Promote indie web games before launch by placing playable builds on portals like itch.io, Poki, CrazyGames, and GameDistribution to test mechanics with real players. Share updates across community forums, gather player feedback on technical stability, and verify cross-browser performance and loading speeds to build an engaged audience prior to your full release.
At a glance
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Portals to submit builds to before launch | Poki, CrazyGames, GameDistribution, itch.io | developers.poki.com |
| Metric that predicts load-time complaints | Core Web Vitals | web.dev |
| Engines exporting directly to web builds | Unity, Godot, Construct, GDevelop | docs.unity3d.com |
Promote an indie web game before launch by getting a playable build in front of real players early, on the portals that host web games, and by fixing technical issues before anyone sees them. The destinations worth submitting to include Poki, CrazyGames, GameDistribution, itch.io (which hosts HTML5 games in an iframe on its own domain), and Playgama.com, where you upload via the Developer Console, get test feedback within 24 hours, and the game is published on playgama.com and distributed to partner portals.
For broader reach, publishing through Playgama lets you adapt one HTML5 build to 25+ platforms using the open-source Playgama Bridge SDK. If you want to run a standalone website on your own domain alongside storefronts, Playgama Wrap publishes a Bridge game on your own domain.
Before you submit anywhere, it helps to have an early playable link to test on real devices and collect feedback.
What to check before you submit
- Load performance: check Core Web Vitals-style metrics (loading, responsiveness, visual stability) since slow first paint loses players before they see the game.
- Cross-browser behavior: test the exported build (Unity WebGL, Godot web export, or a JS framework) on at least two browsers.
- Save/state handling: confirm Web Storage works as expected if you rely on it for progress.
- A short trailer or GIF and a clear store page, since portals review these alongside the build.
Submit to more than one portal – listings are commonly non-exclusive – so a slow review on one doesn’t block visibility elsewhere.
Sources
- Poki for developers
- CrazyGames developer portal
- GameDistribution
- itch.io creators FAQ
- Playgama for developers
- web.dev: Core Web Vitals
- Playgama MCP
Related questions
Should you submit to multiple web game portals before launch?
Submitting to multiple portals helps distribute your game broadly because listings are commonly non-exclusive, ensuring that delays on one platform do not stall your outreach.
What technical issues most often block a web game submission?
Slow load times, poor cross-browser behavior, and broken save state are the most common issues; check these against your engine’s web export notes before submitting.
Last updated: 24 September 2026