Make the game public and prepare the demo. Shipping means it runs outside your computer.
A game isn't shipped until someone else can play it. Today we put the game online and prepare a 3-minute demo. Both games are client-side only, no backend, static files — perfect for free static hosting.
All of these work with static HTML/CSS/JS:
- GitHub Pages — free, easy, integrates with version control
- Cloudflare Pages — free, fast global CDN
- Netlify — free, simple drag-and-drop deployment
Each child prepares a 3-minute presentation covering:
- What is the core loop? — explain the fundamental cycle
- Where is the risk? — what creates tension
- How does progression work? — how does the player advance
- What is the signature feature? — what makes your game unique
- Live demo of one full cycle — show it working
Game loads from a live URL. Demo script is written and practiced once.
No last-minute features. If something is broken on the live version, fix the deployment — not the game.
File path errors (relative vs absolute paths) — use relative paths consistently. A path that works locally may break on a server.
Forgetting to upload all files — check that every CSS, JS, and asset file is included in the deployment.
Testing only on localhost — the live version is the real test. Open it in a fresh browser with no cache.
Not practicing the demo out loud — a demo you've never spoken is a demo that will stumble. Practice once, minimum.
The moment they see their game on a public URL is magical. Let them share it with someone — a friend, a grandparent. That's shipping. The demo practice teaches communication skills alongside technical ones.