From the 13-page guide
Preview the guide
Two real pages from the how-to PDF: the cover, and the walkthrough of the Inputs tab.
A simple cost budget and runway planner for indie game studios. Built for people who make games, not spreadsheets.
By Neil Haldar, Managing Director, HALDAR & CO.
Thirty-four years in games, more than 100 titles, and more than USD $12B in consumer spending.
Executive Producer on 007: Everything or Nothing and Unreal Tournament.
The workbook covers costs only. Revenue, publisher deals and other funding are left out on purpose, so the picture stays clear.
See the total, and the spend month by month, before you commit to the project.
Team, contractors, tools, hardware, overhead, marketing, localization and a separate contingency line.
Your runway: how many months the cash in the bank lasts at this rate of spending.
This is a cost planning tool. Cost planning and budgeting are the oft-overlooked killers of studios.
It is not meant to replace ongoing accounting or finance work, but serves as a simplified project budget planning tool to help studios see the true costs of their proposed game development. Two files arrive together through one personal download link. Neither file is watermarked.
Twelve tabs, from Inputs through Summary. Type only in the cream colored cells. Everything else updates by itself. Works in Excel and in Google Sheets.
A 13-page walkthrough of each tab: what to type, what is calculated, common mistakes, and how to read the Summary.
Your download link is valid for 7 days and covers both files. Sign up again at any time with the same email to renew.
Two real pages from the how-to PDF: the cover, and the walkthrough of the Inputs tab.
Tabs run left to right, in this order. You fill in the first eight. Monthly Budget, Cash and Runway, and Summary are calculated for you.
Figures below are sample data already in the template, for a fictional studio and project. They are not industry benchmarks and should not be used as a guide to what things cost.
| Headline | Amount |
|---|---|
| Budget before contingency | USD $2,818,150 |
| Contingency (5%, one separate line) | USD $140,907.50 |
| Total budget including contingency | USD $2,959,057.50 |
| Average monthly spend | USD $123,294 |
| Peak team size (full-time equivalent) | 8.5 FTE |
| Starting cash | USD $3,500,000 |
| Cash left at the end of the project | USD $540,942.50 |
| Runway at average spend | 28.4 months |
TEMPLATE provided by Neil Haldar, HALDAR & CO. | haldar.co. Figures shown are sample data from the template.
Tell us where to send them. You get a download link by email. The link is valid for 7 days and covers both files. Sign up again at any time with the same email to renew.
Your download link is valid for 7 days. Sign up again at any time with the same email to renew.
This template is a planning tool, not financial, tax or legal advice. All numbers already in the workbook are example data for a fictional studio. They are not industry benchmarks. Talk to a qualified accountant or lawyer about your situation before relying on any figure.
A short list of what to expect before you sign up.
Two files, through one link: the Game Studio Budget Template (an Excel workbook with 12 tabs) and a 13-page how-to PDF guide that walks you through each tab. You can open the workbook in Excel or upload it to Google Sheets.
The download link is valid for 7 days and covers both files. If it expires, sign up again with the same email. We will send a fresh link and retire the old one.
Yes. You can sign up again at any time to renew the 7-day period. We update your existing record and email a new link to the same address.
No. The Excel template and the how-to PDF are not marked with your name or email.
No. They are example data for a made-up studio, clearly labeled in the file. They are not industry benchmarks and should not be used as a guide to what things cost. Replace them with your own figures.
No. The workbook covers costs only. Revenue, publisher deals and other funding are left out on purpose, so the budget stays simple.
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