat Strategy

Proprietary dataset of gaming scope creep patterns for improving AI accuracy over time.

⏰ Why Now?

Boom in indie gaming post-mobile success, more freelancers facing client demands without protections amid economic pressures.

Risks & Mitigation

marketmedium severity

Low awareness of scope creep tools

Mitigation

Targeted outreach to freelance communities

technicallow severity

AI accuracy issues

Mitigation

Start with rule-based + fine-tune OpenAI

executionmedium severity

Slow user adoption

Mitigation

Free tier + viral client invites

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Survey 50 game freelancers on Reddit

Success: 60% express interest

mvp14 days

Beta test with 10 users

Success: 80% retention week 2

launch3 days

PH launch >200 upvotes

Success: 50 signups day 1

Pivot Options

  • General freelance contract tool
  • Game asset escrow service
  • Client-side project tracker

Quick Stats

Build Time
255h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$2,000
Market Size
$500.0M
Features
10
Database Tables
3
API Endpoints
5