Build for Telegram.
Telegram reaches 950M global, ~195M reachable for games. Telegram FZ-LLC (Dubai). MiniApp programs: Telegram Mini Apps and PlayDeck.
What shipping to Telegram actually means.
- Audience
- 950M global, ~195M reachable for games. Global. Heaviest in CIS, MENA, SEA, LATAM.
- Mini-app program
- Telegram Mini Apps and PlayDeck. developer docs ↗
- Payments
- Telegram Stars (in-app currency), TON wallet integration, Telegram Payments 2.0 with 50+ providers.
- Review process
- Light. Bot creation through @BotFather. Public Mini Apps reviewed for content; PlayDeck has its own publisher review track.
- Runtime and limits
- 20MB initial bundle preferred. JavaScript runtime via WebView. No native modules. WebGL works on most clients.
- Best fit genres
- Crypto-native games, idle-RPGs, social PvP, viral chat-loop mechanics. Strong organic distribution through groups and channels.
Where studios get stuck.
Two distribution surfaces (Mini Apps native + PlayDeck) with different SDKs. Stars vs TON vs fiat payment splits add accounting overhead. Channel virality is opaque without analytics tooling.
How Hangar handles it.
Rugs to Riches is live on Telegram via PlayDeck. Hangar handles the Stars/TON/Telegram-Payments adapter, the 20MB bundle target, and PlayDeck publisher submission as platform tasks rather than per-studio engineering.
Common questions about Telegram.
What is a Telegram Mini App game?
A Telegram Mini App game is a game that runs inside the Telegram chat client through the Mini Apps WebView API. Players launch it from a bot, a chat, or a channel without an app-store install. Telegram serves around 950M monthly users globally, with roughly 195M reachable for game distribution.
How do payments work on Telegram?
Three rails. Telegram Stars is the in-app currency, paid for in fiat by users and settled to studios. TON wallet integration lets players pay in TON cryptocurrency. Telegram Payments 2.0 connects 50+ traditional providers like Stripe and Yookassa for fiat. Studios shipping to Telegram typically need at least Stars and one other rail.
Can I use my Unity or Unreal game on Telegram?
Not directly. Telegram Mini Apps run inside a WebView with a JavaScript runtime. Unity WebGL builds work but the 20MB initial bundle target rules out most native engines without aggressive asset streaming. HTML5, Phaser, PixiJS, and Cocos Creator are common.
What does Hangar do for Telegram specifically?
Hangar takes an existing MiniApp build and generates a Telegram-targeted bundle with Stars, TON, and Telegram Payments adapters wired in, the 20MB initial-bundle target enforced, and PlayDeck submission package prepared. Studios skip the per-platform SDK and submission work.