What is PixelPicked?

What is PixelPicked?

An overview of the platform and who it is for.

PixelPicked is a curated discovery and launch platform for indie mobile games. It gives developers a place to build a pre-launch audience, run a coordinated launch campaign, and stay discoverable long after release day. It gives players a feed of human-approved games — no clones, no shovelware, no gacha traps.

Two-sided platform: PixelPicked works for both developers and players. Developers submit games and run campaigns. Players discover, follow, vote, and get notified. Everything is free for both sides. No commission. No subscriptions.

Who is it for?

• Indie mobile game developers who want real players before and on launch day.
• Solo developers or small studios without marketing budgets.
• Players tired of the App Store surfacing the same chart-climbing games.
• Communities that want to shape what gets made — not just consume it.

What it is not

• Not a publisher. PixelPicked does not own any rights to your game.
• Not an ad network. There are no sponsored placements in the feed.
• Not a storefront. You distribute your game through the App Store or Play Store.
• Not a paywall. Every feature is free, forever.

Signing up and logging in

How to create an account and access PixelPicked.

Creating an account on PixelPicked takes under a minute. You can sign up as a developer, a player, or both — your role determines which features you see by default, but you can switch at any time.

Creating an account

• Go to pixelpicked.com and click Sign up in the top navigation.
• Enter your email address and choose a password.
• Select your primary role — Developer or Player. You can change this later.
• Verify your email address using the link sent to your inbox.
• Complete your profile — add a display name and optional avatar.

Developers and players: If you are a developer who also plays indie games, select Developer as your primary role. You will still have access to all player features — the discovery feed, voting, and notifications.

Logging in

• Go to pixelpicked.com and click Log in.
• Enter your email and password.
• If you have forgotten your password, click Forgot password and follow the reset instructions sent to your email.

Check your spam folder: Verification and password reset emails sometimes land in spam. If you do not see the email within two minutes, check your spam or junk folder before requesting another.

Registering your game

How to submit your game and get a page on PixelPicked.

You can register your game at any stage of development — even if it is unfinished. You do not need a release date, a publisher, or a polished trailer. You need a game worth following.

What you will need

• Game title and short description (up to 160 characters — used in the feed).
• Long description explaining what makes your game original (up to 1,000 characters).
• At least one screenshot or piece of concept art.
• Genre tags — select up to three.
• Target platform — iOS, Android, or both.
• Optional: trailer URL (YouTube or Vimeo), estimated release window.

Submitting your game

• Log in and go to your developer dashboard.
• Click Register a game.
• Fill in the game title, short description, and long description.
• Upload at least one screenshot. You can add up to eight.
• Add a trailer URL if you have one.
• Select up to three genre tags and your target platform.
• Click Submit for review.

After you submit: A member of the PixelPicked team will review your game within 1–2 days. You will receive an email with the outcome. If approved, your game page goes live immediately. If not approved, you will receive specific feedback and can resubmit.

What gets rejected

• Direct clones of existing games with no original mechanics or narrative.
• Shovelware — low-effort submissions with no apparent design intent.
• Games that are primarily gacha loops, slot machines, or aggressive monetisation disguised as gameplay.
• Submissions with placeholder content — 'Game title here' descriptions will not pass.

Rejection is not permanent: If your game is rejected, you can address the feedback and resubmit. The review team will tell you exactly what needs to change. Most rejections are about the submission quality, not the game itself.

Building your audience

How to use devlogs and the pre-launch phase to collect followers.

The pre-launch phase is the most important part of the PixelPicked process. Most developers skip it — and most launches fail because of it. Every follower you collect before launch is someone who will show up on day one.

Posting devlogs

• Go to your game page in the developer dashboard.
• Click New devlog.
• Write a title and body. Be specific — 'Added enemy AI pathfinding' outperforms 'Working on stuff'.
• Attach screenshots, GIFs, or a short video clip.
• Click Publish. Your devlog appears on your game page and in the discovery feed.

Devlog frequency: You do not need to post every day. One devlog every 1–2 weeks is enough to keep followers engaged. Consistency matters more than frequency. Players follow games they trust will ship.

What makes a good devlog

• Show, do not tell — a screenshot or GIF is worth ten paragraphs.
• Be honest about challenges, not just wins. Players trust developers who are transparent.
• End with what is coming next. It gives followers a reason to come back.
• Keep it short. Most players read devlogs on mobile. Two paragraphs and a screenshot is enough.

Growing your follower count

• Share your PixelPicked game page on X, Reddit (r/indiegaming, r/gamedev), and Discord servers.
• Link to your devlogs individually — each one has a shareable URL.
• Ask players who leave comments to follow the game for launch notifications.
• The PixelPicked team surfaces active games in the discovery feed — regular devlogs help.

Running a beta

How to open beta access and manage testers.

PixelPicked lets players apply for beta access directly from your game page. You control who gets in and how many slots you open. Beta testers are players who are already interested in your game — the best kind of feedback you can get.

Opening beta access

• Go to your game page in the developer dashboard.
• Click Beta testing and toggle Open beta applications.
• Set a maximum number of testers (optional).
• Add a short note to applicants — what platform, what you need feedback on.
• Click Save. A beta badge appears on your game page and players can apply.

Managing applicants

• Go to Beta testing in your dashboard to see all applicants.
• Review each applicant — you can see their PixelPicked profile and activity.
• Click Accept or Decline. Accepted testers receive an email with your instructions.
• Add your TestFlight link or APK download in the accepted tester email template.

Do not share builds publicly: PixelPicked does not host game builds. Send your TestFlight or APK links directly to accepted testers via the dashboard email system. Do not post them in devlogs or comments.

Launching your campaign

How to set up and run your launch campaign on PixelPicked.

When you are ready to launch, PixelPicked runs a coordinated campaign for you. This includes push notifications to all your followers, trending placement on the homepage for launch week, and a broadcast across all PixelPicked social channels.

Request your campaign at least 5 days before launch: The PixelPicked team needs time to schedule your campaign. Submit your launch request at least 5 days before your intended release date. Same-day requests cannot be accommodated.

Requesting a launch campaign

• Go to your game page in the developer dashboard.
• Click Launch campaign.
• Enter your intended release date.
• Add your App Store and Google Play URLs — these must be live or scheduled before the campaign starts.
• Write a launch description (up to 300 characters) — this is what goes in the push notification.
• Submit the request. The PixelPicked team will confirm within 24 hours.

What happens on launch day

• Every follower receives a push notification with your launch description and a link to your game page.
• Your game moves to the Trending section on the PixelPicked homepage.
• PixelPicked posts your launch across X, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube.
• Your game enters the weekly community vote automatically.
• The campaign runs for 7 days from your release date.

After the campaign: Your game stays permanently in the discovery feed after the campaign ends. Post update devlogs to re-engage your community. Weekly leaderboards give every game a fresh chance to rise — even months after launch.

Joining the waitlist

How to get early access to PixelPicked as a player.

PixelPicked is currently in early access. The player feed is being rolled out gradually to maintain curation quality. Join the waitlist to be notified when your spot opens.

How to join

• Go to pixelpicked.com.
• Click Join the waitlist.
• Enter your email address.
• Select your primary interest — Discovery, Beta testing, or Both.
• Click Join. You will receive a confirmation email immediately.

Waitlist priority: Players who sign up earliest get access first. There is no referral system or paid fast-track. It is strictly first come, first served.

When you get access

• You will receive an email with a link to complete your account setup.
• The link is valid for 48 hours — complete your setup before it expires.
• Once your account is set up, you have full access to the player feed, voting, and notifications.

Discovering games

How to find games in the PixelPicked feed.

The PixelPicked feed shows you human-curated indie mobile games — in development and recently launched. Every game in the feed has passed a manual review. You will never see a clone, a cash grab, or an asset-flip.

Browsing the feed

• The default feed shows all approved games sorted by recent activity — devlogs, beta openings, and launch events.
• Filter by genre using the tags at the top of the feed.
• Filter by status — In development, Beta available, or Launched.
• Use the search bar to find games by title or developer name.

Following a game

• Open any game page.
• Click Follow.
• You will receive a push notification when the game launches, and feed updates when the developer posts a devlog.
• To unfollow, open the game page and click Following.

Voting and the Weekly Pixel

How community voting works and how the newsletter is curated.

Every week, the PixelPicked community votes for the best games in the feed. The top-voted games are featured in the Weekly Pixel newsletter, sent to all subscribers every Friday. No algorithm. No sponsored placements. Just player votes.

How to vote

• Go to the Trending or New releases section.
• Click the vote button (↑) on any game you think deserves more attention.
• You get one vote per game per week. Votes reset every Monday at 00:00 UTC.
• You can remove your vote by clicking the button again.

Voting rules: Vote manipulation — coordinated campaigns, bot voting, or developers voting on their own games from multiple accounts — results in permanent removal from PixelPicked. The integrity of the vote is the whole point.

The Weekly Pixel newsletter

• Published every Friday.
• Features the top 5 community-voted games of the week.
• Includes one developer story — a longer devlog or interview.
• Subscribe from your player profile or from the homepage.
• No sponsored content. No affiliate links. No ads.

Managing notifications

How push notifications work and how to control them.

PixelPicked sends push notifications for game launches and major devlog milestones. You control exactly which notifications you receive — you can turn off any category without losing your follows.

Notification types

• Launch notifications — sent when a game you follow publishes on the App Store or Play Store.
• Devlog notifications — sent when a developer you follow posts a new update. Off by default.
• Beta notifications — sent when a game you follow opens beta applications.
• Vote results — sent every Friday with the top games of the week. Off by default.

Adjusting your preferences

• Go to your player profile.
• Click Notification settings.
• Toggle each category on or off.
• Changes take effect immediately.

Launch notifications are on by default: When you follow a game, launch notifications are always enabled. This is the core promise of PixelPicked — you will not miss a launch you have been waiting for. You can disable this per-game from the game page.

Community guidelines

What is expected of developers and players on PixelPicked.

PixelPicked is a community for people who care about indie games. The following guidelines apply to everyone — developers and players.

Expected behaviour

• Be honest. Do not misrepresent your game, your progress, or your identity.
• Be constructive. Feedback in comments and beta reports should help the developer improve the game.
• Be respectful. Personal attacks, harassment, and hate speech result in immediate account suspension.
• No spam. Do not post irrelevant links, promotional content unrelated to your game, or unsolicited DMs.

What results in removal

• Vote manipulation of any kind.
• Developers leaving fake reviews or ratings for their own game.
• Submitting a game under a false identity.
• Using PixelPicked to collect emails or personal data from players outside the platform.
• Repeated violations of community guidelines after warnings.

Reporting violations: Use the report button on any game page, devlog, or comment to flag violations. The PixelPicked team reviews all reports within 24 hours. Do not publicly call out developers or players — report privately and let the team handle it.