Indie game developers

Playtest feedback and bugs go into two-week cycles, and your code lives in Git. Players buy Steam keys from your shop and read the devlog.

A solo developer works in Personal. A small studio works in one Magpie team.

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Tidewater Games’ Cycle 12 in Issues, a two-week cycle with its completed, in-progress and remaining counts, then the Lanternfall and playtest issues still to do and in progress, each with its ID and project.

This combination of six Magpie areas fits an indie game developer.

Issues
Issues tracks bugs and playtest feedback, planned in cycles.
Git Repositories
Git Repositories hosts your game's code.
Store
Store sells your game's Steam keys and downloads from a shop of your own.
Supporters
Supporters lets players support the game every month.
Newsletter
Newsletter sends your devlog to everyone who signed up.
Social Media
Social Media schedules each update's posts.

Bugs and playtest feedback go into two-week cycles.

Issues tracks the game's bugs and features, with IDs such as LNF-212, priorities and labels. A project can hold the playtest feedback apart from the game's own work.

A cycle plans one or two weeks of issues. It shows what is done, in progress and still to do. A public bug form takes reports from players, into Triage.

Cycles and projects in Issues

Your game's code lives in a private Git repository.

Git Repositories hosts the code, private to you or your studio. You clone and push over HTTPS with an access token.

The repository's page shows the files and the commits. A team member who can only view can clone and pull, but not push.

Clone and push in Git Repositories

Players buy Steam keys from your own shop.

Store sells your game from a shop of your own. You add the Steam keys you already have. Each sale gives the player one, on the order page and in the email.

Each edition, such as the soundtrack edition, has its own keys. A soundtrack can also sell as a download. Buyers pay into your own Stripe account, with no Magpie fee.

Digital products in Store

Steam keys for Lanternfall in Tidewater Games’ Store: the standard game, the soundtrack edition and a two-copy pack, each with how many unused keys are left and how many have been given to buyers.

Players can support the game every month, and see new levels first.

Supporters gives the game a public page with a free tier and monthly paid tiers. Supporters pay by card, into your own Stripe account.

A post can show a new level's art to paying supporters only. A poll lets them vote on what you build next.

Posts in Supporters

Tidewater Games’ supporters page for Lanternfall: a free tier and three monthly tiers with their prices, benefits and supporter counts.

Your devlog goes to everyone who signed up.

Newsletter keeps your mailing list, with double opt-in on its sign-up page. Checkout can ask buyers to join.

You write each devlog in Markdown, send yourself a test and schedule it. A sent devlog has its own web page too.

Writing and sending in Newsletter

Tidewater Games’ devlog newsletter in the composer: its subject, preview text and Markdown text about update 1.2, the lake level and the next playtest.

Each update gets its posts, with screenshots in each account's shape.

Social Media posts to Bluesky, Mastodon and LinkedIn at their time. For Instagram and X, Magpie reminds you and opens the post filled in.

Each account gets your screenshot in its own shape, around the part you choose. A campaign holds the posts for one update.

Images in Social Media

Six more areas cover the roadmap, your site, art, players, trailers and ideas.

Kanban Boards
Kanban Boards can show players your roadmap, and take their suggestions.
Websites
Websites hosts your game's site, from its own files, at your domain.
Design Canvas
Design Canvas draws your menus and store art, with components you reuse.
Message Boards
Message Boards gives players a public forum.
Screen Recorder
Screen Recorder records gameplay from a browser tab or window, with your camera beside it.
Idea Boards
Idea Boards lays out level ideas and references on one canvas.

An update goes from a playtest to your players' inboxes.

  1. The playtest

    Players report what they found on your bug form.

  2. The cycle

    You plan the fixes into the next two weeks.

  3. The build

    You push the fixes to your repository.

  4. The early look

    Paying supporters see the new level first.

  5. The devlog

    The newsletter tells everyone what is in the update.

  6. The posts

    A campaign of posts goes out on update day.

Setting up takes four steps.

  1. Turn on cycles

    You choose a length of one or two weeks. Help: Plan issues in cycles.

  2. Push your code

    You create a private repository and push. Help: Git Repositories.

  3. Add your keys to the shop

    You add the game and paste in your Steam keys. Help: Sell digital products, files and licence keys.

  4. Connect Stripe

    You connect your Stripe account, so players can pay by card. Help: Connect Stripe to receive money.

Plans

A solo developer fits Pro, for your own work in Personal. A studio of several people fits the Team plan, with each person a member.

Magpie adds no fee to your shop's sales. Magpie's fee on supporters' payments is 3%. Stripe's processing fee is taken from each card payment. Prices are on the Pricing page.

Prices are on the Pricing page

Other developers and creators have pages of their own.

Questions indie game developers ask

Can I sell Steam keys from my own site?

Yes. You add the keys you already have to a product in your shop. Each sale gives the player one unused key, on the order page and in the email. Keys are stored encrypted.

Can each edition have its own keys?

Yes. Each option, such as the soundtrack edition, has its own keys. Its stock is its count of unused keys, so it stops selling when they run out.

Can I sell the soundtrack as a download?

Yes. A download product holds MP3, WAV or ZIP files, each up to 500 MB. Buyers download from their order page or their confirmation email.

Can playtesters report bugs?

Yes. A public bug form asks for a title, a description and an optional email. Reports go to Triage, or to a playtest project.

Can I plan work in sprints?

Yes. Cycles plan one week, two weeks or a custom length of issues. A cycle shows what is done, in progress and still to do.

Can players see what is coming next?

Yes. A Kanban board with outside access shows your roadmap to anyone with its address. On a board that takes suggestions, people signed in to Magpie can suggest cards.

Can supporters see new levels first?

Yes. A post can show art and notes to paying supporters only, or to chosen tiers. Others see its title and excerpt.

Can I send a devlog by email?

Yes. Newsletter sends each devlog to the people who signed up, with double opt-in. You can schedule it and send yourself a test first.

What does Magpie take from my sales?

Magpie adds no fee to your shop's sales. Supporters' payments carry Magpie's 3% fee. Stripe's processing fee is taken from each card payment.

Plan your next update in Magpie.

Create a Magpie account and start your first cycle.

Create account