Resource Library

Game Engine & Core Tech
AI Coding Assistants
Agentic AI Frameworks
3D Asset Generation
Animation & Motion Capture
Netcode & Multiplayer
Analytics & Telemetry
Grants & Non-Dilutive Funding
Business Formation & Banking
Business Credit Building
Funding & Investor Resources
Marketing & Distribution
Fighting Game Community (FGC)
Subreddits & Online Communities
Books
Market Intelligence

1. Game Engine & Core Tech

Unreal Engine 5 (Primary Engine)

Resource	URL	Notes
UE5 Official Docs	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/	Start here
UE5 C++ Quick Start	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/unreal-engine-cpp-quick-start	First C++ class tutorial
Epic C++ Coding Standard	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/epic-cplusplus-coding-standard-for-unreal-engine	Follow this for all C++

Gameplay Ability System (GAS)

GAS is the framework we use for all abilities, stats, and combat effects. Epic uses it internally (Fortnite, Paragon).

Resource	URL	Notes
Official GAS Docs	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/gameplay-ability-system-for-unreal-engine	Start here
Understanding GAS	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/understanding-the-unreal-engine-gameplay-ability-system	Concepts overview
GAS Community Docs (tranek)	https://github.com/tranek/GASDocumentation	5.6k stars. THE definitive community reference. Read this cover-to-cover.
GASShooter (tranek)	https://github.com/tranek/GASShooter	Advanced GAS techniques in an FPS/TPS sample
Your First 60 Minutes with GAS	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/8Xn9/unreal-engine-epic-for-indies-your-first-60-minutes-with-gameplay-ability-system	Official hands-on tutorial
GAS Best Practices for Setup	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/DPpd/unreal-engine-gameplay-ability-system-best-practices-for-setup	Architecture guide
Getting Started with GAS (5.4)	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/z0Rx/getting-started-with-the-gameplay-ability-system-gas-in-unreal-engine-5-4	Community tutorial
Getting Started with GAS (5.6)	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/community-tutorial-getting-started-with-the-gameplay-ability-system-gas-in-unreal-engine-5-6/2601960	Latest version
Vorixo: The Truth of GAS	https://vorixo.github.io/devtricks/gas/	Advanced deep-dive
Laura’s Simple GAS Tutorial	https://landelare.github.io/2024/01/15/simple-gas-tutorial.html	Beginner-friendly
Udemy: UE5 GAS Crash Course	https://www.udemy.com/course/ue5-gas-crash-course/	Paid course (comprehensive)
Udemy: UE5 GAS Top Down RPG	https://www.udemy.com/course/unreal-engine-5-gas-top-down-rpg/	Build full RPG with GAS

UE5 Python Editor Scripting

The Python plugin is how our agents automate the editor. Must be enabled in every project.

Resource	URL	Notes
Official Python Scripting Docs	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/scripting-the-unreal-editor-using-python	How to enable + API reference
Ryan DowlingSoka’s Python Tips	https://ryandowlingsoka.com/unreal/python-in-unreal/	Best community resource for practical tips
Epic’s Python Scripting Course	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/course-utilizing-python-for-editor-scripting-in-unreal-engine/575772	Official course
Udemy: Python for UE Editor Tools	https://www.udemy.com/course/ue4python/	Paid course
UnrealEditorPythonScripts (GitHub)	https://github.com/mamoniem/UnrealEditorPythonScripts	Collection of example scripts
Python Script Editor Plugin	https://minimalefforttech.github.io/UnrealPythonScriptEditor/	Enhanced editor with syntax highlighting
Unreal Script Editor (hannesdelbeke)	https://github.com/hannesdelbeke/unreal-script-editor	Maya-style Python editor for UE
Forum: Python Scripting Feedback	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/python-scripting-feedback-thread/111642	Community discussion
Forum: Python Automation Ideas	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/what-did-you-automate-with-python-scripts/119222	Real use cases

How to Enable:

Open your UE5 Project -> Edit > Plugins
Navigate to the Scripting section
Check Python Editor Script Plugin -> Enable
Restart the editor

UE5 Learning Agents (Reinforcement Learning)

Epic’s built-in ML plugin for training AI bots. We use this for automated balance testing.

Resource	URL	Notes
Learning Agents Intro (5.3)	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/8OWY/unreal-engine-learning-agents-introduction-5-3	Official introduction
Learning Agents Course (5.4)	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/courses/kRm/unreal-engine-learning-agents-5-4/owjW/unreal-engine-learning-to-drive-5-4	”Learning to Drive” tutorial
Learning Agents Course (5.5)	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/course-learning-agents-5-5/2123144	Updated for 5.5
Hugging Face Deep RL Course	https://huggingface.co/learn/deep-rl-course/en/unitbonus3/learning-agents	Excellent third-party walkthrough
Learning Environment (GitHub)	https://github.com/XanderBert/Unreal-Engine-Learning-Agents-Learning-Environment	Project files + writeup
80.lv: UE5.3 ML Plugin	https://80.lv/articles/unreal-engine-5-3-s-new-plug-in-lets-you-train-npcs-via-machine-learning	Overview article
GDC 2024 Talks and Demos	https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/paths/Zj3/unreal-engine-fortnite-state-of-unreal-gdc-2024-talks-and-demos	Check for Learning Agents presentations

How to Enable: Edit > Plugins > Learning Agents -> Enable, add LearningAgents to your module’s DependencyModuleNames.

RL for Fighting Game Balance (Research)

Resource	URL	Notes
Deep RL for Fighting Games (IEEE)	https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9231639	Academic: “Mastering Fighting Game Using Deep RL”
DareFightingICE AI Competition	https://www.ice.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp/~ftgaic/index-4.html	AI fighting game competition
arXiv: Level Balancing with RL	https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.24099	March 2025 — extends RL to game balancing
Stable-Baselines3	https://github.com/DLR-RM/stable-baselines3	Python RL library (PPO, SAC, etc.)

2. AI Coding Assistants

CodeGPT

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.codegpt.co/
VS Code Extension	https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=DanielSanMedium.dscodegpt
UE5 Agent	https://www.codegpt.co/agents/unreal-engine-v5
C++ Agent	https://www.codegpt.co/agents/c-plus-plus
Free Tier	30 interactions/month, 200 code completions/month
Paid	Starting at ~$7.20/month
BYOK	Yes — bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc. API keys

Why CodeGPT for UE5: Dedicated Unreal Engine agent understands GAS, Game Modes, Pawns, Controllers, Blueprint patterns, Nanite, Lumen, Chaos Physics, Niagara VFX, and MetaHuman. Generic tools miss UE5-specific macros.

GitHub Copilot

Detail	Info
Website	https://github.com/features/copilot
Plans	https://github.com/features/copilot/plans
Free Tier	2,000 inline suggestions/month + 50 premium requests/month
Copilot Pro	$10/month or $100/year (unlimited completions, 300 premium requests)
Copilot Pro+	$39/month (1,500 premium requests)
GDC 2025 Talk	https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/accelerating-your-inner-loop-with-visual-studio-and-github-copilot-presented-by-microsoft/911778
UnrealCopilot (UE5 Plugin)	https://github.com/atgoldberg/UnrealCopilot — integrates GitHub models directly into UE5 Editor

Cursor IDE

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.cursor.com/
Free Tier	Limited Tab and Agent usage
Pro	$20/month (unlimited Tab, $20 credit pool for premium models)
Ultra	$200/month (~20x Pro usage)
Key Feature	Multi-file editing (Composer mode), codebase indexing, Agent mode

Comparison

Feature	CodeGPT	GitHub Copilot	Cursor
Type	VS Code Extension	VS Code Extension	Standalone IDE (VS Code fork)
UE5-specific agent	Yes	Via UnrealCopilot plugin	No (general purpose)
Multi-file edits	Limited	Limited	Yes (Composer mode)
Codebase indexing	No	No	Yes (semantic search)
BYOK	Yes	No	Yes
Free tier	30 interactions/mo	2,000 suggestions/mo	Limited
Pro price	~$7.20/mo	$10/mo	$20/mo

Recommendation: Start with GitHub Copilot Free + CodeGPT Free (BYOK with Claude API key). Upgrade to Cursor Pro once the codebase grows large enough to need multi-file refactoring.

3. Agentic AI Frameworks

LangChain / LangGraph

The framework we’ll use to build our custom agent pipelines (Move Generation Agent, Balance Bot, etc.).

Resource	URL	Notes
LangChain Website	https://www.langchain.com/	MIT-licensed, free forever
LangChain Open Source	https://www.langchain.com/langchain	The core framework
LangGraph	https://www.langchain.com/langgraph	Stateful agent workflows as graphs
LangGraph GitHub	https://github.com/langchain-ai/langgraph	Source code
Documentation	https://docs.langchain.com/	Full docs
Agents Docs	https://docs.langchain.com/oss/python/langchain/agents	Building agents
LangChain Academy	https://academy.langchain.com/courses/intro-to-langgraph	Free course on LangGraph
Deep Agents	https://github.com/langchain-ai/deepagents	Agent harness with planning + subagents
Pricing	https://www.langchain.com/pricing	Open source = free. Hosted platform: free up to 100k nodes/month

Claude API (for Move Generation Agent)

Resource	URL	Notes
Claude API Docs	https://platform.claude.com/docs/	Full API documentation
Structured Outputs	https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/structured-outputs	Guaranteed JSON schema compliance
Agent SDK	https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/structured-outputs	Building agents with structured output
Pricing	~$3-15/1M tokens depending on model	Sonnet recommended for generation tasks

Inworld AI (AI NPCs)

Resource	URL	Notes
Website	https://inworld.ai/	AI-powered NPCs with personality, memory, emotion
GDC 2025 Recap	https://inworld.ai/blog/gdc-2025	Production AI for games — 200ms response times
UE5 Integration	Built-in plugin	Integrates via Unity, UE5, and WebSDK

Industry References

Resource	URL	Notes
Google Cloud: 90% of Game Devs Using AI	https://www.googlecloudpresscorner.com/2025-08-18-90-of-Games-Developers-Already-Using-AI-in-Workflows,-According-to-New-Google-Cloud-Research	Industry validation
Databricks: Agentic AI in Games	https://www.databricks.com/blog/leveraging-agentic-ai-games	Case studies
EPAM: Gaming & Agentic AI (Devcom 2025)	https://www.epam.com/insights/blogs/gaming-in-the-era-of-agentic-ai-insights-from-epam-s-devcom-2025-panel	Panel discussion

4. 3D Asset Generation

Tripo AI (Best for Characters)

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.tripo3d.ai/
Studio	https://studio.tripo3d.ai/home
API	https://www.tripo3d.ai/api
Pricing	https://www.tripo3d.ai/pricing
Free Tier	300 credits/month, 1 concurrent task, public models (CC BY 4.0)
UE5 Plugin	Yes, native
Auto-Rig Guide	https://www.tripo3d.ai/content/en/guide/the-best-unreal-engine-auto-rig-plugin-tools
Best For	Character generation — prioritizes quad topology (critical for animation)

Meshy (Best for Props & Stages)

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.meshy.ai/
API	https://www.meshy.ai/api
Pricing	https://www.meshy.ai/pricing
Free Tier	200 credits/month (~4-5 models)
Pro	$20/month, 1,000 credits, 10 concurrent tasks
UE5 Plugin	Yes, native
Unique Feature	Text-to-Texture: apply AI textures to existing models
Best For	Stage props, environment assets, weapons

3D AI Studio

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.3daistudio.com/
Price	$19/month+
Tool Comparison (2026)	https://www.3daistudio.com/3d-generator-ai-comparison-alternatives-guide/best-3d-generation-tools-2026/10-ai-3d-tools-game-devs-text-to-playable-assets-2026

Asset Pipeline: Text to Playable Character

1. TEXT PROMPT -> 2. AI GENERATION -> 3. AUTO-RIG -> 4. MANUAL CLEANUP -> 5. IMPORT TO UE5 -> 6. ANIMATE
   (Describe)      (Tripo/Meshy)      (Tripo/Mixamo)  (Blender: topology,  (FBX, Python batch)  (DeepMotion/Mixamo)
                    ~20 seconds         auto-skeleton    UVs, polycount)

Non-Negotiable Cleanup Step: AI meshes come at 50k-100k+ polys. Fighting game characters need 15k-30k for performance. Always retopologize, fix UVs, verify rig weights for extreme poses (splits, uppercuts, throws), and create LODs for skeletal meshes.

5. Animation & Motion Capture

DeepMotion (Custom AI Motion Capture)

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.deepmotion.com/
Animate 3D	https://www.deepmotion.com/animate-3d
Pricing	https://www.deepmotion.com/pricing
Free Tier	60 seconds of animation/month, 2 people tracked
Starter	$9/month (annual) — 180 credits, 20s per clip
Professional	$39/month (annual) — 1,500 credits, 120s per clip
UE5 Guide	https://www.deepmotion.com/post/deepmotion-ue5-animation-retargeting-just-got-easier
MetaHuman	Direct support with “Root Joint at Origin” setting
SayMotion	Text-to-animation: type “jumping roundhouse kick” and get FBX

Workflow for Fighting Game Animations:

Record video of martial arts move (phone camera)
Upload to Animate 3D
Enable hand/face tracking for realism
Download as FBX
Import to UE5, auto-retarget to fighter skeleton
Adjust timing in Sequencer to match frame data

Mixamo (Pre-Made Animation Library)

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.mixamo.com/
Cost	Completely free — requires free Adobe ID only
Features	Auto-rigging + thousands of pre-made animations
Exports	FBX compatible with UE5, Unity, Blender
Use Case	Standard animations (walk, run, idle, basic attacks), auto-rigging uploaded models

Other Motion Capture Tools

Tool	URL	Method	Best For
RADiCAL	https://radicalmotion.com/unreal	Real-time webcam	Live preview in UE5 via Live Link
Move.ai	https://www.move.ai/	Multi-camera system	Production quality (optical-grade)
Rokoko	https://www.rokoko.com/	Sensor suit + Vision AI	Professional mocap

References

Resource	URL	Notes
TATO: Best AI Video-to-Mocap (2025)	https://tato.studio/best-ai-video-to-mocap	Tool comparison
Rokoko: Future of Motion Capture	https://www.rokoko.com/insights/the-future-of-motion-capture	Industry trends

6. Netcode & Multiplayer

GGPO (Gold Standard for Fighting Games)

Detail	Info
Website	https://www.ggpo.net/
License	MIT (free, open source)
What It Does	Rollback netcode SDK — predicts inputs, speculatively executes, rolls back on misprediction
Created By	Tony Cannon (co-founder of EVO)

UE5 Network Prediction Plugin

Resource	URL	Notes
API Docs	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/API/Plugins/NetworkPrediction	Official API reference
Mover Plugin Integration	https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/mover-in-unreal-engine	Uses Network Prediction for movement rollback
Kieran Newland: Using Network Prediction	https://www.kierannewland.co.uk/using-the-network-prediction-plugin/	Practical walkthrough
Vorixo: Networked Physics (5.4)	https://vorixo.github.io/devtricks/phys-prediction-use/	Advanced networked physics

Implementation Resources

Resource	URL	Notes
Rollback Netcode Shooter (GitHub)	https://github.com/TheFiftGuy/Rollback-Networking-Shooter	GGPO + UE5 FPS demo
SnapNet: Netcode Part 2 - Rollback	https://www.snapnet.dev/blog/netcode-architectures-part-2-rollback/	Excellent conceptual overview
SnapNet: Lag Compensation in UE5	https://www.snapnet.dev/blog/performing-lag-compensation-in-unreal-engine-5/	Practical implementation
MultiplayerNetworking.com	https://multiplayernetworking.com/	Curated list of multiplayer resources

Forum Threads

Thread	URL
How to Implement Rollback in UE5?	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-implement-rollback-netcode-on-ue5/1175132
Implementing Rollback Netcode	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/implementing-rollback-netcode/1693908
GGPO Open Source: Why No UE5 Integration?	https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/its-been-almost-a-year-since-ggpo-went-open-source-how-come-no-information-about-integration/147671
EOS + Rollback Plans?	https://eoshelp.epicgames.com/s/question/0D54z00007WaCBJCA3/

7. Analytics & Telemetry

GameAnalytics (Primary — Free)

Detail	Info
Website	https://gameanalytics.com/
UE5 Plugin (Fab)	https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/gameanalytics
UE5 SDK (GitHub)	https://github.com/GameAnalytics/GA-SDK-UNREAL
UE5 Docs	https://docs.gameanalytics.com/event-tracking-and-integrations/sdks-and-collection-api/game-engine-sdks/unreal/
Pricing	https://gameanalytics.com/pricing
Free Tier	Core features free — dashboards, LiveOps, AB testing, funnels
Indie Program	https://gameanalytics.com/pricing/indie — studios with <100K MAU

Dashboards: Real-time, Acquisition, Engagement, Monetization, Progression, Resources, Custom.

SteamDB (Market Research)

Detail	Info
Website	https://steamdb.info/
Sales History	https://steamdb.info/sales/history/
FAQ	https://steamdb.info/faq/
Primer	https://steamdb.info/blog/steamdb-simple-primer/
Browser Extension	Chrome/Edge/Firefox — overlays historical prices and player stats on Steam pages
Cost	Free

8. Grants & Non-Dilutive Funding

Epic MegaGrants

Detail	Info
URL	https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/megagrants
Status	Active (2,100+ projects funded across 102 countries)
Award	Up to $150,000 per project, non-dilutive
2026 Cycle 1	Open now, closes March 20, 2026
2026 Cycle 2	June 29 - September 4, 2026
Tip	Need a working prototype or significant progress. Apply with Vertical Slice by Month 3.
2025 Recap / 2026 Info	https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/news/epic-megagrants-2025-recap-first-submissions-are-now-open

Black Ambition Prize

Detail	Info
URL	https://blackambitionprize.com/
Apply	https://blackambitionprize.com/apply-now/
Founded By	Pharrell Williams
Award	$20,000 - $100,000 per venture. $1,000,000 total prize pool.
Eligibility	Black or Hispanic founder, tested concept/MVP, raised <$1M dilutive
2026 Timeline	Applications open February 2026 (now)
HBCU Prize	https://blackambitionprize.com/the-black-ambition-hbcu-prize/
FAQ	https://blackambitionprize.com/faqs/

NVIDIA Inception Program

Detail	Info
URL	https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/
Cost	Free. No fees, no equity, no deadlines. Rolling applications.
Benefits	DLI training credits, SDK access, hardware discounts, AWS credits ($25k-$100k), VC network access, co-marketing
Eligibility	1+ developer, working website, incorporated, <10 years old
Maintenance	Update profile every 6 months
Contact	inceptionprogram@nvidia.com
Guide	https://www.thundercompute.com/blog/nvidia-inception-program-guide
Tip	Lead with the AI angle (agentic pipeline, AI-driven animation). This is an AI startup program.

Other Grants to Research

Grant	Focus	Notes
Unreal Engine Sponsored Program	UE5 projects	Check Epic’s announcements
Meta Quest Developer Grants	VR/Quest 3 projects	For VR port
Google for Games	Cloud/AI in games	Various programs

9. Business Formation & Banking

Incorporation Services

Service	URL	Cost	Notes
Stripe Atlas	https://stripe.com/atlas	$500 one-time	C-Corp or LLC, next-day filing, EIN, equity issuance, 83(b) filing, first year registered agent
Clerky	https://www.clerky.com/	$427-$819	C-Corp only, more post-incorporation docs (fundraising, hiring templates)

Comparison: Stripe Atlas for simple all-in-one. Clerky for more legal document management. Both Delaware C-Corp.

For Amina Games (S-Corp first): File state Articles of Incorporation directly (not through Atlas/Clerky which do C-Corps). Use IRS Form 2553 for S-Corp election. Convert to Delaware C-Corp later before raising VC.

Banking

Service	URL	Cost	Notes
Mercury	https://mercury.com/	Free (no monthly fees, no minimums)	FDIC up to $5M, SAFE builder, API access, venture debt access, 1.5% cashback credit card

Mercury is the default startup bank in 2026. SAFE builder and investor database are directly useful for fundraising.

Equity Management

Service	URL	Cost	Notes
Carta Launch	https://carta.com/equity-management/launch/	Free (<25 stakeholders, <$1M raised)	Cap table, fundraising insights, SAFE generation, equity issuance
Alternatives	Pulley, Cake Equity	Various	Consider if Carta pricing becomes unreasonable on paid tiers

10. Business Credit Building

Credit Monitoring

Service	URL	Cost	Notes
Nav.com	https://www.nav.com/	Free basic check; Track: $39.99/mo; Build: $49.99/mo; Expand: $79.99/mo	Only platform with FICO SBSS score (what SBA lenders actually use)
D&B DUNS Number	https://www.dnb.com/en-us/smb/duns/get-a-duns.html	Free (30 business days to process)	Required for government grants, Apple/Google developer accounts, business credit
DUNS Lookup	https://www.dnb.com/en-us/smb/duns/duns-lookup.html	Free	Check if you already have one

Tip: Apply for DUNS number the same day you get your EIN. The 30-day wait means start immediately.

Tier 1 Vendors (Net-30, Report to Bureaus)

Start here to build Paydex score. Buy small supplies, pay 10 days early.

Vendor	What They Sell	Reports To
Uline	Shipping supplies	D&B, Experian, Equifax
Quill	Office supplies	D&B, Experian
Grainger	Industrial supplies	D&B
Summa Office	Office supplies	D&B, Experian

Credit Building Education

Resource	URL	Notes
Credit Suite Podcast	https://www.creditsuite.com/podcast/business-credit/	Ongoing business credit education by Ty Crandall

11. Funding & Investor Resources

Fundraising Tools

Tool	URL	Cost	Notes
Carta Launch	https://carta.com/equity-management/launch/	Free	SAFE generation + cap table
Mercury SAFE Builder	Built into Mercury	Free	Build SAFEs, track SAFE investments
Crunchbase	https://www.crunchbase.com/	Free tier available	Basic funding data, investor lookup
PitchBook	https://pitchbook.com/	~$25k/year (enterprise)	Premium VC/PE data. Overkill for pre-seed — use through accelerators or university access

SBA Loans

Resource	URL	Notes
SBA 7(a) Loans	https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans	Up to $5M, SBA guarantees 75-85%
Eligibility	https://www.sba.gov/partners/lenders/7a-loan-program/terms-conditions-eligibility	Need 680+ personal credit for startups
SBA 7(a) for Startups	https://www.sba7a.loans/sba-7a-loans-for-startups-and-entrepreneurs/	Detailed guide
SBA Microloans	https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/microloans	Up to $50k, more accessible for early-stage

Reality Check: SBA lenders want 2+ years of history and positive cash flow. For pre-revenue, SBA Microloans are more realistic. Consider SBA 7(a) after traction.

12. Marketing & Distribution

Steam

Resource	URL	Notes
Steam Partner Portal	https://partner.steamgames.com/	Where you publish
Steam Next Fest	https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest	Free. 3x per year.
2026 Dates	Feb 23-Mar 2, June 15-22 (target), Oct 19-26	Developer docs: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/upcoming_events/nextfest/2026february
Wishlist Benchmarks	https://howtomarketagame.com/2025/03/26/benchmarks-how-many-wishlists-can-i-get-from-steam-next-fest/	Average: 1-2k wishlists. Strong: 5-7k+. Top: 50k+
11 SNF Marketing Strategies	https://www.biggamesmachine.com/steam-next-fest-marketing-strategies/	Tactical guide
How To Market A Game (Blog)	https://howtomarketagame.com/	Essential reading for indie marketing

Key Insight: Steam Next Fest amplifies existing momentum — it doesn’t create it. Build wishlist count BEFORE the event.

Community Tools

Tool	URL	Cost	Notes
Discord	https://discord.com/	Free	The home base. Setup roles, bots, verification.
Canny.io	https://canny.io/	Free tier	Feature voting + public roadmap (better than Trello for users)
Start.gg	https://www.start.gg/	Free	Tournament platform for creating and finding FGC events

Email / Press Kit

Tool	URL	Notes
ConvertKit	https://convertkit.com/	Email capture for landing page
Mailchimp	https://mailchimp.com/	Alternative email platform
PressKit()	https://dopresskit.com/	Standard indie game press kit generator

13. Fighting Game Community (FGC)

Major Tournaments (2026)

Tournament	Date	Location	URL
EVO 2026	June 26-28	Las Vegas Convention Center	https://evo.gg/events/evo2026/
EVO Japan 2026	May 1-3	Japan	https://evo.gg/events/
Combo Breaker 2026	May 22-24	Schaumburg, IL	https://combobreaker.org/
CEO 2026	August 14-16	Orlando, FL	https://ceogaming.org/
EVO France 2026	October 9-11	France	https://evo.gg/events/

FGC Information Hubs

Site	URL	What It’s For
Infil’s Fighting Game Glossary	https://glossary.infil.net/	THE definitive FGC terminology reference
Dustloop Wiki	https://dustloop.com/	Frame data + system mechanics (anime fighters)
SuperCombo	https://supercombo.gg/	News, tournament coverage, community wikis
EventHubs	https://www.eventhubs.com/	FGC news aggregator
TopTier.gg	https://toptier.gg/	FGC articles and features
Liquipedia FGC	https://liquipedia.net/fighters/	Brackets, player profiles, results

Key Content Creators

Creator	Platform	Focus
Maximilian Dood	YouTube / Twitch	Largest FGC creator. Bridges casual and competitive.
Justin Wong	YouTube (406K) / Twitch (264K)	9 EVO titles. Guinness World Record holder.
Sajam	YouTube / Twitch	Commentary, talk shows, Sajam Slam tournaments
Brian_F	YouTube / Podcast	”Trash Talk” podcast. Street Fighter focused.
Triple K.O. Podcast	Spotify / YouTube	Weekly FGC podcast with Max, Justin, Matt McMuscles

FGC Discord Servers

Search on DISBOARD: https://disboard.org/servers/tag/fgc

Server	Focus
FGHQ	All fighting games, all skill levels, daily lobbies
DojoCloud	Multi-game, weekly tournaments (Guilty Gear Strive focus)
OOC Community	Street Fighter 6 + Tekken 8 coaching

14. Subreddits & Online Communities

Subreddit	Members	Best For
r/gamedev	2M+	https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/ — Technical questions, postmortems, business advice
r/unrealengine	300K+	https://www.reddit.com/r/unrealengine/ — UE5-specific questions, blueprints, optimization
r/indiegaming	600K+	https://www.reddit.com/r/indiegaming/ — Showcasing to players (needs dev flair + gameplay footage)
r/IndieDev	400K+	https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieDev/ — WIP screenshots, GIFs, progress updates (relaxed)
r/Fighters	—	https://www.reddit.com/r/Fighters/ — FGC news, tournaments, controller discussions

Other Communities

Community	URL	Notes
Epic Developer Forums	https://forums.unrealengine.com/	Official UE5 support
Discord: Unreal Slackers	Search Discord	Large UE5 community
Discord: Game Dev League	Search Discord	General game dev

15. Books

Game Development & Shipping

Book	Author	Why Read It
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels	Jason Schreier	Behind-the-scenes of shipping games (AAA and indie). Essential reading.
Press Reset	Jason Schreier	Studio closures and career turbulence in gaming.
The Indie Game Developer Handbook	Richard Hill-Whittall	Covers funding, QA, publishing, marketing — full lifecycle.
Masters of Doom	David Kushner	id Software’s founding story (Doom, Quake). Reads like a thriller.
Independent By Design	Various	Creative process from 20+ indie creators (Lucas Pope, Frictional Games, Roll7).

Game Design Theory

Book	Author	Why Read It
The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses	Jesse Schell	THE definitive game design textbook. Uses “lenses” to analyze decisions.
Game Feel	Steve Swink	Critical for fighting games. The hidden language of how games “feel” at a frame level.
A Theory of Fun for Game Design	Raph Koster	What makes games fun, explained visually. Short and foundational.
Game Design Workshop	Tracy Fullerton	Hands-on prototyping, playtesting, and revision exercises.
Rules of Play	Katie Salen & Eric Zimmerman	Comprehensive theoretical framework. Academic but authoritative.

Fighting Game Design Specifically

No canonical book exists. Knowledge lives in:

Infil’s Fighting Game Glossary: https://glossary.infil.net/
Dustloop Wiki: https://dustloop.com/
GDC Vault talks by Arc System Works, Capcom, and NetherRealm developers
Game Feel by Steve Swink (closest book to FG design philosophy)

Game Marketing

Book	Author	Notes
The Zero-Budget Game Marketing Manual	SUPERSTRING	Free on itch.io. Practical indie marketing guide.

Startup Funding

Book	Author	Why Read It
Venture Deals	Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson	The bible of VC term sheets. Covers valuation, negotiation.
The Art of Startup Fundraising	Alejandro Cremades	Step-by-step funding guide from a serial entrepreneur.
The Startup Funding Book	Nicolaj Hojer Nielsen	Free PDF: https://innovation.ucsd.edu/startup/startup-toolkit/Startup-Funding-Book.pdf
The Startup Owner’s Manual	Steve Blank & Bob Dorf	Customer development methodology. Taught at Stanford, Berkeley.
The Art of the Start 2.0	Guy Kawasaki	Launch guide from former Apple evangelist.
Mastering the VC Game	Jeffrey Bussgang	Finding a VC partner, not just a check writer.

Business Credit Building

Book	Author	Why Read It
Business Credit Decoded	Ty Crandall	Build business credit, get credit lines without personal guarantees.
The Business Credit Playbook	Anthony Kasongo & Ty Crandall	Step-by-step regardless of personal credit score.
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Law	Constance Bagley & Craig Dauchy	Legal aspects: incorporating, raising capital, contracts, IP.

16. Market Intelligence

Mobile / App Analytics

Tool	URL	Cost	Best For
SensorTower	https://sensortower.com/	Enterprise (very expensive, sales call required)	Mobile market intelligence. GameIQ for sub-genre analysis.
SensorTower VGI	https://sensortower.com/product-video-game-insights	Enterprise	PC and console data
Gamalytic	https://gamalytic.com/	Affordable	Steam revenue estimates, genre analysis
VG Insights	https://vginsights.com/	Affordable	Steam market data

For Indies: Skip SensorTower. Use SteamDB (free) + Gamalytic/VG Insights for PC data.

VC / Funding Data

Tool	URL	Cost	Notes
Crunchbase	https://www.crunchbase.com/	Free tier	Basic funding data, investor lookup. Start here.
PitchBook	https://pitchbook.com/	~$25k/year	4.8M+ company profiles. Overkill for pre-seed. Access through accelerators.

Quick Action Checklist

Based on all resources above, prioritized by impact and urgency:

This document is a living reference. Update it as tools change, new grants open, or better resources are discovered.