How To Use Your "Underdog Story" To Attract Attention And Find Players

If you're a small indie game dev, and you're having trouble finding players, then your "underdog story" is one of the best ways to connect with customers.

So today I'm going to show you 7 insights to help you create your "underdog story" so that potential customers become your fans -- fans that will wishlist your game, buy your game, give you good reviews, and spread word-of-mouth.

And this is the same technique I used when I built my first startup that I ran for over 12 years. I had no connections. I had no marketing money. All I had was my product, and my story.

Ok, here's what you need to know and do to help you find players using your story...

One: Your Story Is Your Most Valuable Business Asset

Players need a way to connect to you and your studio. And your story provides that bridge between you and your fans.

This strategy works because the more your story involves elements that your player has experienced, the more comfortable they'll be to support you. And we'll work on that soon.

But most small indie game devs avoid this strategy because they fear it makes their studio seem small, or they want to stay anonymous. On the contrary, telling your story makes your studio feel personal and relatable. And in fact, AAA game studios pay big bucks, and spend a lot of time making their huge corporation feel personal.

Your story is an asset. Use it to build rapport with fans because people want to deal with people and not cold, nameless businesses.

Two: Humans Understand Info Better When It's Told Through A Story

Our minds think and process in STORY form. And we understand boring, cold information better when it's told through a story.

Think about this way, you were most likely inspired by stories of other small indie game devs who made a game and became a commercial success. But what inspired you wasn't the technical boring stuff like what game engine they used. What inspired you was their human experience of struggling through their code, overcoming challenges, and facing fears. These are the things that you can relate to.

It's the same with your player. But they don't care about your development story. They only care about your game and how it relates to them. More on that soon...

Three: We Seek How Things Relate To Each Other

Players are always looking for the new and novel. They want to play innovative games. They seek games that do cool and new things all the time.

BUT! If a player can't somehow relate to that new and novel feature of a game, then they don't care.

That's because we seem to always be looking for how things fit together in relationship to each other. What I mean is, if a player sees your new, innovative features but can't relate it back to something to their own experience, then that new features means nothing to them -- and their attention is gone.

But having a story is that bridge between you, and your game ideas and with that player who is always seeking something new and cool.

Let me explain...

Four: Your Story Should Allow Players To Relate To You

The more a player has in common with you, the more they feel they can relate to you. So your story needs to have elements that your player has experienced too.

That's why devlogs that talk about technical stuff fail to attract players. There are no emotional elements in devlogs that a player can relate to.

However, if your story has elements that both you and your player have experienced personally, then a player can feel connected to you.

And people like to support people they like. And if they like you, then that fan is more likely to wishlist your game, buy your game, give you good reviews, and spread word-of-mouth.

Five: Your Story Needs To Touch On Emotional Experiences

Remember how other stories of small indie game devs failing and succeeding inspired you? They inspired you because their story touched on emotional experiences that you can relate to.

Stories where you're at a disadvantage, trying and failing, feeling bad emotions, but then discovering a better way to do things, achieving success when the odds are against you -- these are all elements that you can relate to.

It's the same with your player. But your player isn't a game developer... they consume games, not make them. So your development story won't relate with their emotional experience.

So your story has to have elements that you both share. Let me explain...

Six: Your Story Should Have These Key Elements

So then how to connect with players using your story? Well, your story has to have something in common with your player. And what you and your player have in common is that you both love video games.

And both of you have had emotional experiences with games. So that's your bridge between you and your player.

So, here are a few key elements that your story needs:

• What were the games you played as a child that are now part of your gaming "DNA"?
• What games inspired you to make your current game?
• What were some problems that you saw in your genre that you wanted to fix with your game?
• What did you put in your game that other games don't do?
• What modern games do you think you have in common with your fans?
• Why did you make your game? (this questions might seem simple, but really, what is your true motivation)
• What struggles did you go through to make sure your game is polished, fun, and interesting?

Answer these questions because it'll help you create a story that will resonate with your potential fans. And it doesn't have to be a long story. Use those elements above to help you write a paragraph about:

1. Who you are
2. Why you made this game
3. Common frustrations about your genre that you share with your fans
4. Your challenges you overcame to make your game polished, fun, and interesting
5. And who this game is for

Seven: Personalize Your Steam Page With Your Story

Now that you have your story that connects with your potential fans, you need to add it to your Steam page.

At the very bottom of your Long Description (the section below "About This Game"), add a section called,

"About The Game Dev"

And quickly write your story (see Step Six).

This small little touch works because when you personalize your Steam page like this, you prevent your small indie game becoming a commodity.

There are so many small indie games being released everyday, and competition for attention is crazy. So you gotta work harder and harder to compete for this attention. So by adding your story that relates back to your players, and shows them how you have things in common, will help you turn that user into a fan.

So use your story as a marketing asset because if people like you, then they are more likely to support you, wishlist your game, buy your game, leave a good review, and spread word-of-mouth.

Thanks for reading. I hope you got at least one idea to help you find players for your indie game. Good luck with game dev, and talk to you soon!

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