Invoice template for game developers

Game contracts are almost always paid per milestone build: vertical slice, alpha, beta, release candidate. The invoice should name the build, the date it was delivered and the milestone it closes, because publishers and studios approve payments against their milestone schedule, and an invoice that does not match it waits in a queue.

What gets lost is the work outside the milestones. A console submission fails certification and needs a week of fixes. The publisher asks for an extra platform or a localisation pass. You buy a marketplace asset pack or a middleware licence to hit a date. Each of those belongs on its own line, not absorbed into the next milestone.

From

Your name or businessYour email

AddressTax / VAT ID (optional)

Bank details (printed in the footer)

Stays on your device.

Bill to

Client name or companyClient email

AddressTax / VAT ID (optional)

Details

Invoice No.DateDue

CurrencyTax nameTax rate %

Paper

Items

Discount % (optional)

Notes and payment details

Your business · Street 1 · City

Client name

Invoice No.INV-001

Date-

Due-

Invoice INV-001

Pos.	Description	Qty	Unit	Price	Amount
1	Milestone 3: alpha build, all core systems	1	item	14,000.00	14,000.00
2	Demo build for trade show, additional	3	days	520.00	1,560.00
3	Audio middleware licence, pass-through	1	item	600.00	600.00
4	Console certification fixes, round 1	5	days	520.00	2,600.00

Subtotal18,760.00 USD

VAT (0%)0.00 USD

Total18,760.00 USD

Payment Instructions

Please remit payment of 18,760.00 USD, referencing INV-001.

Notes

Payment due within 30 days of milestone approval. Build and source access for this milestone follow payment.

Page 1 / 1

Free, no account. Everything stays in this browser: we don't receive or store what you type.

The example lines and prices are illustrations. Replace them with your own.

What game developers forget to bill

Certification and submission fixes after a failed platform review, billed separately from the release milestone.
Additional platform ports or performance passes the original scope did not include.
Asset store packs, middleware or plugin licences bought for the project.
Devkits, test devices or cloud build minutes if you are carrying the cost.
Extra builds requested for events, press or investor demos outside the milestone plan.

Questions game developers ask

How do freelance game developers get paid?

Usually a fixed fee per milestone, sometimes with a royalty or revenue share on top. Smaller jobs, like porting or a system for an existing game, are often billed per day. Whatever the model, each milestone should have a written definition of what the build must contain.

Should I invoice before or after milestone approval?

Most publishers pay after approval, so agree an approval window in the contract. Without one, a milestone can sit unreviewed while you keep working on the next one unpaid.

Who pays for engine and middleware licences?

It depends on whose project it is. If the studio owns the game, it should hold the licences and pay for them. If you buy something to hit a deadline, invoice it as a pass-through and transfer the licence where the vendor allows.

Keep the next one in OIO

Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.

Start free

Also for game developers: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: 3D artists, software developers, animators, music producers. Or browse all invoice templates.