The problem of indie games not getting much use often plagues us.
In this blog post I share with you what has been helpful in my experience as a full time indie developer.
In the year 2020 alone, 10,263 PC games were released on Steam.
With so many games out there, no matter how good a game is, people will not buy it unless they know its existence.
Releasing a game on Steam does not automatically mean that it will sell. If nothing is done, your game will be buried under other games.
Table Of Content
Social Networking Service
It is most effective, though not the most efficient, to keep your fans in the loop with your social networking accounts.
I know it's a lot of development work, but keep updating your social network regularly to increase the number of people interested in your product.
Twitter is the most diffuse tool, in my opinion.
My tweet releasing the product received over 700 retweets and over 2000 likes.
Today, I released VRM Posing Desktop on Steam!!🥳✨✨#steam #madewithunity #unity3d #vroid pic.twitter.com/mbwfWDn5Mj
— Evelyn GameDev (& AppDev) (@EvelynSoloDev) February 28, 2022
Make effective use of hashtags such as #gamedev and #screenshotsaturday.
Youtube
Youtube is less likely to spread information but more likely to be known later through search.
I run a Youtube channel, and as of October 2022, I have over 1900 channel subscribers.
Please read the following blog post that describes how an indie can get more than 1000 subscribers while continuing to develop.
Others
Instagram, Tiktok, Discord, Steam wishlist, and so on.
I know many other effective services and methods, but I am mainly working on Twitter and running a Youtube channel.
The more services I check daily, the more time I have to myself.
I encourage you to try various services and establish how to manage social networking services.
In-app links
The more products you generate, the more effective you will be.
I also have links to other apps in the apps I am developing.
This way, people who like my activities are more likely to try other apps and games.
In parallel with the development of long-term products, short-term products that can be released in a week to a month will increase the effectiveness of in-app links.
Send contact to media representatives
Production of Advertising Materials
- Key Visual: This image material conveys the worldview and concept of a game in a single image.
- Screenshots: Let's create images that convey the appeal of your game.
- Development team or company logo: You may need to submit it when exhibiting at events or awards, so prepare your development team or company logo early.
- Trailer Movie: A trailer movie is a video that introduces a game in a few minutes. It is an important material to convey the fun of the game through movement, so make sure you have enough time for production.
You can use PressKite.com to create a press kit.
Streamer
If possible, actively communicate with distributors via Twitter and other means to build relationships.
If you want to ask someone for a fee, you can try the following websites.
Gaming Media (Press Releases and Press Kits)
The media to which we send to the press for games and apps will depend on the country we are targeting.
An excellent way to do this would be to use Game Press.
Conclusion
- SNS:
Twitter / Youtube / services you like - In-app link:
Long-term and short-term projects - Press:
Streamer / Media
Be prepared for marketing well in advance.
Indie tends to be especially busy with development alone. However, you can make your game or app release successful by actively managing social networking sites and sending out the press.
I hope the information in this article will help your project release successfully.
