The Official Game Dev Classification Guide

Classifying the Different Sizes of Game Development Companies

Solo Game Developers
Individual creators working nights and weekends, just left an AAA studio, passion projects or limited in scope.
Indie Game Studios
A small group working together on a shared vision, high drive, passionate.
Mid-Sized Game Studios
Higher velocity, multiple teams, increased production value, budget and scope.
AAA Game Studios
Significant budget, multiple projects, standardized workflows, a high bar of expected quality.
High Level
Team Size
1 Team Size
2-50 Team Size
51-250 Team Size
251-1000+ Team Size
Game Budget
$0 - $1,000 Game Budget
$1k - $25k Game Budget
$25k - $500k Game Budget
$500k - $1m+ Game Budget
Development Cycle
3 mo - 10 years Development Cycle
6 mo - 5 years Development Cycle
2 - 3 years Development Cycle
2 - 5 years Development Cycle
Platforms
Itch.io, Steam, mobile app storesPlatforms
+ Nintendo Platforms
+ PlayStation, XBox Platforms
All Platforms* Platforms
Game Content (hrs)
1 - 3+ Game Content
2 - 4+ Game Content
5 - 10+ Game Content
10 - 100's+ Game Content
Dig Deeper
Game Engine
Godot, Unity, Unreal EngineGame Engine
Godot, Unity, Unreal EngineGame Engine
Unity, Unreal EngineGame Engine
Unreal Engine, Custom (Frostbite)Game Engine
Source Control
None, NAS Source Control
Git, UVC, SVN, Perforce Source Control
Git, UVC, SVN, Perforce Source Control
Custom, Perforce Source Control
Cloud Use
None, Digital OceanCloud Use
AWS, Azure, GCP, DOCloud Use
AWS, Azure, on-premiseCloud Use
AWS, Azure, on-premiseCloud Use
Task Management
Whatever's Free Task Management
Asana, Monday, TrelloTask Management
+ Jira, HansoftTask Management
Jira, Hansoft, CustomTask Management
Team Collaboration
Discord Team Collaboration
+ SlackTeam Collaboration
+ MS TeamsTeam Collaboration
AllTeam Collaboration
Build System
"Bash Scripts" Build System
+ Azure DevOps, JenkinsBuild System
+ Incredibuild, TeamCityBuild System
+ CustomBuild System
Current Projects
1 Current Projects
1, maybe 2Current Projects
2 - 3+Current Projects
3+Current Projects
Team Makeup
IT Admin
1 IT Admin
1IT Admin
2 - 5IT Admin
5+IT Admin
Release Engineer
1 Release Engineer
1Release Engineer
1 - 3Release Engineer
3+Release Engineer
Teams
None Teams
Artists, Developers Teams
+ Concept Artists, Gameplay Designers, Testers Teams
+ Game Engine Developers, Automation Engineers, etc. Teams
Note: These are generalizations, there are outliers. See the FAQ below for more details.
Let's dive into some examples...

Solo Game Developers

Individual creators managing all aspects of game development. Known for their personal and unique game experiences.

🔍 Solo Spotlight 🔍

Stardew Valley - Eric Barone (ConcernedApe)

"Stardew Valley," a farm life simulation game developed solo by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, was released in February 2016, offering an open-ended experience where players manage a farm, engage with townspeople, and explore various activities. Over four and a half years, Barone developed the game inspired by the Story of Seasons series. Celebrated as one of the greatest video games, "Stardew Valley" has been praised for its engaging gameplay, character depth, and soothing qualities, achieving commercial success with over 20 million copies sold by 2022.
Feature
Let's dive into some examples...

Indie Game Studios

Small teams creating innovative and creative games, often with limited budgets.

🔍 Indie Spotlight 🔍

Hollow Knight - Team Cherry

"Hollow Knight," a Metroidvania game by Team Cherry released in 2017, immerses players in the fallen kingdom of Hallownest, encouraging exploration and combat against a backdrop of a supernatural disease. Originating from a 2013 game jam concept and later funded via Kickstarter, the game drew inspiration from classic titles, leading to its success on multiple platforms, supported post-launch with four free expansions. Praised for its intricate design, atmosphere, and challenging gameplay, "Hollow Knight" sold 2.8 million copies by February 2019, with a sequel, "Hollow Knight: Silksong," under development.
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Let's dive into some examples...

Mid-Sized Game Studios

Studios with a substantial team size and budget, producing games with higher production values.

* These games were successes, which typically pull the studio into AAA territory (more funding available to grow).

🔍 Mid-Sized Spotlight 🔍

The Walking Dead - Tell Tale Games

"The Walking Dead," an episodic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games, is set in the same universe as the comic book series, focusing on character development and player-driven story choices rather than puzzle-solving. Released in five episodes between April and November 2012 across multiple platforms, the game explores the story of Lee Everett, a convicted criminal, who becomes a guardian to a young girl named Clementine amidst the zombie apocalypse. Critically acclaimed for its emotional narrative and the dynamic between Lee and Clementine, the game won numerous Game of the Year awards, significantly contributed to the revival of the adventure game genre, and expanded into multiple seasons and a spin-off.
Feature
Let's dive into some examples...

AAA Game Studios

Large studios with significant budgets, large teams, and high-end production capabilities.

🔍 AAA Spotlight 🔍

Fortnite - Epic Games

"Fortnite," developed by Epic Games and launched in 2017, encompasses six game modes, including the highly successful Fortnite Battle Royale, which quickly became a cultural phenomenon, attracting over 125 million players in under a year. The game, built on a common engine and gameplay, offers varied experiences from a cooperative survival game (Save the World) to a creative mode allowing total freedom in world-building, alongside newer additions like Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, and Fortnite Festival. By December 2019, Fortnite had amassed $9 billion in gross revenue, highlighting its massive success across multiple platforms, including the latest ninth-generation consoles.
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FAQs

Why did you create this site?

I've talked, helped and collaborated with game companies of all shapes and sizes. There is no one size fits all product, workflow or solution for each sized company. Though after a time, patterns emerge. This site is to help define what "AAA" actually means, and why there isn't an "A", or "AA" concept like in baseball.

How did you come up with these categories

There are multiple ways to categorize teams, some do by budget or team size. I believe there are games/studios that can be in multiple categories (lookup Dave the Diver). This is to finally put a stake in the ground and create the categorization.

Are you willing to change these categories?

Absolutely! I'm happy to be corrected and update. Though it can't just be by just one email or chat. Data driven is the goal.

Is this wrong?

Maybe! But your feedback is helpful to make it correct. Please let me know where I'm right and wrong. Data is helpful 🙂.

Those numbers don't look right...

The might be, but this is a generalization classification. There are solo developers who raise millions on Kickstarter. Alternatively, AAA studios may deliver small games to test an innovative feature, or complete an IP licensing contract.

An "AAAA" game?

Nope, sorry, there is no AAAA game Yves, even though you said it.

What is "Bash Scripts"?

Usually this is the minimum amount of code scripting to get a game to build. For example, this would be editing or wrapping "RunBuild.bat" for an Unreal Engine game.

What do you mean by "All Platforms*"?

Certain AAA games are released onto one platform, called an "Exclusive". Examples would be Spiderman for PS5 or Halo for XBox.

What is an IT Admin?

An IT Admin is someone who sets up emails, manages the website, buys desktops, writes scripts, deploys servers, ensures source control runs smoothly, and employees have access to the tools to build a great game.

What is a Release Engineer?

As the company grows, a Release Engineer helps ensure the code is merged correctly, the game builds successfully, tests pass and everyone can access testable builds.

What is a Game Engine Developer?

A Game Engine Developer is someone who works on plugins or updates/changes/improves the game engine the team is using. For instance, the Unreal Engine source code is available to edit, so teams will improve the engine, adding a new functionality to their game. When that happens, it's best to distribute updates to team members using Unreal Game Sync (UGS).