ProtoPitchHub

Connect indie game devs with paying clients instantly via vetted prototype showcases.

Score: 7.8/10IndiaMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Indie game freelancers waste time on endless pitching to find reliable paying clients for prototypes, facing low conversion rates.

Solution

Freelance indie game developers upload polished prototype demos to a curated marketplace where pre-qualified clients browse and commission directly. The platform handles matching, payments, and contracts, eliminating endless pitching. Devs get reliable gigs while clients access ready-to-hire talent fast.

Target Audience

Freelance indie game developers pitching prototypes to potential clients

Differentiator

Exclusive vetting of both devs (portfolio review) and clients (payment verification) ensures 90%+ project completion rates, unlike open marketplaces.

Brand Voice

supportive

Features

Prototype Upload

must-have8h

Devs upload video demos, screenshots, and specs for showcase.

Client Browse & Buy

must-have10h

Clients search prototypes by genre/mechanics and initiate hires with one-click proposals.

Vetting Dashboard

must-have12h

Admin/dev tools for portfolio and client payment verification.

Secure Payments

must-have6h

Escrow-style payments released on milestones.

Project Chat

must-have8h

In-app messaging for dev-client communication.

Analytics Dashboard

nice-to-have6h

View pitch views, hires, and earnings stats.

Genre Tags

nice-to-have4h

Advanced filtering by game genres and mechanics.

AI Matching

future12h

Suggest prototypes to clients based on past hires.

Total Build Time: 66 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
roletextNo
is_vettedboolNo
created_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • one-to-many with prototypes (devs), projects (clients)

prototypes

ColumnTypeNullable
idNo
user_iduuidNo
titletextNo
demo_urltextNo
viewsintYes

Relationships:

  • foreign key to users.id

projects

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
client_iduuidNo
prototype_iduuidNo
budgetintNo
statustextNo

Relationships:

  • foreign keys to users.id (client), prototypes.id

API Endpoints

GET
/api/prototypes

List prototypes with filters

POST
/api/prototypes

Upload new prototype

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/projects

Create project proposal

🔒 Auth Required
PUT
/api/users/vetting

Update vetting status

🔒 Auth Required

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API routes
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Uploadthing for files

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core auth & DB setup

20h
  • User model
  • Auth flows
  • Prototype upload

Week 2: Marketplace UI

25h
  • Browse page
  • Detail views
  • Search filters

Week 3: Projects & payments

25h
  • Proposal flow
  • Stripe integration
  • Chat basics

Week 4: Vetting & polish

20h
  • Admin dashboard
  • Analytics
  • Testing
Total Timeline: 4 weeks • 90 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No hires, watermarked demos

  • 1 prototype
  • Basic profile

Pro

$20/mo

5 active projects/mo

  • Unlimited prototypes
  • Priority listing
  • Full hires

Studio

$49/mo

Unlimited

  • All Pro
  • Team accounts
  • Custom branding

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 11005%$100$1,200
Month 66008%$960$11,520

Unit Economics

$8
CAC
$240
LTV
5%
Churn
92%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 30.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Land Paying Game Clients Without Pitching

Showcase your prototypes to vetted clients who are ready to hire.

Feature Highlights

Vetted clients only
Escrow payments
Instant proposals
Genre matching
Earnings dashboard

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Closed my first $5k gig in a week!' - Alex, Indie Dev"
"'Finally reliable talent.' - Studio Lead"

First Three Customers

Post in r/gamedev and IndieHackers with a free beta invite; DM 10 active freelance devs from Twitter game jams; offer lifetime Pro for feedback.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/gamedevIndieHackersTwitter #gamedev

SEO Keywords

indie game prototype freelancehire game dev prototypegame prototype marketplace

Competitive Analysis

Fee-based
Strength

Large pool

Weakness

Low conversion, spam pitches

Our Advantage

Game-specific, vetted, prototype-focused

🏰 Moat Strategy

Network effects from vetted dev-client pairs creating exclusive matches.

⏰ Why Now?

Boom in mobile/web games post-2023, more studios outsourcing prototypes amid Unity layoffs.

Risks & Mitigation

marketmedium severity

Low dev adoption

Mitigation

Free tier + game jam partnerships

executionlow severity

Vetting backlog

Mitigation

AI pre-screening

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Interview 20 devs on Discord

Success: 80% confirm pain

mvp30 days

Beta with 50 users

Success: 3 paid hires

Pivot Options

  • General freelance marketplace
  • Client-only job board

Quick Stats

Build Time
90h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$1,000
Market Size
$500.0M
Features
8
Database Tables
3
API Endpoints
4