Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Units to break even
38,214
Total project budget
$615,000
Monthly burn rate
$34,167
Net revenue per copy
$16.09
Labor cost
$510,000
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How to use this
- 1Enter team size.
- 2Enter average annual cost per person ($).
- 3Enter development months.
- 4Enter tools, art, audio, contractors ($).
- 5Enter marketing budget ($).
- 6Enter launch price ($).
- 7Enter storefront cut (%).
- 8Enter refund rate (%).
- 9Read your units to break even on the right — it updates as you type.
- 10Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Price a project from team size, salaries, and timeline, add tooling and marketing, then find how many copies must sell at your price after storefront cuts to recoup it.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Team size: 4
- Average annual cost per person: 85000 $
- Development months: 18
- Tools, art, audio, contractors: 60000 $
- Marketing budget: 45000 $
- Launch price: 24.99 $
- Storefront cut: 30 %
- Refund rate: 8 %
Results
- Units to break even: 38,214
- Total project budget: $615,000
- Monthly burn rate: $34,167
- Net revenue per copy: $16.09
- Labor cost: $510,000
What each field means
Inputs
- Team size
- The team size used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load.
- Average annual cost per person ($)
- The average annual cost per person used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 85000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Development months
- The development months used in the calculation. Starts at 18 so you have a working example on load.
- Tools, art, audio, contractors ($)
- The tools, art, audio, contractors used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 60000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Marketing budget ($)
- The marketing budget used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Launch price ($)
- The launch price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 24.99 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Storefront cut (%)
- The storefront cut used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
- Refund rate (%)
- The refund rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30 %.
Results
- Units to break even
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total project budget
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly burn rate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net revenue per copy
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Labor cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is the break-even count so high?
Because a $25 game nets roughly $16 after the store cut and refunds. Budgets scale linearly, sales rarely do.
Should I include my own salary?
Yes. Solo devs who exclude their time convince themselves a project was profitable when it paid less than minimum wage.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Indie Game Development Budget Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/game-dev-budget
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/game-dev-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indie Game Development Budget Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Indie Game Development Budget Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/game-dev-budget) (2026).