PC stores beyond Steam

Play this lesson

Beyond Steam

Course 1 met itch.io. Other PC stores include the Epic Games Store, GOG and the Microsoft Store. Each one is a new audience, with its own tools and rules.

Epic Games Store

Epic reports more than 295 million users. Its payment service "supports 80+ payment methods with 43 regional currencies".

For Unreal Engine games, royalties are waived for purchases through Epic's payment system. "In-app purchases and products using their own payment processor are not exempt from engine royalties."

Quick check

An Unreal Engine game sells items on Epic through its own payment processor. Is the engine royalty waived?

  1. No: only purchases through Epic's payment system are
  2. Yes, always
  3. Only for the first month
Show the answer

No: only purchases through Epic's payment system are

Epic waives the royalty only on purchases through its own payment system.

GOG

On GOG, "Offline (backup) installers are automatically generated on our servers after you publish a build". GOG GALAXY's SDK is "optional", with achievements, leaderboards, multiplayer and cloud storage.

One feature, many stores

Each store has its own way to unlock achievements. Remy keeps one achievements module in the game, with a small adapter for each store. A new store needs a new adapter, not a new achievements system.

Design the code

Kai adds GOG. What should Remy change in the achievements code?

  1. Add a GOG adapter to the shared module
  2. Copy the whole achievements system for GOG
  3. Skip achievements on GOG
Show the answer

Add a GOG adapter to the shared module

The shared module stays the same. Only the small store-specific part is new.

Exclusive deals

Epic's "opt-in exclusivity program offers 100% revenue share for your first 6 months, no matter how much you earn." Exclusive means the game skips other PC stores for that time: more money per sale, fewer places to be found.

Quick check

An exclusive deal brings more money per sale with no trade-off.

Show the answer

False

The game is missing from other stores while the deal lasts, so some players can't find it.

Screens of every shape

Android alone runs on phones, tablets, foldables and laptops.

Bolt says: Next: tablets, foldables and Chromebooks.

Fact-checked 12 October 2026