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Fundraising · Gaming

5 questions investors ask gaming founders

Investors who back gaming companies ask a familiar set of questions. Here are the five that come up most, why they ask, and what a strong answer looks like on a slide.

Write my investor story freeSee the questions
INVESTORWhy do players come back on day 30?
RESPAWN LABSD1 44% · D30 9% · weekly tournaments
INVESTORHow do you make money without hurting play?
RESPAWN LABSCosmetic-only purchases · 4.6★ rating

The five questions

Each answer is shown for our fictional gaming company, Respawn Labs, which makes fast multiplayer mobile games. The numbers are illustrations. Swap in your own.

01

Why do players come back on day 30?

Why they askLong-term retention decides game economics.
A strong answer showsDay-1, day-7 and day-30 retention and the loop behind it.
RESPAWN LABS

D1 44% · D30 9% · weekly tournaments

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
02

How do you make money without hurting play?

Why they askBad monetisation drives players away.
A strong answer showsRevenue model and player sentiment.
RESPAWN LABS

Cosmetic-only purchases · 4.6★ rating

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
03

What is your cost per install?

Why they askUser acquisition cost decides scale.
A strong answer showsCPI and payback.
RESPAWN LABS

CPI $0.42 in India · payback in 40 days

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
04

What does your next title look like?

Why they askStudios are judged on repeatable hits.
A strong answer showsPipeline and shared tech.
RESPAWN LABS

Second title on the same engine · soft launch in Q2

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers
05

How big is your community?

Why they askCommunities lower acquisition cost.
A strong answer showsDiscord, socials and organic share.
RESPAWN LABS

52,000 Discord members · 35% organic installs

Sample slide line · illustrative numbers

The four numbers they check first

Before the questions, investors scan for these. Show each one by month, with dates, so the trend is easy to read.

Metric 1Daily active users
Metric 2Day 1 and day 30 retention
Metric 3Revenue per paying user
Metric 4Cost per install

The gap that costs gaming founders meetings

Gap

The most common gap in gaming decks is showing downloads without retention. Fix it before you send the deck.

Know your buyer

Your customers are players and the studios or advertisers who pay. Name the first group you will win, and show why they pick you today.

Prepare the appendix

  • Monthly metrics for the last 12 months
  • Unit economics by customer group
  • Your answer to each question above, with sources

Questions

What do investors look for in a gaming startup?

They start with these metrics: daily active users, day 1 and day 30 retention, revenue per paying user, cost per install. Then they test the five questions on this page.

What is the most common gap in gaming pitch decks?

Showing downloads without retention.

Are the numbers on this page real?

No. They are illustrations for a fictional company, Respawn Labs, to show what a strong answer looks like. Use your own numbers.

Can Astitva build my pitch deck?

Yes. Astitva writes your investor story from a short brief, in the order investors expect, and designs every slide in your brand. The written story is free.

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