It's so lovely when fans are so inspired by your game that they create things. But sometimes it can be a moderation nightmare. Having clear policies in an easy to access place will help you and the community know exactly what is and isn't allowed. This doesn't tend to be a binding legal document like the EULA and more of a readable-to-the-average-person guideline.

• Monetization
  • Can people make money off of your IP either directly or indirectly? Are their any restrictions on quantities? (Like making <100 things for a con or Etsy).
  • Direct examples:
    • Selling posters, pins, t-shirts or other such goods
    • Paid mods
  • Indirect examples:
    • Creator Patreon
    • Ad revenue
    • 3rd Party Sponsorships
• Making Content with Game Assets
  • Can people use your game assets for things like fan art, song remixes, fan games, mods on other games, etc.?
• Making Original Content from Game IP
  • If fans make original content based on your IP, what can they do with it and what restrictions are there? Can they share it on social media? Can they use your logos in their pieces? Do they need to include any disclaimers?
  • Examples:
    • Fan made games
    • Fan art
    • Fanfiction
    • Music remakes
• Game Modding
  • What's your policy on modding the game? It can be officially supported through avenues like Steam Workshop, unofficially, or not at all.
• Streaming and Video Content
  • Can people stream or make video content about your game? Does it include any copyrighted music they should be aware of? Do you allow all sorts of streaming and video content? (Ex. Can it be subscriber only streams?). What community guidelines should they follow?
  • Are they allowed to monetize their stream or video content with ad revenue or sponsorships?

Examples:

• Wizards of the Coast
• Dual Wield Studio
• Innersloth

Last updated: 2021-Apr-20