5 Practical Ways to Deliver Your Game to Kickstarter Backers (and the One We Recommend)

Subtitle: From Simple Emails to Professional Launchers – How Successful Developers Distribute Games in 2025

Congratulations – your Kickstarter campaign succeeded! You’ve raised funds, built a passionate community, and your game is nearly ready to launch. But here’s a common challenge that many developers overlook: how exactly will you deliver your game to hundreds or thousands of eager backers?

Picture this: it’s launch day, and instead of celebrating, you’re buried under a mountain of emails, troubleshooting file downloads, and managing endless questions about updates. To avoid this stressful scenario, let’s examine five practical ways to distribute your game smoothly and reliably—helping you choose the best solution for your unique needs.

1. Sending Game Builds via Email or Cloud Storage

While uploading your build to services like Google Drive or Dropbox and emailing links might seem simple, it quickly becomes overwhelming. You could easily find yourself manually sending hundreds of emails, managing file size restrictions, and dealing with uncontrolled sharing of links.

If your backer count is small (under 50) and updates are minimal, this might be manageable. Otherwise, it’s worth considering other solutions.

2. Leverage itch.io for Kickstarter and Patreon

Itch.io has gained popularity among indie developers because of its easy Kickstarter and Patreon integration. You can effortlessly distribute digital rewards and Steam keys, and your backers benefit from the itch.io app’s built-in update system.

But here’s the catch: your backers must create an itch.io account, which can cause friction. Additionally, branding options are limited to the itch.io ecosystem, which can be a significant drawback for developers wanting full control over their game’s presentation. If your community is familiar with itch.io and you’re comfortable with these limitations, it’s an excellent option—otherwise, it might introduce unnecessary barriers.

3. Distribute via Steam with Key Delivery

Steam is a powerhouse for game distribution, offering a robust platform to deliver your game to backers via Steam keys. You can generate keys through Steamworks, distribute them to backers, and let Valve handle updates and downloads seamlessly. It’s a trusted platform that most gamers already use, reducing friction for your community.

However, Steam comes with a 30% revenue share and requires approval through their review process, which might delay your timeline. It’s a great fit if your game is polished and you’re comfortable with the platform’s ecosystem—especially for larger campaigns aiming for a professional release.

4. Custom-Build a Launcher or Distribution System

Creating a custom launcher or distribution platform offers complete control over branding, user experience, and updates. It significantly boosts your game’s professional image and impresses your community.

Yet this approach requires significant development effort and ongoing maintenance, potentially diverting valuable resources from actual game creation. Opt for this only if your team has the technical capability and long-term commitment to maintain it.

5. Dedicated Platforms Like PatchKit (Our Recommendation)

We’ve seen many developers relieved by adopting specialized distribution platforms like PatchKit. Specifically designed for indie and mid-sized teams, PatchKit offers secure distribution, automatic updates, detailed analytics, and full branding control—all without the heavy lifting of building your own solution.

Games like Last Epoch by Eleventh Hour Games have successfully used PatchKit to manage thousands of backers smoothly and professionally, proving the scalability and reliability of the platform.

PatchKit ensures your backers have an exceptional experience from the first download.

Choose Early, Save Later: Our Final Advice

Don’t wait until launch day chaos hits. Choose your distribution method early—your backers deserve a seamless experience, and you deserve peace of mind.

Ready to simplify your Kickstarter delivery? Check out PatchKit today and see why it’s trusted by successful developers.

Still unsure or have questions? We’re here to help every step of the way—get in touch anytime!

Warm regards,
The PatchKit Team