Launch Timeline
Follow a guided plan to launch your game.
Choose a Template
Pre-built launch plans available:
- 6-month plan — full pipeline from announcement to post-launch support
- 3-month plan — compressed for games closer to launch
- Emergency 4-week plan — bare minimum for imminent launches
- Steam Next Fest plan — festival-specific milestones and deadlines
- Early Access plan — EA-specific considerations (community building, roadmap)
- DLC / Update plan — content update cycle tasks
Each template includes tasks organized by category: press, Steam, social, community, content, and technical.
Set Your Release Date
Enter your target release date and all tasks auto-populate with calculated due dates. Tasks are expressed as offsets (e.g., "90 days before release") so if your date changes, everything shifts automatically.
TipDon't have a firm release date yet? Set an approximate one — the timeline still works as a relative guide. You can update the date anytime.
Task Details
Each task includes:
- Title — what to do
- Category — press, Steam, social, community, content, or technical
- Due date — auto-calculated from your release date
- Guidance — a paragraph explaining *why* this task matters and what good looks like
- Tool link — a direct link to the relevant GameTrowel tool (e.g., the task "Build your press kit" links to the Press Kit builder)
- Milestone flag — key tasks are marked as milestones for at-a-glance progress
Track Progress
Mark tasks complete as you go. The dashboard shows your overall progress percentage and highlights overdue items. Add custom tasks if your game needs something the template doesn't cover.
Email Reminders
Automatic email reminders are sent:
- 3 days before a task is due
- On the due date if not completed
- When overdue — a gentle nudge