How does an indie game get funded?
Through a small number of routes, each with different costs in money, control and time — and the choice shapes the game as much as the design does.
Self-funding. Savings, a day job, or a previous game's revenue. Complete creative control, no obligations, and the slowest route — most games funded this way take far longer than planned and many are abandoned because the money runs out before the game does.
Publisher funding. An advance against future royalties, frequently paid in milestone instalments. The publisher typically handles marketing, porting, localisation, age ratings and platform relations, which is genuinely valuable. In exchange they take a share of revenue and usually some approval rights. The critical terms are recoupment — you see no royalties until the advance is repaid from your share — and IP ownership, which you should not give away.
Platform funding. Console holders and storefronts fund games in exchange for timed exclusivity or promotional commitments. Frequently the best terms available and it narrows your launch audience.
Grants and public funding, which exist in several countries for cultural or regional development. Non-dilutive and slow, with paperwork.
Crowdfunding. Money plus, more importantly, proof of demand — which is why it is used as a signal to publishers as much as a funding route. It creates real obligations to backers and a public failure mode.
Early access. Selling an unfinished game to fund completion. It provides revenue and feedback, and it spends your launch — you only get one first impression, and a rough early version can define the game's reputation permanently.
Investment, which is rare for single games because the risk profile suits studios rather than projects.
What actually determines success in raising money: a playable vertical slice rather than a document; evidence of demand, such as wishlists; a team that has shipped before; and a clear, small scope. The commonest reason for rejection is not quality — it is scope that plainly cannot be delivered with the money requested.