Full games that are packaged using Google Play Instant are eligible to be featured prominently on the homepage of the Google Play Games app. These instant games are full experience games, not trial versions. Players tap on the Instant play button to play the full game without needing to install it first.
The Google Play Games app is a highly visible surface with hundreds of millions of active users globally. This program is a great opportunity for developers of small-file size games to grow their audience and business by packaging their full game using Google Play Instant (with support for in-app purchases and ads monetization).
While all developers can create Google Play Instant games, the Google Play team has final discretion over which games are featured on the homepage of the Google Play Games app.
You may submit your game for featuring either after you've built your Instant play version or using your existing installable version (before building the Instant play version).
If you submit your existing installable version, we will review your game and let you know whether it will be a good fit for the Instant play featuring program.
Benefits of the Instant play program
The following are some of the ways you can benefit from joining the program:
Increased discoverability
Instant play games are eligible for featuring on the homepage of the Google Play Games app, which is an additive surface to the Play Store.
More players
If users don't have to worry about installs, they are more likely to jump into your game.
Monetization
In-app purchase (IAP) & ads are supported.
A high quality experience
Everything "just works" when users tap to Instant play.
Requirements
In order to be eligible for featuring in the Google Play Games app, your Google Play Instant game will be reviewed for the following:
- Technical excellence: The game must meet a high standard of technical excellence and provide a reliable experience to users in compliance with the program requirements.
- User-friendly experience: The game is fun and engaging. Key details are correct: the back button works to exit the game, user progress is saved seamlessly, and new users understand the gameplay easily.
- Wide appeal: The game must be accessible to a large audience of users as selected by our editors. Gentle learning curves help games reach larger audiences.
Tasteful monetization: The game must be monetized in tasteful and non-disruptive ways. Monetization requirements include the following:
- Avoid showing ads within the first 3 minutes of each gaming session. This rule does not apply to user-initiated rewarded ads.
- Make sure banner ads are unobtrusive.
- Don't use full-page interstitial or video ads. This rule does not apply to user-initiated rewarded ads.
- Ads must not be disguised as in-game components or elements of menu/game navigation.
- Consider making an in-app-purchase available for users to remove ads.
- Cross-promotion to other games is acceptable, subject to the preceding ads requirements. Do not prompt users to install cross-promoted games.
For more information, see the Instant play checklist.
Build an Instant play game
Building an Instant play game does not require a large amount of incremental work if your game is already small and efficient. The biggest factors to consider are the following:
- Reduce your instant game size to launch in under 15 MB to give users a fast launch experience (downloading additional resources is possible post-launch).
- Integrate sign-in using Google Play Games Services and a cloud save solution to preserve progress in the game.
- Adhere to the ads and monetization policies for featuring on the homepage of the Google Play Games app.
To build an Instant play game, do the following:
- Convert your game to an instant game.
- Review the Instant play checklist to make sure your project is ready.
- Use the self-review checklist to verify that your project is ready.
Submit your game for consideration
Fill out the consideration form to submit your game. While all developers can create Instant play games, the Google Play team has final discretion over which games are featured on the homepage of the Google Play Games app.
You may submit your game for featuring either after you've built your Instant play version or using your existing installable version (before building the Instant play version).
If you submit your existing installable version, we will review your game and let you know whether it will be a good fit for the Instant play featuring program.