Find new players. Grow wishlists. Increase game sales. Mainquest Marketing


7 Tips If You're Making Your First Game And You're Not Finding Players

If you're a small indie game dev making your first game, and your game studio isn't getting any momentum, then here are 7 tips to help you find players...

Tip #1: To Grab Attention Appeal To Player's Selfish Needs

Players don't care about your cool art or story -- they care that your art and story will help them get immersed in your game and help them forget their worries and stress and boredom and pain.

And players don't care about your features or innovations -- they care that your features are fun, challenging, and provide them with surprises.

Your game is basically a portal or vessel so the player can avoid boredom, get immersed, have fun, and be entertained. They use your game as a way to solve problems in their life, or give them something fun to do.

So if you want to start finding players, then your marketing needs to be focused on the selfish needs of your potential customers.

And how do you do this exactly?

Next time you create any content for your game (it could be a post on social media, an update on your Steam page, a video on YouTube), ask yourself:

"How does this benefit the player?"

I know it's not an easy question. But the idea is to shift your mindset away from you, and put the spotlight on the player's selfish needs.

For example, say you're updating the animation in your game. And you want to post an update about it. Well, instead of just talking about you and what you did, explain in detail how your new update benefits the player in some way. Maybe the new animation solves a problem with visual clarity? Maybe your new animation helps the player get immersed in the game? Maybe the new animation makes combat feel chunky and weighty. Animation isn't just cosmetics, it's about adding a satisfying feeling of combat.

And animation is just one example. Every system in your game is there to add to the immersion or fun to your game.

So anytime you create content about your game, ask: "How does this benefit the player?". Because remember, you need to appeal to a player's selfish need if you want to grab their attention.

Tip #2: You Need A Step That Converts To Wishlists

Most game marketing sounds and looks like this:

"Hey gamer, look at my features. Look at my art. Cool hey?! Now give me your wishlist".

Let me explain why this doesn't work...

The whole idea with wishlists is that the more you have, the better chances are they'll convert into sales.

This works because it's important to get a player to make small commitments before you ask them to make the BIG commitment.

In other words, a small commitment like getting a wishlist will convert better than if you just asked for the sale. Small commitments over time lead to bigger results.

Think about it this way: on the first date with somebody you don't start making plans to go on a big vacation or move in with each other. No. There are small little commitments first. These small little steps lead to big results and commitments over the long-term.

That's why getting a wishlist first before asking a player to buy your game is important: because when a person makes a small commitment there is a need to act consistently. And if you've read Influence, you know what I'm talking about.

But here's the insight most game devs miss:

It's the same thing when asking for a wishlist. Before you can ask a player for their wishlist, the player needs to take a small step BEFORE making that commitment.

This is why it's so hard for small game studios, who have no momentum, to start building wishlists consistently... for the player, it's because it's too big of a commitment for them at that moment. There needs to be a few more steps before that.

Then how do you get that small commitment that converts into a wishlist? Let me show you in the next tips...

Tip #3: The Best Marketing Never Asks For Anything -- The Best Marketing Offers Value

What's the most valuable thing to a potential customer?

Is it screenshots, trailers, a professional looking Steam page, dev logs, posts on social media?

No.

Nobody cares. Ok, if you're a big studio and lots of people are anticipating your next release, then people care. They want to see your screenshots, trailers, dev logs, and post on social media.

But if you're a small indie game dev, making your first game, none of that content is valuable to a player.

So what is the most valuable thing to a player? Well, when I help my clients market their games, the first thing I do is reach out to potential customers.

And you know what's the NUMBER one thing potential customers I talk to ask of me?

"Can I play the demo?"

I send them trailers... I send them to the Steam store... I send them gameplay footage... but nobody cares about that content. They only want to play the demo.

That's because something tangible like a demo is worth 1000x more than screenshots, trailers, and sales copy -- especially if you're a small indie dev and nobody knows about your game yet.

And I know it's not easy to have a polished demo ready. I know that this tip is a BIG ask. I know that most game devs won't even bother. They would rather keep posting on social media, hire somebody to make them a professional trailer, put up a Steam page and hope they get traffic.

But I talk to hundreds of potential customers every week. And majority of the people ask to see the demo.

And remember in Tip #2, I talked about how you need a step that converts into wishists? Well, THIS is your step.

By having a demo ready to give to your potential customer, it allows them to take a small, no risk, no hassle commitment.

Plus, a wishlist has no value to them UNTIL they had a small taste of your game. Once they play the demo, and they love your game, then that wishlist's value goes WAY up.

Again, the best marketing doesn't ask for anything -- it offers value. A wishlist alone has zero value. But your number one marketing asset that has the potential of increasing the value of a wishlist is your demo.

But then how do you get more demo downloads in the first place? Let's talk about that in the next tips...

Tips #4: This Is Real Money You Might Lose, So It's Time To Get Serious

The probability of successfully finding your customer is low if you just do what most game devs do. And that usually consists of:

Hope isn't a strategy. Posting stuff up and hoping other people and other platforms will get you customers will usually fail. It'll fail because almost every game dev does this mediocre marketing.

Again, don't get me wrong. If you're a bigger studio, and you have customers already, then yes, this marketing helps -- because you already have momentum.

But when you don't have any momentum, then you can't do what everybody else does. You have to do something exceptional that most devs will never do.

So if you want to get this right... if you don't want to lose money, time, and energy in this project... if you are serious about building a studio that will let you become a full-time game dev, then you must talk to customers.

That's the key: go find your tribe. Go and talk to them. You'll get more wishlists by spending 15 minutes a day talking to players than you ever will posting on social media all day and only marketing to other game devs.

So how do you build this momentum yourself? How do you find your tribe? What do you ask them? And how do you get them to follow you and wishlist your game? Let's work on that in the next tip...

Tip #5: Think Of Your Customers As "Business Friends"

If you want value from a potential customer, you have to also provide value back. What I mean is: wishlists, followers, and sales are very valuable to you.

But in any relationship, it's an exchange of values. So if you're just one sided, and expect to get that wishlist just because you have a Steam page up, cool screenshots, and a flashy trailer -- well, that is NOT enough value for the player.

Remember, your customer is an individual human who wants to find a game they can trust will be fun, enteratinging, won't be boring, and help them forget their problems in their life.

And they don't want to connect with an "indie game studio". They want to connect with another human being who will give them attention. This is why it's such a big deal when execs like Phill Spencer and producers like Todd Howard take time to talk to gamers. They'll do AMA's. They'll do interviews. They'll be as accessible to the public as they can be. This works because players don't feel they're dealing with a company, but with a person.

This is why it's so important for you to personally reach out and talk to potential customers.

How?

It's very simple. Whatever your genre is, there is a community forum somewhere online for it. It can be on Reddit, Discord, or a website. Even Whatsapp and TikTok facilitate community engagement through various features.

But you're not there to promote your game. You're there as a fan. And as you participate in these communities, you will build relationships.

And when you've built trust with some of these players, and trust in the community, then when you do self-protote it'll be a lot more organic. And those people who you've built relationships with will want to support you, play your demo, and wishlist your game.

Is this tedious? Yes. Is this time consuming? Yes. Are there devs who made games like Hotline Miami, Vampire Survivors, Stardew Valley... did they reach no to players like this? No. But guess what? Thousands of devs with very good, high-quality, fun games have a game up on Steam that basically have zero visibility and zero interest.

Hoping that your game will just blow up because it's high-quality, fun, innovative isn't enough. There's so much competition for attention, that it's the devs who will now put in this extra effort that will get momentum.

And remember, there is real money on the line. Failure is certain if you just do what everybody else does. And what everybody else does is mediocre at best. So you gotta do uncommon things if you want uncommon results.

Ok, let's talk more about how to get momentum...

Tip #6: Getting Momentum Is Not The Same As Having Moment

A rocket taking off the ground will burn 80% or more of its fuel just to lift off. But once it's in orbit, its fuel consumption is more efficient and uses less energy to keep in orbit.

It's the same with your game studio: getting it off the ground will burn the most time, energy, and effort from you. But once you get some momentum, the less work you'll have to do.

But the problem is, marketing strategies like having a professional Steam page, posting on social media, trailers, screenshots, etc... these activities do NOT build momentum. Yes, they help you greatly when your game has taken off the ground and you're getting followers and wishists. But alone, this is NOT how to build momentum.

The only way to build momentum is through:

  1. Creating content that focuses on player selfish needs
  2. Having a polished demo ready
  3. Talking to potential customer, building relationships, and giving them your demo when you've build trust

And yes, these three activities will take 80% of your time, energy, and effort. They suck to do. They're boring. But that's the only way to get momentum.

But once you get momentum, and word of mouth spreads, and you have a bigger following, and more wishlists, then that momentum builds up for you.

Because when you have momentum, and build a following, YouTubers will want to play your game because you have an audience now, and more social proof.

And Steam's algorithm will showcase your game because your page is getting a lot of attention and wishlists.

And instead of you posting on social media, people will do it for yo, and the word will reach more of your target audience because it's not just you posting -- it's your fan base now helping you.

But it all starts, again, with:

  1. Creating content that focuses on player selfish needs
  2. Having a polished demo ready
  3. Talking to potential customer, building relationships, and giving them your demo when you've build trust

Again, it's small little steps that build up to bigger results, over the long-term.

But most game devs think of short-term hacks, like posting on social media, or putting up trailers.

These one time activities don't work if you don't have momentum.

It's up to you to build that momentum, you have to be persistent, find your players, and build relationships. You gotta take self-accountability because no YouTuber or no platform will do it for you. Ok, one more tip:

Tip #7: Make Your Game Name Stick

I have to be honest, and a lot of game devs I help don't have very good memorable game names. Yes, they have "cool" names. But a good name that sticks in the mind goes a long way in terms of helping you build momentum.

Let me explain...

There are three approaches to coming up with a game name that sticks.

Approach 1: Use 3 Or Less Syllables

Often the simpler the name, the easier it is to remember. For example:

These names all have 3 or less syllables so they are simple to say. And if it's simple to say, then it's simple to remember.

Approach 2: Rhythm, Rhyme, Alliteration

These names have a "sing song" or flow to them also make them easy to remember. For example:

These names are easy to remember because it's the "sounds" you remember, and not the actual word.

Approach 3: Tell Me What I Get To Do

Then there are game names that literally spell out what the player should expect in the game. For example:

With these names, players can imagine what they'll be doing in the game without even seeing what the game is about.

Of course, there are other examples where highly successful games don't follow any of these approaches. But as a small game dev, you want to take any advantage you can so that a player will remember you. If you have a hard name with too many syllables, then you'll have to work harder on branding and getting people to remember you.

That's it my friend. Thanks for reading. Hope you got one insight to help you market your indie game and start growing your audience, and finding customers! My name is Dariusz. And see you later!



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Dariusz Konrad
My Entrepreneurial Story
Work: Game devs I've helped so far