Pitch decks outline your game in a concise, informative manner; typically including everything the person you are pitching to would be looking for / interested to know about your video game in development.
Pitch decks can either be in pdf or other formats, but most are done using slides (OR better still PowerPoint as you can integrate videos / gifs - never underestimate the power of moving media!) - it's the same on twitter. Recent pitch analysis carried out by Liam Twose of #PitchYaGame showed moving media performing stronger than static images, with Internal Twitter Video being the strongest.
Anatomy of a Pitch Deck:
A Gameplay Video (plus separate game trailer if needed / possible)
nb: gameplay video != game trailer. Gameplay videos should ideally give a solid overview of the game from the playing perspective encompassing user experience, ui interaction (such as screens and interface), and a good cross section of what the player can expect to be able to do. A game trailer is more about showing the game off, leans more into the games' story, and is typically designed to entice the audience.
A Playable Build / Demo / Prologue
Each person / entity you pitch to will have their own preferences / methods when it comes to reviewing pitches, most will look at the pitch deck first, some will want to go straight for a video to watch or demo / build.
Make sure to provide details on how to navigate / play the game etc, or implement ways to experience each major aspect (if possible) i.e. using hotkeys.
The best thing you can do when it comes to pitching is provide all options to cover all potential needs / desires.
Budget Deck
Details and breaks down funding you require including already have received funding (if required)
Once you have everything you need for your pitch deck.. a great way to share this is to store it all in a google drive and grant / revoke access via email / link as and when needed.
Example Pitch Decks: Here are some great examples of pitch decks from real game decks out there including Backbone, Diablo, Guacamelee, Bioshock, Flame In The Flood and more. Thanks to Evva Karr of Glitch for their hard work gathering this great resource.
Read: The Five W's
<aside> 💡 Raw Fury describe them as: What are you doing, Why are you doing it, Who are you, Where do you want to go, What do you need to get there, When will you be there?
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Guide: Raw Fury's How To Pitch Guide
Guide: Chucklefish's guide to pitching by Caoimhe
Resource: template guide for creating pitch decks