Revenue by title and platform
Every title's sales are recorded by platform and product type, so a studio can compare a console release with a mobile release without mixing the two storefronts together.
Bookkeeping Services
Bookkeeping services for game companies, month after month
Every payout reconciled. Every close you can trust. Bookkeeping for game companies has to track money that arrives from platforms, publishers, and players in different forms. This page explains how we run the monthly bookkeeping, from the chart of accounts to per-title reporting, so a studio can see what each month's work includes and what records we need from the team.
Monthly close
Monthly bookkeeping built around the close
Each month we post sales, payouts, payroll, and expenses, reconcile the bank and card accounts, and issue a short report with the exceptions noted. The close follows a fixed order so nothing depends on memory. If a platform statement is missing, the close shows it as an open item rather than forcing a plug figure, and the studio sees exactly what is still waiting.
That fixed order is what makes a game studio's month auditable: sales first, then platform fees, then payroll and contractors, then bank reconciliation. A producer can ask about any line and get an answer that points to a statement, not to a recollection.
- Sales, payouts, payroll and expenses posted in one pass
- Bank and card accounts reconciled to the ledger
- Exceptions listed plainly, with missing statements kept open
The chart of accounts is set up by platform and by revenue type, with separate lines for storefront sales, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and royalties. Platform fees sit in cost of sales, not buried in general expenses. Deferred revenue for subscriptions has its own account, so unearned amounts do not inflate a month's profit.
For a game developer, that structure answers the questions a publisher or an investor actually asks: how much came from each storefront, what the storefront kept, and how much of a subscription month is still owed to players. New titles and new platforms are added as new lines, not squeezed into an old one.
Chart of accounts for game developers
Revenue lines we keep separate
Storefront sales
In-app purchases
Subscriptions
Royalties
Deferred revenue
Per-title records
Per-title profitability, done consistently
Each title carries its own revenue and direct costs, including platform fees, contract developers, and title-specific marketing. Shared overhead is allocated on a basis we state in the engagement notes, such as headcount or direct cost share. Reports then show margin by title, which helps a studio decide where to invest the next milestone payment.
Direct costs coded to the title
Platform fees, contract developers and title-specific marketing sit against the title they belong to. That keeps a marketing push for one game from looking like a loss on another.
Overhead on a stated basis
Shared overhead is allocated on a basis stated in the engagement notes, such as headcount or direct cost share. The basis is written down, so the title margin can be explained and compared month to month.
Platform payouts and royalty income
We reconcile developer payouts from each storefront to the underlying sales report and the bank deposit. Royalty income from publishers and licensors is tracked by contract, with advances and recoupments shown separately from earned royalties. That split matters when a publisher reports a balance that includes an advance the studio has already spent.
Cash flow forecasting for game studios
Cash flow forecasting uses the settlement calendars already in the books. We list expected payouts by platform, payroll dates, contractor milestones, and tax payment dates, then show the weeks where outflows exceed inflows. The forecast is updated after each close, so it reflects actual payout timing rather than a sales estimate.
Payroll bookkeeping for remote teams
We post payroll from the payroll register, track employer taxes, and reconcile the totals to the bank. For contractor-heavy teams, we track milestone payments against written agreements and keep invoices with the posting. That record supports both the books and any later review of worker classification.
Capitalized development costs
Development costs are expensed or capitalized based on the stage of the project and documented criteria. We record the decision by project and keep the supporting time and cost records with the entry. A consistent policy avoids a year-end correction that changes prior months and confuses a publisher review.
Monthly reporting
Reports a producer can actually use
Monthly reporting includes a profit and loss by title, a balance sheet, and a cash position summary. Each report ties back to the reconciled accounts, so a number in the report can be traced to a statement or a payroll register. If a report cannot be traced, we treat that as a defect in the close, not as a rounding difference.
Profit and loss by titlemargin per title
Balance sheettied to reconciled accounts
Cash position summarynext payouts listed
Questions
Two questions studios ask first
What bookkeeping setup works best for studios with contractors and remote teams?
A chart of accounts by title and platform, milestone-based contractor tracking, and a fixed monthly close. Each contractor payment ties to a written agreement and an invoice, and each title carries its own revenue and direct costs.
How do we track profitability for a single title?
Revenue is recorded by platform and product type, platform fees are shown separately, and direct costs are coded to the title. Shared overhead is allocated on a stated basis, so the title margin can be explained and compared month to month.