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GameMaker creates the game files; Steamworks and itch.io distribute them. The reliable workflow is to build a separate package for every target operating system, use GameMaker’s Steam-specific ZIP output for Steam, upload the portable install folder to itch.io (preferably with Butler), and validate the exact files players will download. Steam adds onboarding, a $100 app fee, store and build review, and a deliberate release step. itch.io is more direct: create the project page, maintain one channel per platform, and push each build.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Free plan / price | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Formal PC game launches with Steamworks features and storefront review | Platform depots uploaded through SteamPipe; GameMaker’s documented Windows workflow uses a ZIP package, not an installer | $100 USD per new app; Valve says it can be recouped after $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue | Windows, macOS, Linux | Oct 2026 |
| itch.io | Direct publishing, rapid updates, demos, prototypes, and independent distribution | Portable GameMaker install folder uploaded to a platform channel; Butler supports incremental updates | Not stated in the cited documentation | Windows, macOS, Linux | Oct 2026 |
What files should you prepare before uploading?
Think of each operating system as its own deliverable. A Windows build, macOS build, and Linux build can require different executables, runtime files, permissions, launch settings, and optional integrations. Do not make one archive and label it for every platform.
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Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Windows: a GameMaker-generated Windows build. Use a ZIP package for the Steam workflow described by GameMaker; use the complete portable install folder for itch.io.
- macOS: a separate macOS application build with its own launch test and channel or depot.
- Linux: a separate Linux build. GameMaker’s manual distinguishes an AppImage for non-Steam Linux distribution from the ZIP packaging used for Steam.
- Optional Steam features: achievements, cloud saves, networking, or other Steamworks calls may require the GameMaker Steamworks extension and SDK expectations appropriate to the target build.
Keep an untouched copy of every release artifact, its version number, and the commit or project export used to create it. This makes it possible to reproduce a store upload or roll back a faulty update.
How do I export the correct GameMaker build?
Export from GameMaker only after deciding where the files will go. The same project may need different exports for Steam, itch.io, and different operating systems.
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Windows export for Steam
- Open the project in GameMaker and choose the Windows target.
- Use the Create Executable flow to compile the game.
- Select the ZIP packaging option required for the documented Steam workflow. Do not substitute a Windows installer executable for this Steam package.
- Open the resulting ZIP and confirm that it contains the executable and every runtime file the game needs. Preserve the expected folder structure when uploading it.
GameMaker’s Windows compilation guidance, last updated October 22, 2026, specifically distinguishes a Steam ZIP upload from an installer. An installer that works when launched manually can still be unsuitable for a Steam depot if it does not produce the files and launch behavior Steam expects.
Windows export for itch.io
- Compile the Windows target in GameMaker.
- Locate the generated install folder rather than an installer.
- Keep the folder intact, including the executable, data files, and required runtime libraries.
- Use that folder as the source directory for the itch.io Windows channel.
itch.io’s Windows guidance recommends shipping the portable install folder. The platform’s Butler tool can push folders generated by engines such as GameMaker without requiring you to wrap them in another installer.
macOS and Linux exports
Build each target independently and keep its output in a clearly named directory, such as 1.0.0-macos or 1.0.0-linux. Before upload, verify executable permissions, the launch command, display settings, controller and keyboard input, and save-file behavior on a representative machine. For non-Steam Linux distribution, GameMaker’s manual identifies AppImage as the relevant format; use the Steam-specific packaging guidance for a Steam depot instead of assuming the same artifact serves both stores.
How do I publish a GameMaker game on Steam?
Steam publication has four distinct parts: Steamworks onboarding, store configuration, platform depots, and a release approval and release action. Completing an upload alone does not make the game public.
1. Register the Steamworks app
Create a Steamworks account and begin onboarding. Valve’s process includes digital paperwork, the app fee, bank and tax information, identity verification, store-page preparation, build upload, and review.
Valve’s Steam Direct fee documentation accessed October 29, 2026 lists a $100 USD fee for each new Steam app. The fee is not refundable, but Valve says it can be recouped after the product reaches $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue from Steam Store sales or in-app purchases.
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Valve’s current program information also describes a waiting period for first releases after the app fee is paid and requires a publicly visible Coming Soon page before release. Because Valve documentation has displayed different timing wording in indexed versions, check the waiting-period status shown inside your live Steamworks account rather than relying on a remembered number.
2. Create launch options and depots
- Create the app record in Steamworks.
- Configure a launch option for each supported operating system. Associate the option with the correct compiled GameMaker executable.
- Create a platform depot for each operating system you distribute: for example, one for Windows, one for macOS, and one for Linux.
- Use SteamPipe to upload the matching files to each depot.
- Associate those depots with a build. Keep platform files in their corresponding depot so Steam does not offer a Windows package to a macOS or Linux customer.
GameMaker’s Steam setup guidance, last updated July 2, 2026, describes this app, launch-option, depot, and SteamPipe relationship. A depot is the container for the application files; the build is the version Steam can deliver through the configured app.
3. Upload the Steam package
For Windows, upload the ZIP-formatted package called for by GameMaker’s Steam compilation guidance. Check the depot contents after upload: the executable path configured in the launch option must match the path inside the package, and all required GameMaker runtime files must be present.
Repeat the process for macOS and Linux with their own compiled artifacts. Optional Steamworks functionality should be treated as a separate dependency: if a feature is unavailable or not initialized in a non-Steam build, keep a clean build path that does not require Steam to launch.
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Valve separates the Store Presence checklist from the Game Build checklist. Submit the store page before submitting the build for review. Both must be completed and approved before release.
After approval, use Steamworks release controls to publish the app manually. Valve states: “Approved titles will not release themselves — you need to use these controls yourself at the moment you wish your product to be released.” Set the release time deliberately; an approved build can remain unpublished until you perform that action.
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How do I upload a GameMaker game to itch.io?
itch.io’s workflow is folder-oriented. Create a project page, maintain a channel for each operating system, and push the portable build folder to the matching channel. Butler is itch.io’s recommended command-line uploader and handles retries, manifests, validation, and incremental updates.
1. Create the project and channels
- Create or open the itch.io project page.
- Plan one channel per platform, such as
windows,osx, andlinux. - Keep each channel’s artifact consistent with its platform. Do not mix Windows files into the Linux channel or upload a universal archive whose launch behavior is unclear.
2. Push the portable folder with Butler
Install and authenticate Butler according to itch.io’s documentation, then push the directory generated by GameMaker. The command shape is:
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butler push path/to/build user/game:windowsReplace path/to/build with the actual build folder and replace user/game:windows with your itch.io account, project, and channel. This is an example of command syntax, not a command executed for this article.
Butler can upload an entire folder, associate a version with a platform upload, retry interrupted transfers, validate builds and manifests, and upload only changed data after the first build. Those incremental uploads make repeated releases less wasteful without changing what the player ultimately receives.
3. Update an existing channel
Push each new Windows build to the existing windows channel, each macOS build to osx, and each Linux build to linux. Keeping a stable channel name lets the itch.io app and patching system identify changes between versions. Record a human-readable version in the project page and in the local artifact name so you can match a public upload to the source project.
4. Treat Steam synchronization as optional
Butler documents an experimental steam-sync workflow that maps Steam depots to itch.io channels. It can reduce duplicate upload work when both stores already use compatible depot structures, but it is not the default publishing path and should not replace a normal, independently verified itch.io upload.
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What is different about Steam and itch.io packaging?
The files come from the same GameMaker project, but the stores impose different delivery and release responsibilities.
| Axis | Steam | itch.io |
|---|---|---|
| Entry requirements | Steamworks onboarding, paperwork, identity, bank and tax information, $100 app fee, store preparation, and review | Project page and uploaded platform channels are the cited core workflow |
| Windows packaging | GameMaker’s documented workflow calls for a ZIP package, not an installer executable | Portable GameMaker install folder, preferably pushed with Butler |
| Platform organization | Separate launch options and platform depots | Separate channels such as windows, osx, and linux |
| Release control | Store Presence and Game Build checklists, review, approval, then a manual release action | Upload-oriented publishing through the project page and Butler |
| Updates | New files are uploaded through SteamPipe and associated with a build | Push a new build to the same channel; Butler can send only changed data after the first upload |
| Platform integration | Steamworks features may require the GameMaker Steamworks extension and matching SDK requirements | Keep platform integration optional so the non-Steam build can launch independently |
Official documentation explains mechanics, not sales outcomes. Choose one or both stores based on required platform features, your launch schedule, and how much review and release overhead you can support; there is no evidence here for a universal sales advantage.
How should I test the files players will download?
Test the distributable artifact, not merely the project inside the GameMaker IDE. The Steam ZIP, Steam depot build, and each itch.io channel can differ from a local development run.
- Install or extract from the final artifact: use a clean or representative system and avoid files left over from a development environment.
- Launch through the intended path: check the Steam launch option and the itch.io channel build separately.
- Check runtime completeness: confirm that executable, data, dynamic libraries, and any required redistributable or runtime files are included.
- Verify save behavior: create a save, quit, restart, and confirm that the game can find it again. Check that an update does not overwrite user data.
- Exercise display and input settings: test resolution changes, windowed and fullscreen modes, keyboard and controller input, and first launch defaults.
- Check platform boundaries: do not assume a Windows path, permission model, or save location works unchanged on macOS or Linux.
- Validate optional integrations: if Steamworks calls are enabled, test their unavailable or offline behavior as well as the connected path.
- Recheck after packaging changes: a new compression method, installer removal, launch-option edit, or runtime update can change the player-facing result.
The cited GameMaker, itch.io, Butler, and Steam release documentation supports validating the intended distributable build, but it does not prescribe one universal test matrix. Define coverage appropriate to your game’s supported operating systems and features.
What are the most common packaging failures?
Steam opens an installer or cannot find the executable
Check that the Windows depot contains the ZIP-based Steam package expected by GameMaker’s guidance, not an installer executable. Then compare the Steam launch option’s executable path with the path inside the uploaded depot.
itch.io players receive missing files
Push the complete GameMaker install folder rather than only the visible executable. Reopen the local folder from a clean location and confirm that it launches before pushing it to the channel.
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A macOS or Linux upload behaves like the Windows build
Rebuild the target platform and give it its own channel or depot. Confirm platform-specific executable permissions and launch behavior; do not rename a Windows archive to imply cross-platform support.
Steamworks features break the non-Steam build
Separate optional integration from the core game startup path. Use the GameMaker Steamworks extension and SDK requirements only in the build that needs them, and retain a non-Steam build that can initialize without Steam.
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An update works locally but not for existing players
Push the update to the same itch.io channel or associate it with the correct Steam build and depots. Test over an installation that already contains an older save and older runtime files, not only a completely empty directory.
Which publishing sequence minimizes rework?
- Choose supported operating systems and decide which features depend on Steamworks.
- Create a versioned GameMaker export for each platform.
- Package Windows for Steam as the documented ZIP and for itch.io as the portable install folder.
- Build and verify macOS and Linux artifacts separately.
- Complete Steamworks onboarding early enough to account for the app fee, Coming Soon requirement, waiting period, and review gates.
- Create Steam launch options and depots, then upload through SteamPipe.
- Create itch.io channels and push each portable folder with Butler.
- Install or extract the exact Steam and itch.io artifacts on representative systems.
- Fix launch, save, input, runtime, or platform-permission issues before making the Steam release public or announcing the itch.io build.
- For later versions, update the matching depot or channel and retain the previous artifact for rollback.
How we selected this workflow
The sequence follows the requirements documented by GameMaker, Valve, and itch.io: separate platform builds; GameMaker’s ZIP requirement for Steam; portable-folder distribution on itch.io; Steamworks launch options, depots, and SteamPipe; Butler channel uploads and incremental updates; and Steam’s onboarding, review, and manual release controls. It avoids unsupported claims about audience size, conversion rates, or which storefront sells more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one GameMaker ZIP work on Steam and itch.io?
Do not assume so. Steam’s documented Windows workflow calls for a ZIP package, while itch.io recommends the portable install folder; keep store-specific packaging outputs even when both originate from the same export.
Do I need Steamworks to publish a GameMaker game on itch.io?
No. itch.io can receive a standalone GameMaker build through a channel and Butler. Steamworks is needed only for Steam distribution or Steam-dependent features, so a non-Steam build can omit that integration.
Should I upload an installer to itch.io?
For Windows, itch.io explicitly recommends the portable install folder instead of an installer. This keeps the engine-generated runtime files together and lets Butler upload and patch the folder directly.
What happens if Steam approves my game but I do nothing?
Approval does not automatically make the game public. Valve requires the developer to use Steamworks release controls at the intended release time after the store and build requirements are approved.
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