no hero / start reading

MIT License

A tiny permission slip with a very long shadow.

MIT usually means you can use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell the software. For game developers, that often covers engine utilities, tools, shaders, sample projects, and build scripts without forcing your whole game to become open source.

The catch is simple but real: keep the copyright notice and license text with the covered code. If you paste a pathfinding library into your tools folder and ship source to modders later, bring the notice along.

APPROVED

BSD-3

Permissive, but don't use the author's name as your marketing boss fight.

GPL

Powerful freedom spell. Also an area-of-effect license.

GPL code can be fantastic for editors, server tools, exporters, and internal pipelines. The moment you combine it with distributed game code, you need to understand whether your combined work must be released under GPL-compatible terms.

« Treat GPL like lava in a platformer: safe when you know the route, punishing when you button-mash through it. »
UseRisk
Internal build toolMoss
Linked runtime libraryRed flag
Separate command-line utilityRead closely
COPYLEFT

Apache 2.0

Apache 2.0 is permissive like MIT, with more legal machinery. Its patent grant matters when middleware, codecs, networking layers, or anti-cheat helpers touch patented territory.

Keep notices, track modifications, and remember it does not hand you trademarks. You can use the code; you cannot pretend to be the project.

PATENT GRANT

CC0

Public-domain-style: great for jam assets. Still check moral rights and source credibility.

PUBLIC DOMAIN
private terms / public consequences

EULA

The screen you clicked through is still part of the dungeon.

End User License Agreements set the rules for players: installs, accounts, mods, streaming, user content, bans, chargebacks, reverse engineering, and community conduct. A game EULA should be written for the actual game you operate, not copied from a spaceship MMO if you are shipping a cozy fishing sim.

Good EULAs explain what players can do, what the studio can moderate, and what happens to purchased access when servers, seasons, or accounts change.

RESTRICTED

Engine Terms

Engine licenses decide whether you owe royalties, seat fees, attribution, source disclosure, or platform reporting. The engine is not just a tool; it is a business relationship embedded in your build.

Track versions. Terms can change between the prototype that got greenlit and the release candidate you certify.

READ TWICE

Middleware

Audio, physics, analytics, and platform SDKs bring their own paper cuts.

Work-for-Hire

If a contractor makes sprites, quests, code, music, or a boss named The Tax Auditor, ownership should be assigned in writing. Payment alone does not magically transfer every right in every jurisdiction.

The clean version: scope, deliverables, payment, assignment, credit, portfolio use, warranties, and what happens if the work includes third-party materials.

GET SIGNED
storefronts / territories / keys

Storefront Deals

Distribution agreements govern revenue share, refunds, taxes, age ratings, keys, wishlists, featuring, regional pricing, takedowns, and who gets to push the launch button. They are the bridge between your build folder and the public market.

« A storefront is not a shelf. It is a rules engine with screenshots. »

Watch for exclusivity, most-favored-nation pricing, discount approval, user data access, and obligations after delisting.

DISTRIBUTE

Territory

Rights can be worldwide, region-locked, language-locked, or chopped into publishing zones.

Music Rights

Music is usually a stack: composition rights, master recording rights, soundtrack rights, trailer rights, live event rights, and streaming permissions. A track cleared for the game may still cause VOD claims if the paperwork ignores creators.

Ask whether players and streamers can broadcast gameplay containing the music. The answer should not be hidden in a Discord message.

CLEARANCE

UGC & Mods

Mod policies work best when they tell fans what is allowed before the first total conversion appears. Define commercial use, offensive content, platform uploads, abandoned projects, and whether the studio can feature or incorporate fan-made work.

MOD OK
terms you can actually use
AssignmentTransfer of ownership, not just permission.
SublicenseThe right to grant someone else a license.
IndemnityA promise to cover certain legal losses.
WarrantyA promise that a fact is true enough to rely on.
Derivative WorkA new work based on an existing one.
AttributionCredit required by the license or deal.