What's in a Name? How to Name Your Indie Game and Studio

Why Names Matter More Than Developers Think

A name is the first frame through which someone sees your game. It appears in Steam search results, thumbnail text, social media posts, podcast mentions, and word-of-mouth recommendations. A bad name doesn't kill a good game, but it creates unnecessary friction at every stage of marketing.

The two failure modes are opposite: too generic (your game is unfindable in search, it sounds like everything else) or too obscure (no one can spell it, remember it, or say it confidently).

Naming Your Game — What Works

Short and distinct

One or two words is ideal. Three works. More than that and you're making things hard for yourself on thumbnails, social media, and word of mouth. "iZBOT" is five characters. "Hollow Knight" is two words. "Outer Wilds" is two words. Long names like "What Remains of Edith Finch" work despite the length because the entire name is memorable and distinctive.

Pronounceable without explanation

If someone hears your game's name mentioned on a podcast and can't Google it because they don't know how it's spelled, that's friction. Say your name out loud. Ask someone to spell it back. If there's ambiguity, consider whether it's worth it.

Searchable and unique

Search candidate names on game stores and search engines, including likely misspellings and similar-sounding names. Record what occupies the results: other games, ordinary words, businesses, or unrelated products. Distinctive wording can reduce ambiguity, but it does not guarantee indexing or rankings.

Evocative without being on-the-nose

"iZBOT" suggests a robot (BOT) and has a slightly irreverent lowercase-i prefix that hints at a particular era of tech branding — which fits the game's aesthetic. It doesn't spell out "PRECISION PLATFORMER" because it doesn't need to. What it communicates is personality and genre-adjacent association.

Common Game Naming Mistakes

Single common words such as Shadow, Abyss, Void, or Echo can be difficult to distinguish in search results. A descriptive second word may help, but check the whole phrase for existing uses before keeping it on your shortlist.

Including version numbers in the name: "Super [Something] 2" works if it's a true sequel to an established property. "V2" or "2.0" in a title usually signals a rushed sequel naming decision.

Names that require explanation: if you have to explain what the name means or how it's spelled every time you introduce your game, the name is working against you.

Copying an existing hit's naming pattern too closely: a game called "Hollow Night" or "Hollow Knights" is not clever — it's confusing and will be forever associated with Team Cherry's game instead of standing on its own.

Naming Your Studio

Studio names operate differently from game names. Your studio name needs to hold up across multiple projects with potentially different genres and tones. A studio called "PrecisionPlatformerStudios" is trapped in a genre. A studio called "Ruxar" is open.

Invented words work well

An invented word can give a studio a flexible identity across genres. It still needs testing: other people may already use it, hear it differently, or find it hard to spell. Inventing a word does not establish exclusive rights to it.

Check the domain first

If ruxar.com weren't available, "Ruxar" would have been a harder choice. Check the .com availability before falling in love with a name.

Check for trademark conflicts

Check official trademark search resources in your intended markets, such as IP Australia and the USPTO. Record exact and similar names for further review. A domain or company-name registration is not a substitute for checking trademark conflicts.

Check it internationally if you can

Some words that are neutral in English have unfortunate meanings in other languages. A quick Google Translate pass through your most common market languages is worth ten minutes.

Comparing iZBOT and Ruxar as Names

These two names do different jobs. iZBOT contains the recognisable fragment BOT, which connects to the robot shown on the game page. Ruxar is the studio label used across this site. This is a reading of the published names, rather than an account of how they were originally chosen.

Test stylised capitalisation by writing your candidate in lowercase and saying it aloud. A listener will not hear the capital Z in iZBOT. If the name only makes sense in a particular logo, give the plain-text version another pass.

A Naming Worksheet You Can Copy

Complete these fields for each candidate. Use the same people and the same checks so the comparison is useful.

• Candidate and pronunciation: write the plain-text name and how you expect it to sound.
• Spelling test: say it once to three people, then record their spellings without hints.
• Recall test: ask those people for the name again the next day.
• Search collisions: list existing games, companies, and similar phrases you found, with links and the date checked.
• Presentation: try the name on a small thumbnail, a store heading, and a sentence spoken aloud.
• Availability and follow-up: record domain and account availability, trademark-search findings, and unresolved questions.
• Decision: keep, revise, or reject, with one sentence explaining why.

Prefer a candidate that people can repeat and find without coaching. Treat unresolved conflicts as work to investigate, rather than compensating for them with a high score on appearance.

Practical Checklist Before Committing to a Name

Before finalising any game or studio name:

1. Say it out loud 10 times. Does it still sound right?
2. Ask 3 people to spell it after hearing it once.
3. Search it on Google, Steam, and Twitter.
4. Check the .com domain.
5. Check trademark databases in your primary markets.
6. Imagine it as a YouTube thumbnail, a tweet, and a word-of-mouth recommendation.
7. Sit with it for a week. If it still feels right, use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I come up with a good indie game name?

A good game name is short (1–3 words), pronounceable out loud, unique enough to find on Google, and evocative of the genre or tone. Test it by saying it out loud, searching it on Steam, and asking someone unfamiliar if they can spell it after hearing it once. Avoid names that are too generic (you'll never rank for them) or too obscure (people won't remember them).

How do I name my game studio?

Studio names work differently from game names — they need to hold up across multiple projects, so they shouldn't be too specific to any one genre. Short, invented words (like Ruxar) or two-word combinations often work well. Check that the .com domain is available, that there's no existing company with the name in your region, and that it's trademarkable. Avoid studio names that are identical or very similar to major existing studios.

Should my game name be SEO-friendly?

Yes, with caveats. A distinctive name can make it easier for players to identify your game among search results, but it does not guarantee ranking. Check similar names and likely misspellings, then balance discoverability with pronunciation, recall, and the tone of the game.