Docs/Publishing

Staff Picks

The staff pick selection process.

8 min read Intermediate Updated 2026-07-01 v2.0 ~23 min to complete

Introduction

The staff pick selection process. This page provides a complete guide to staff picks in Appley, covering everything from setup to advanced techniques.

Publishing is a core area of Appley. Understanding staff picks will help you build better games and use the platform more effectively. This documentation is designed for intermediate level users.

Requirements

Before working with staff picks, ensure you have the following:

A completed, tested game project
An Appley account in good standing
Game metadata (title, description, category, tags)
A game thumbnail image

Estimated Completion Time

This guide takes approximately 23 minutes to complete. The estimated reading time is 8 minutes. Difficulty level: Intermediate.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to work with staff picks in your Appley project:

Finalize your game

Ensure your game is complete, tested, and free of errors related to staff picks.

Open the Publish dialog

Click the Publish button in Creator Studio to open the publishing wizard.

Fill in metadata

Enter the title, description, category, tags, and thumbnail.

Submit for moderation

Click Submit. The automated moderation system will review your game.

Go live

Once approved (usually under 1 minute), your game is live and playable.

FluxScript Example

Below is an Appley Scripting (Flux Scripting) code example demonstrating staff picks:

Staff Picks — Appley Scripting

// Publishing — Staff Picks
on start {
  checks = [
    { name: "Scripts compile", test: validateScripts },
    { name: "No missing assets", test: checkAssets },
    { name: "Scene loads", test: loadScene },
    { name: "Player can spawn", test: spawnPlayer },
    { name: "UI renders", test: checkUI }
  ]
  passed = 0
  for i = 0 to checks.length {
    result = checks[i].test()
    if result.ok {
      passed += 1
      print("OK: " + checks[i].name)
    } else {
      print("FAIL: " + checks[i].name + ": " + result.error)
    }
  }
  if passed == checks.length emit("readyToPublish")
}

Node Script Example

The same logic can be implemented using Node Scripting. Here is the equivalent node graph:

Staff Picks — Node Graph

[On Start] ──► [For Each Check] ──► [Run Test]
                                          ├─ OK ──► [Print OK] ──► [passed++]
                                          └─ Fail ──► [Print FAIL]
             ──► [Branch: passed == total] ──► [Emit "readyToPublish"]

Interchangeable Systems

FluxScript and Node Scripting compile to the same runtime. You can mix both in a single project — use whichever is best for each task.

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent mistakes when working with staff picks:

Publishing without testing on mobile

Always test in mobile preview before submitting.

Not filling in game description and tags

Complete all metadata fields for better discoverability.

Publishing games with smoke test failures

Fix all failures first — they indicate broken gameplay.

Ignoring age rating guidelines

Set appropriate age ratings to avoid rejection.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with staff picks, try these solutions:

Game was rejected by moderation

Read the rejection reason. Fix the issues. Common: broken scripts, prohibited content.

Game is not appearing in search

Add relevant tags. Write a clear description. Wait for indexing.

Cannot publish — button is disabled

Check publish limit. Check for smoke test failures. Fill required fields.

Published game shows old version

Clear browser cache. Updates may take 1-2 minutes to propagate.

Performance Tips

Optimize your use of staff picks with these performance tips:

Fill in all metadata fields — title, description, tags, and category improve discoverability.
Add a high-quality thumbnail — it significantly impacts click-through rate.
Test on mobile before publishing — touch controls must work.
Use relevant tags that match your games genre and features.

Explore these related documentation pages:

Introduction to Appley

Getting Started