How to write a one-line pitch for your game
2 min read
By Eduardo Orellana ·
A one-line pitch tells someone what your game is in under twenty-five words: the genre, what the player does, and the twist that makes it different. A formula that works: "A [genre] where you [verb] [twist]". Avoid adjectives that any game could claim (immersive, epic, unique), story setup without play, and comparisons to blockbusters. Use it as the first line of your Steam short description, every pitch email and every bio.
If you need a paragraph, the game is not clear yet
Writing the one-liner is a design test as much as a marketing one. When the sentence will not come, it is often because the game has not decided what it is. When it does come, everything else (the capsule, the trailer, the store page) has something to point at.
The formula
A [genre] where you [verb] [twist].
- "A cosy farming game where your crops fight beside you."
- "A heist roguelike where every run rewrites the building."
- "A puzzle game where you rotate the room, not the pieces."
One familiar anchor, one verb, one surprise.
What to avoid
- Adjectives anyone could claim: immersive, epic, unique, beautiful.
- The story's setup with no mention of play.
- "X meets Y" with blockbusters; it sets expectations you cannot meet.
- More than one twist: pick the strongest.
Where to use it
The Steam short description's first line, every creator and press email, publisher pitches, social bios, the website hero, and the end card of the trailer.
Where Flockbay fits
Flockbay starts every game with a brief agreed in the chat, and its Steam page drafts the short description from that brief and comparable games, for you to edit. Drafting is free in beta until 1 December 2026.