How to Publish a Bitmagic Game: Step-by-Step Guide for You

Written by: Nuno Leiria, Founder & CEO @ Nilo

Key Things You Should Know First

• Bitmagic Lab gives you a browser-playable link but no native exports for desktop, mobile, or console.
• You can publish to itch.io for free with an HTML5 ZIP, while Steam needs a $100 fee and a Windows executable.
• GX Games lets you publish HTML5 games straight to Opera GX players without upfront costs.
• Common publishing problems include broken ZIP structure, skipping local tests, and store assets that fail reviews.
• Nilo cuts out export friction with one-click publishing and real-time multiplayer testing, so you can start building in your browser right now.

Sharing Your Game with Bitmagic Lab Links

The fastest way to share a Bitmagic game is the link Bitmagic Lab generates when your game is ready.

1. Finish building your game inside Bitmagic Lab.
2. Click the share or publish button in the Lab interface to generate your game URL.
3. Copy the link and share it through Discord, social media, or messaging apps.
4. Anyone with the link can play instantly in their browser, with no download.

You keep full IP rights to games you build in Bitmagic Lab and can monetize them however you want. Bitmagic gives you a hosted link, but it does not give you native publishing workflows for stores. If you want more reach than a simple link, itch.io is usually the easiest next step because it accepts HTML5 builds and has no review queue.

Exporting Your Bitmagic Game to itch.io

itch.io is a popular indie marketplace with no upfront publishing fees and flexible pricing. Since Bitmagic outputs browser-playable games, you use the HTML5 export path here.

1. Export your game from Bitmagic as a single self-contained .html file if possible. This keeps everything in one file.
2. If your export creates a folder, zip that folder so index.html sits at the root of the ZIP. itch.io needs index.html at the root, not inside another folder.
3. Test the build locally with a simple web server. For example, run python -m http.server 8000 in your project folder. Avoid opening index.html with a file:// URL, because browsers often block audio and other features there.
4. Create a free itch.io account and start a new project. Set “Kind of project” to HTML.
5. Upload your ZIP file and check the box labeled “This file will be played in the browser” so itch.io embeds it.
6. Set your viewport size to match your game’s canvas resolution, such as 960×540 for widescreen.
7. Add a cover image (630×500 px recommended), at least three screenshots, a description, and up to 10 tags.
8. Choose pricing: free, pay-what-you-want, fixed price, or donations. itch.io defaults to a 10% platform fee but lets you pick a revenue share from 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 30%.
9. Publish your page. HTML5 games usually go live within minutes, with no review and no developer fee.

When you want a bigger downloadable PC audience, Steam Direct becomes the next option.

Releasing a Bitmagic Game on Steam Direct

Steam is the largest PC game store, but it adds more cost and setup than itch.io. Steam needs a native Windows .exe as the minimum build, so web games cannot go up directly. To ship a Bitmagic game on Steam, you first wrap your HTML5 build in a desktop shell such as Electron.

1. Create a Steam account that has spent at least $5, then open a Steamworks partner account at partner.steamgames.com.
2. Complete identity checks with government ID, banking info, and tax forms (W-9 for US, W-8BEN for others).
3. Pay the $100 Steam Direct fee for your game. Steam recoups this fee in the payment after your game reaches at least $1,000 USD Adjusted Gross Revenue from store sales and in-app purchases.
4. Build your store page with a title, description, capsule art (Header 460×215, Main 616×353), at least five gameplay screenshots, and a 60–90 second trailer.
5. Wrap your HTML5 build in Electron to create a Windows .exe, then upload it using SteamPipe.
6. Submit for Valve review. Store review usually takes 3–5 business days and checks policy rules and basic functionality.
7. Keep your Coming Soon page live for at least two weeks before the Release App button unlocks.

Valve’s standard revenue share starts at 30% on the first $10 million, then drops to 25% up to $50 million, and 20% above that. If the $100 fee and desktop build work feel heavy, GX Games offers a faster path because it accepts HTML5 builds directly and still targets a browser-native audience.

Publishing Your HTML5 Build on GX Games

GX Games is Opera GX’s game portal built for browser games. It fits Bitmagic projects well because it takes HTML5 uploads without extra wrapping.

1. Create a developer account on the GX Games developer portal.
2. Upload your HTML5 ZIP with index.html at the root, then add your title, description, and cover art.
3. Set the game to unlisted for testing and share the private link with friends to catch bugs.
4. Submit for community release once you are happy with the build so it appears publicly.
5. After approval, your game shows up in the GX Games library and is playable inside Opera GX.

Each route trades off cost, reach, and technical effort. The table below helps you compare them quickly.

Bitmagic Links vs itch.io, Steam, and GX Games

Platform	Cost	Reach	Technical Requirements
Bitmagic Lab	Free, link sharing only	Anyone with the link, no storefront discovery	No export needed, browser-playable link generated automatically
itch.io	Free to publish, flexible revenue share (see details above)	Indie game community, searchable storefront	HTML5 ZIP with index.html at root, local testing recommended
Steam	$100 one-time fee per title (recoupable, see details above), 30% revenue share	Largest PC storefront globally	Requires Windows .exe, HTML5 games need Electron wrapping, identity checks and SteamPipe upload
GX Games	Free to publish, revenue share terms set by Opera GX	Opera GX gaming community, browser-native audience	HTML5 ZIP upload, submission before public listing

Think about which mix of cost, audience, and effort matches where you are right now as an aspiring or already builder.

Ways You Can Make Money After Publishing

Publishing is only the start of your journey. Here are the main ways you can earn from your games on these platforms:

• Donations and pay-what-you-want: These work well on itch.io because the community likes supporting creators directly.
• Paid downloads: Set a fixed price on itch.io or Steam for players who want to own your game.
• In-game purchases: Combine in-app purchases and ads to reach different types of players.
• Ad revenue: Web portals such as CrazyGames and Poki share ad revenue with you, which can create passive income for browser games.

Many builders now want to skip export steps completely, and that is where friction becomes very obvious.

Skip the export steps and publish instantly with Nilo.

Common Publishing Mistakes You Can Avoid

Before you publish anywhere, watch for these frequent errors that slow down builders at every level:

1. Wrong file structure in your ZIP: itch.io needs index.html at the root of the ZIP, not inside a folder. Many builders zip the export folder itself instead of its contents, which breaks the embed.
2. Skipping local testing: Opening index.html with a file:// URL often blocks audio and fetch requests. Always test with a local web server first.
3. Absolute asset paths: Asset paths like C:\Users\YourName\game\assets\ break once your game is online. Use relative paths so your assets load correctly on itch.io and other hosts.
4. Missing store page assets on Steam: Steam mandates specific capsule art sizes and, unlike many platforms, it needs your game title as readable text on every capsule image. Submissions without visible title text get rejected even if other assets are present.
5. Ignoring platform content guidelines: Builders often skip platform-specific tests, ignore store rules, or leave placeholder text in listings. These issues delay or block releases.

Nilo stands out because it removes many of these friction points before they appear.

Publishing Faster with Nilo’s One-Click Flow

The workflows above add several steps between your idea and your players. Every export, file check, and platform fee can slow your creative momentum.

Nilo is a browser-based 3D creation platform built for aspiring builders and game developers like you. It works as a game engine first, not a pure prompt-to-game wrapper like Bitmagic. Bitmagic generates a game and hands you a link. Nilo drops you inside a 3D world where you build, playtest, tweak, and share in one continuous flow. You vibe code by talking, typing, or sending an image to the AI, and the game reacts in real time.

Here is what makes Nilo’s publishing path feel different:

• One-click publish: Share your world with a link instantly. You skip ZIP files, index.html checks, and review queues.
• Real-time multiplayer playtesting: Invite friends to build and play with you just by sharing a link, even before a public release.
• Direct Roblox export with LOD optimization: Nilo adjusts polycount so your models work in Roblox Studio and similar platforms. LOD (level of detail) automatically reduces polygons so your game runs smoothly, and Nilo keeps you within Roblox’s 10K–20K polygon caps without manual cleanup.

Nilo Creators, the builders using the platform, back this up. In Nilo’s February 2026 Survey, 93% said they would recommend Nilo to a friend, and 82% rated their experience as “Awesome” or “Good.” One builder said, “I like how it feels like a good game engine rather than a vibe coding tool, with easy building and a good focus on being able to export and import content.”

Nilo is backed by Supercell, the studio behind Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars, and is in open beta, free to try right now. Try Nilo’s one-click publishing in open beta.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Bitmagic Lab publishing take?

Publishing through Bitmagic Lab is almost instant. Once your game is finished, Bitmagic generates a shareable link automatically, so that part takes seconds. The slower part is deciding where to share that link and how to build an audience, since Bitmagic Lab has no built-in storefront or discovery feed like itch.io or Steam.

Does publishing on itch.io or Steam cost money?

itch.io is free to publish on with no upfront fees. As mentioned earlier, the platform defaults to a 10% revenue share, and you can choose a rate from 0% to 30%. Steam works differently. It charges a one-time $100 fee per game through Steam Direct. Steam recoups this fee after your game reaches at least $1,000 USD Adjusted Gross Revenue from store sales and in-app purchases, but the fee is non-refundable if the game never launches. Steam also takes a 30% revenue share on sales, dropping to 25% after $10 million in lifetime revenue.

What file formats does Bitmagic support for export?

Bitmagic Lab mainly outputs browser-playable web games through a hosted link. For external publishing, you care about HTML5 exports, either as a single self-contained .html file or as a ZIP with index.html and your assets. Bitmagic does not export directly to APK, Windows executables, or engine project formats like Unity or Godot. If you want to publish on Steam, you wrap your HTML5 build in a desktop shell such as Electron to create a Windows .exe.

Can I publish the same game on multiple platforms?

Yes, you can. You can share your Bitmagic Lab link, upload the HTML5 build to itch.io, and submit to GX Games at the same time. Each platform reaches a different crowd. itch.io reaches indie players, GX Games reaches Opera GX users, and your Bitmagic link works well for direct social sharing. Steam needs more prep and a $100 fee, so most builders treat it as a later step after they see demand on free platforms. Just make sure each store page follows its own rules for cover art, descriptions, and content.

Conclusion: Pick the Workflow That Keeps You Building

Every publishing path here works, but each one adds steps between your finished game and your players. Bitmagic Lab’s link is fast but has limited reach. itch.io is free and friendly but needs careful file prep. Steam offers the biggest PC audience but asks for $100, weeks of setup, and a desktop build. GX Games fits browser games well but adds an editorial review.

Your choice depends on your goals, your timeline, and how much technical friction you want to handle. If you want to stay inside one browser-based environment from creation to publishing and skip exports, Nilo stands out as an option worth exploring. Nilo Creators build, playtest with friends, and publish worlds with one click, with no ZIP files, platform fees, or tool switching. When you want to move assets to Roblox, direct export with automatic LOD optimization is already there for you.

Explore Nilo and start building and playing for free.