Discord Invites Devs To Make Games That Are Playable Directly In Its App

Back in 2022 Discord added Activities for voice calls, a set of watch-together tools and simple games that users could engage with together in a call. Now, even more developers will have the chance to add their own games and apps to Activities with the release of the Embedded App SDK.

Activities initially released as an exclusive feature for Discord Nitro subscribers, and included a handful of simple games that were developed by the Discord team. Last year it was opened up for all Discord users, and its library of games have expanded to include third-party developed games like Gartic Phone and the online Catan-like Colonist.

When the Embedded App SDK releases on March 18, all developers will be handed the tools to make games that can be embedded in an iframe directly within Discord, like its classic Activities. Games published on Discord will be playable across its desktop, mobile, and web versions. Discord is also planning to add discovery and monetization tools further down the track, in a bid to entice more developers to adopt Discord as more than just a communication tool.

Along with the SDK announcement, Discord has also revealed that it will be funding some of its favorite app pitches, with the focus on Activities this time around. The best prototypes for potential Activities will be in the running to win up to $30,000 in development funding. Pitches are open until May 1, and all users will be able to vote for the overall winner from June 27.