From your idea to a finished game: working with Displacement Studios

Let's assume you have an idea for a game. You can imagine its world, its characters, or the one mechanic that would make it fun. Turning that into a complete, playable release is another job altogether. At Displacement Studios, we have worked with independent creators to bridge that gap: helping shape a concept, providing tools and creative support, and sometimes buying the game so we can finish and publish it.

We have acquired and published an astonishing number of games over the years. Our experience covers development, finishing, publishing, and, naturally, making sure a release is adequately delayed. That part is a joke; finishing a game takes time, and postponing releases is not a service we provide. 😅

Your idea, with a studio behind it

We are especially interested in working with aspiring game creators in Latin America, where we already have experience collaborating remotely. You do not need to be a fully fledged programmer with a complete production plan. Original ideas, creativity, the willingness to learn, and the effort to keep building matter. Together, a promising idea can become a workable concept.

Depending on the project, we can provide game development software, assets, sounds and music, guidance on design and scope, and help from graphic designers and sound artists or musicians. You concentrate on making the game; we help fill the gaps that would otherwise stop it. The tools and support are agreed around what the project actually needs.

Paid collaboration with a commercial goal

This is a business relationship with the aim of selling games and making a profit. We invest time and money because we see a game worth making. Creators contribute their ideas and work, and receive the payment agreed for that work or for the acquisition. Supporting someone's skill development and running a commercially sensible project can go together.

Our approach is to offer pay decently above what comparable local jobs would provide, while keeping small game projects financially sustainable. We often work with people in Latin America. As a small studio, we hope to contribute to local economies in a modest but practical way by creating paid opportunities for our collaborators in the region. You can work from home, with no office visits required. That flexibility can help you fit the project around family, studies, or another job.

Think in terms of freelance projects, often alongside other commitments, rather than assuming a full-time job: If you work part-time, whether that’s what’s available or what you can physically manage, making a game from home can be a less physically demanding way to earn extra income in whatever spare hours you feel up to working. And there’s real fun in playtesting your own game and seeing an idea come to life. Keep it casual at first. Start with a few hours a week that fit comfortably into your life and a game small enough to finish.

How an idea becomes a release

1. Idea & conceptYou bring the spark; together we define a small game.
2. Build & shareYou develop with the right tools, support, and regular progress uploads.
3. Play & refineWe test, give feedback, and repeat until the game is ready for handover.
4. Acquire & finishIf agreed, we buy the source code and publishing rights, finish and publish.

We often support a creator during development and buy the game at the end of that collaboration. That means buying the source code and the agreed publishing rights, so we can take over development and release it. An acquisition is a separate decision to make; receiving feedback or tools does not automatically mean we will buy a project.

Our past approach has often been a one-off purchase rather than an ongoing revenue share. Before paid work begins, we should be clear together about the deliverables, payment, and timing, what support is included, what rights are being transferred, and at which point, and how the original creator will be credited. If you use third-party material, keep a record of its licence, check that it allows commercial use in the game, and follow its terms. Where possible, choose material that doesn’t require attribution, or (preferred) create your own original materials.

One example: Freedom: A Time to Reckon

Freedom: A Time to Reckon on Steam grew out of our collaboration with Carlos, a developer from Venezuela. He built it in the GameGuru Classic engine and eventually handed over a functional prototype. We took over the remaining work, finished the game, and published it.

Making a game is also a chance to express yourself by bringing your imagination to life and creating something that is unmistakably yours: Carlos made himself the protagonist by naming the protagonist after himself, although the surname is different. Read into that what you like; we will leave the interpretation to you.

For more of that history, see how our catalogue expanded in 2017–2018.

Choosing a game engine

You do not have to write an engine to make a game. Start with a tool that already solves the problems. Your idea does not require you to reinvent the wheel. These ease-of-use notes are our assessment for beginners. Prices below are in U.S. dollars. Regional prices, taxes, and discounts may vary; for example in Latin America you will see drastically lower prices. Pro tip: Wait for the right time to get your regionally discounted title for an even lower price during the next Steam sale! Good things don't have to cost money, so free options are included as well.

Build GameGuru Classic from GitHub. If you know your way around C++ builds on Windows, you can download the proprietary source code and compile it with Visual Studio 2022 Community for free. Running the build also takes GameGuru's media files. The README links a separate media archive, and the developer's build guide assumes access to the Steam edition. If you just want to try the editor, the official seven-day trial is free. GitHub source and media files · Build guide · Free trial

Start with an older RPG Maker. RPG Maker XP is a cheap way to see if you enjoy making maps and setting up events before spending more on a newer edition. The XP price above is an example from a Steam key comparison. Offers change, so check the final price and whether the key activates in your country. Compare RPG Maker XP key prices.

An older edition can be enough for a good game. Check its export targets, your computer and the plugins you need before choosing. Do not assume backwards compatibility between editions: for example, MV's JavaScript plugins and VX Ace's Ruby scripts are different systems. The built-in assets get you started; optional DLC adds more, as it does in GameGuru Classic.

GameMaker tip: even GameMaker 8 was capable enough for good 2D games (even 3D but this just isn't the best engine family for it), and we still actively use GameMaker Studio 1. You do not need the latest software just to prove an idea. Those are legacy versions, i.e. Studio 1.4 support ended in 2018, but it works just fine.

Unity3D licensing. Unity Personal has a $200,000 USD limit on qualifying finances over the previous 12 months. For freelance work, the client's gross revenue or funding counts, so even a small contract can put you on a paid plan. Unity canceled its proposed per-install Runtime Fee in 2024. Editor licence terms · Runtime Fee announcement

Unity3D startup branding. Older releases such as Unity 2022 LTS required the Unity splash screen and logo on Personal. Unity 6 lets you turn them off, including on Personal. Unity 2022 LTS manual · Unity 6 splash screen policy

GDevelop detail: its free plan has cloud-build quotas. Using an account for a business or client with more than $50,000 in revenue or funding in the previous 12 months requires Pro. Check the conditions for the actual collaboration, not just your personal income.

Share progress via Git, not just screenshots

Use Git version control and push your work regularly so we can open the project, review your progress and play the latest build. This also gives you a backup away from your computer. We recommend a private repository to protect your intellectual property, with room for a public repo if you're making a demo you intend to share. When we collaborate, we'll set up a private GitHub repository for you. If you're unsure how to write a commit message, we can send you feedback through GitHub notifications. We use Conventional Commits, a standard format that makes it easy to see what changed. You can practice it in our free course and earn a certificate. Graphical Git apps let you do your day-to-day work without learning the command line, though it can help when troubleshooting.

• Commit useful steps: save the editable project and source files, with a short message explaining what changed, then push them. A local commit alone is not a remote backup.
• Make it reproducible: include the engine version, required plugins and instructions for opening, building and playing. Agree how large assets are stored; avoid generated caches and keep credentials out of the repository.
• Give us something to test: share a playable build at agreed milestones and list known problems. Screenshots and videos are helpful context, but cannot replace a testable project.
• Use feedback: we can review changes and do quality assurance (QA), report bugs and check the next version. Regular remote uploads also give the project a recovery copy if your working files are lost.

Start small, then talk to us

If you have never made a game, first make a tiny practice project for yourself: one level, one interaction and a clear ending. Learn the engine and figure out if you enjoy using it before committing to a commercial game. That exercise can stay a personal experiment.

When you are ready, contact Displacement Studios with a short description of your idea, a small prototype or example if you have one, the engine you know or want to learn, your realistic weekly availability and your payment expectations. Spanish language is welcome. Tell us what you can bring and where you need support; we can discuss whether there is a project that fits.

You bring the originality and the willingness to build. We bring experience with shaping, supporting, finishing and publishing games. The next step is a conversation about a game we can actually finish together. High five! 🙌